Farewell but not Goodbye to Howard
As long as I can remember being involved with TAMF, Howard Loeser has been there. After 45 years on the job, Howard is retiring at the end of this month. He’s one of the nicest guys a person could know, he’s always wearing a kind smile, has a quiet presence and makes everyone know that he cares about them. He’s a good friend. When we visited recently, Howard talked about the time he’s been with IMF and the industry… 45 years… he said ‘it was a good run’.
While Howard was at the University of Texas, his father sold the company and with his degree in Archaeology and Chemistry, he had no plans to enter the industry. A year before graduation though, the new owners of IMF were failing and Mr. Loeser took the business back. Still with no want to do more than help ‘pops’ out some, Howard started at Industrial Metal Finishing and made a life long career of it! He remembers his first job as their truck driver, picking up 55 gallon drums of fuel for their forklifts, driving the old Ford pickup. From there, Howard moved to the shop floor and learned the business from the ground up, successfully running IMFCO with brother Bruce and is so proud to be transitioning the company to the 3rd generation, son-in-law Justin Blumberg and nephew Travis Loeser.
In reflecting over his good run, we talked about changes and like always, it was all good. He focused on Quality and Environmental programs and commented on the vast improvements in both, not only at his company but in the industry as a whole and what a good thing that was. They innovated but remained much the same company over the years and always fought to keep up to their ‘we can do it’ company motto.
Having served as TAMF President for at least a couple terms, Howard remains a huge fan of our little Association. He leaned on it heavily in the 80’s when things were crazy with the environmental side of our industry and with the friendships made through TAMF and NAMF in Texas and Nationwide, there was always someone to reach out to with questions and always a friend to visit with at local and national events.
He’s leaving his IMF family at the end of the month but will only be a will phone call away for any of us who just want to reach out. Congratulations and farewell my good friend!
jkelly
Tagged: Howard Loeser
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