The John Henry Foster Company (JHF) is a full-line fluid power sales company distributing to customers throughout most of Missouri and Southern Illinois.
JHF sells such products as: air compressors, hydraulic pumps and power units, pneumatic cylinders and valves, and custom assemblies that include electronic controls.
John Henry Foster was born in Rhode Island in 1905. In 1928 he started his career as a manufacturer representative for Norgren, Hansen, Mead & Vice-Grip.
In 1942 he opened his first distributorship in Minnesota. Two years later in 1944, a second branch of the John Henry Foster Company was founded in St. Louis, where John Henry remained to build his business.
John Henry Foster drove his air stream trailer around the Midwest selling pneumatic equipment to industrial customers. His philosophy was, "You can't sell from an empty wagon." So today, JHF's $6 million inventory allows customers the comfort of knowing that products ordered are in stock.
In 1983, John Henry sold the company to his general manager, Bob Gau (a 1960 Mechanical Drafting Ranken alumnus and a Top 100 Outstanding Graduate honoree) and his wife, Kathy. Bob was one of the first employees of John Henry Foster Company hired as a Sales Representative, quickly moving to General Sales Manager, then Owner. One year after the Gau family purchased JHF, an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) was created for employees. Mr. Foster's motto "take care of the business and it will take care of you" still applies to how the Gau family runs the business today.
As owners, John Henry Foster employees have identified the certain values that are important for continued success. Those are loyalty, respect, integrity, honesty, trust, cooperation, teamwork, accountability, and excellence. Many of these traits are values instilled in Ranken students through their education, and a reason why John Henry Foster Company looks to Ranken graduates as potential employees. With 13 Ranken graduates currently employed there, JHF has a continued presence at campus job fairs, is a frequent donor of equipment in numerous departments, and remains a corporate friend of the College. During a tour of the Ranken Industrial Technology department, the JHF name is proudly displayed as a testimony of their continued support to Ranken programs and equipment needs.
Bob Gau, Chairman of the Board at JHF, continues to reinforce the dreams of the company's original founder. Annual sales are in excess of $44M and a continued climb is expected.
Eric Droege, a Ranken May 2009 graduate says, "I work at John Henry Foster as a hydraulic technician. Ranken has given me many skills so that when I step into John Henry Foster Company I can be a productive technician. The two years I have spent at Ranken has led me to a great career."
Ranken is grateful to have corporate partners such as the John Henry Foster Company, and Ranken alums who give back to the College through corporate scholarship and equipment donations. For more information on the John Henry Foster Company, the Gau family and company history, refer to their website www.jhf.com. Click on the link "A look at our History" for a downloadable version of The Story of John Henry Foster St. Louis, MO, 1944-2007 written by Kathleen Gilbert, which served as a source of information for this article.
Pictured here are Bob Gau and his son, Rich, the current CEO of JHF
