OF THE MONTH
Compiled by Rebecca Wright
Hearn Group Celebrates 50 Years
T
he story behind a local conglomerate started when Don Hearn Sr. bought a backhoe five decades ago. Hearn Sr. was working in tool and die and had just bought a home in the county. It was October 1966. He was told he needed a septic tank but wasn’t sure what that was. He learned that the price of it was $400 and there was a three week waiting period. Instead, he offered a contractor some extra money to expedite the process. They installed it the next day. Hearn Sr. recalls taking the day off work so he could observe the exact process of installing a septic tank, making notes of the names of the suppliers of the tanks, stones and tiles. He called each of them the next day and found out the total cost was about $100. And he remembers noting the installation itself only took seven hours. That’s when the wheels in his head began to turn. Hearn Sr. had spent his teenage years working in construction with his father, Bud Hearn, so he was used to working with his hands. He did some calculating and decided to buy a backhoe that he retooled himself. His wife, Susan, kept his books and he went into the business of septic tanks. He then bought out other septic tank installers and purchased a truck to start hauling stone. That led to an association with Allied Chemical in Amherstburg and with the City of Windsor for whom he hauled sewage. In 1972, he took an administrator and lawyer for the City of Windsor to Washington, DC to look at a new idea — municipal composting. They were convinced of its benefits and Hearn was awarded the contract. “We look for new work by looking at the future,” says Hearn Sr. “What’s going to grow?” Expansion and diversification came in the late ‘80s with building a packaging plant in Amherstburg, management of landfills and waste water treatment plants, then a warehousing
From left: Don Hearn Jr., Don “Bud” Hearn, Brad Hearn, Don Hearn Sr. and Steve Hearn are truly a successful multi generation family business. Bud started his career as a home builder and went on to become a Master Carpenter while his son Don Sr. went on to start his own business and, with the help of his sons Don Jr., Brad and Steve, diversified the company into the automotive sector and warehousing industry. Photo by Rod Denis.
operation with locations in Canada, United States and Mexico, property and land development, a lumber transload facility and harbour terminal on the west side of Windsor, along with many other small projects over the years. What really motivates Hearn is finding a better mousetrap. Hearn Sr.’s packaging plant near Amherstburg was full of homemade gadgets and one-of-a-kind systems. For instance, instead of using conveyors to move bulk raw materials from rail cars into the plant, he built a ramp so cars can be pulled up and unloaded by gravity. He also modified a machine to separate wood chips from compost and was selling the machines to other companies. He’s also been in the business of selling his ideas and skills to other businesses through consulting and venture capital projects. “When I go into a plant, I look around and figure how things could be done a little better,” explains Hearn Sr. “Many companies don’t strive for greater efficiencies if things are working and making money, but most could become more competitive with outside help.” Companies often subcontracted to Hearn to have him move their materials within a plant or between plants. “Many companies had difficulty freeing up capital to buy trucks and other equipment,” he states. “Big companies want a greater return on their capital, greater than what Hearn needs.” Another one of his ventures was reclaiming waste salt from General Chemical, processing it, and selling it to Canadian Oxy for use in bleaching paper. “We saw General Chemical putting waste salt into its lagoon and down the road Canadian Oxy was buying salt,” he explains. “It was the natural thing to do.” The Hearns are firm believers in ensuring their legacy endures by putting their hands into many different prospects as they arise.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE HEARN GROUP ON YOUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY
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B IZ X M A G A Z IN E • O C T O B E R 2 0 1 6
“I thoroughly enjoy getting up each day,” says Hearn Sr. “just like my dad does. It’s not just a job and hopefully it’s in the genes and is passed along to the boys.” The “boys” he refers to are his three sons: Don Jr., Brad and Steve Hearn. They each manage a facet of the company for their dad, though he still comes in daily in an advisory capacity. “I enjoy the work, I don’t count the hours,” Hearn Sr. comments. “There are new challenges daily. It keeps you fresh. There’s never a routine.” In addition to warehousing and construction, the Hearns have had many enterprises involving local golf courses — including the recent acquisition of Sutton Creek Golf Club — to property management. Recently, they have expanded with new locations in Cleveland, OH; Taylor, MI; and Oakville, ON that focus heavily on supply chain, sequencing, quality control and transportation services. Over the years, the main companies of the Hearn Dynasty were/are: Don Hearn & Sons Trucking Ltd., Don Hearn & Sons Ltd., The Hearn Group, Sutton Creek Golf Club, Don Hearn & Sons Inc. and now Hearn Industrial Services. The corporate office is at 2480 Seminole Street, Windsor and you can learn more about their history on the web: HearnIndustrial.com. “Life is short, even though you think you have a million years ahead of you,” says Hearn Sr. “So, be thankful to the people that touch your life and try to learn a little from each person and appreciate them.” Even after 50 years, Hearn Sr. says he still continues to look for opportunities to expand and diversify his business. “It doesn’t seem like 50 years have passed and I am amazed,” he expresses. “I never envisioned that this is what it would become. I just kept on working, things kept coming in and now the kids keep growing the business. I owe my success to surrounding myself with good people and a very understanding wife.”