Press Releases & Published Articles
Press Releases
John Henry Foster Supports Industry Specific Robotics Team
Sales Goal Achiever Award presented to John Henry Foster
"Top-5 distributor" awarded to John Henry Foster
3 core principles help John Henry Foster stand out during these difficult times
John Henry Foster Represents only the best
John Henry Foster receives Star Achievement Award from CompAir USA
John Henry Foster recognized as 2007 Quincy Premier Distributor
John Henry Foster recognized as 2007 Bimba Premier Distributor
John Henry Foster Goes Electric
Employees Have Grown With Company
John Henry Foster Hires Technical Staff
Published Articles
Xcel Energy Increases Rebates in 2010
Shop Profile - Is Your Compressed Air System Wasting Energy?
In the Know and In The Green
New Compressed Air Pipe System Results in Lower Costs and Bigger Savings
Count on relationships for technology purchases
Compressed Air Best Practices
John Henry Foster plays key role in Fluid Power competition
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Press Releases
John Henry Foster Supports Industry Specific Robotics Team
Eagan, Minn. (April 2010) – John Henry Foster (JHF), one of the largest compressed air systems distributors in the Upper Midwest, is proud to show its support to the industry and community by contributing to the first ever Burnsville, Minn. Robotics Team. Monetary contributions help support the team by purchasing necessary materials and tools to construct a robot.
Robotic competitions are intense and competitive programs designed to encourage the development of students’ interests in the areas of engineering, math and science. By doing so, this helps prepare young minds to work and thrive in our increasingly technological world. The team attempts to solve an engineering design problem though building, programming, and designing a robot that performs an assigned task. The assigned task this year was similar to a soccer game. The robot’s kicker mechanism utilized a compressed air actuator (Bimba Manufacturing air cylinder) that JHF supplies and distributes. The Burnsville robotics team consisted of a group of 14 local students from Burnsville High School who completed their project from start to finish in a short six-week span. After participating in a regional competition at the U of M campus on April 1-3, the team placed 41st out of 63 teams they competed against. The top six winners advanced to the national championship in Atlanta on April 15.
“We were excited to be a part of the competition” said John Hawkins, JHF’s president and CEO. “We want to encourage young people to set educational goals, especially with the advancing need for technically trained students in America. While it may be a coincidence that this competition takes place during the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament, imagine what aspirations could be achieved if the same level of attention was directed towards traditional education goals.”
John Henry Foster (www.jhfoster.com) is dedicated to serving our clients with the most cutting-edge products available on the market today. With over 70 years of experience, we are one of the Midwest’s leading compressed air systems distributors and service providers and are uniquely qualified to assist our clients from design to build. We provide both capital and pneumatic components consultatively, allowing us to partner with both the supply and demand sides of compressed air systems. Our team of experts provides customized solutions that impact our clients’ consistency, reliability and profitability, while continuing to demonstrate our knowledge of the latest industry trends and solutions. Headquartered in Eagan, Minn. with a facility in Fargo, N.D., John Henry Foster employs over 75 technical, service and professional staff.
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Sales Goal Achiever Award presented to JHF
John Henry Foster was awarded TRD Manufacturing, Inc. “2008 Goal Achiever Award" for exceeding company expectations.
For the past 11 years, John Henry Foster has been a proud distributor of TRD Manufacturing and since 2004, has received awards recognizing outstanding sales. Our 14 outside sales associates, in addition to our inside sales team, have extensive knowledge of the TRD Manufacturing product line and are positioned to provide you with immediate pricing, availability and the knowledge to answer all of your technical questions.
At John Henry Foster, we are proud to have earned this award and know that honors such as these would not be possible without the support of our valued customers and employees. We extend our thanks to all of you for making this possible!
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Top-5 Distributor awarded to John Henry Foster
John Henry Foster was awarded Beach Filters Product, Inc. “Top-5 Distributor" award for outstanding sales and service of Beach Filters.
For more than 35 years, John Henry Foster has been a proud distributor of Beach Filters and since 1994, has received annual awards recognizing outstanding sales. Our 13 outside sales associates, in addition to our inside sales team, have extensive knowledge of the Beach Filter product line and are positioned to provide you with immediate pricing, availability and the knowledge to answer all of your technical questions.
At John Henry Foster, we are proud to have earned this award and know that honors such as these would not be possible without the support of our valued customers and employees. We extend our thanks to all of you for making this possible!
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3 Core Principles Help John Henry Foster Stand Out During These Difficult Times
John Henry Foster (JHF) has been around for 70 years. Over seven decades, the company has experienced just about every economic condition a business can face. In step with the upturns and in spite of the downturns, JHF has become one of the largest compressed air systems distributors in the Upper Midwest. Its continued success has not resulted from any fancy Harvard Business School methodologies or theories but rather from diligent, practical management that has stayed true to three core principles:
understanding its business niche, representing the best products in the world and providing exemplary customer service.
1.) Understanding our business niche
It’s tempting for companies to branch out geographically or to diversify their services to try to get the biggest piece of the pie possible. While some corporations have successfully accomplished significant growth this way, not all have made it work.
JHF has consistently provided compressed air systems -- the essential power sources for tools and equipment reaching across all segments of industries, both large and small. The company’s strength comes from offering consultative sales versus commodity selling to its clients. By providing both capital equipment and pneumatic components consultatively, JHF has the ability to partner with both the supply side and demand side of compressed air systems. Since the firm’s beginnings, JHF has remained one of very few firms in the country that is structured to work with both sides of compressed air. Years ago when most industries were smaller, companies could sell both. But today companies either focus on one or the other.
JHF also anticipates the needs of customers, and when appropriate has explored new areas such as fluid cooling and vacuum markets.
Geographically, some businesses have expanded too fast, taking on too much debt and not fulfilling customer expectations. JHF is carefully focused on the upper Midwest as its sales territory and provides a local presence in the communities that it serves. This geographic strategy has allowed management to manage its growth, expenses and staffing.
Simply said, JHF understands its business niche, which has helped make it a leader in providing innovative solutions and consistent value to customers with its sales process and technical development. For 70 years, JHF has remained true to its capabilities and commitment to its customers and clients.
2.) Representing the best products in the world
JHF reputation is synonymous with the top manufacturers it represents. Names like Quincy Air Compressor, Zeks Refrigerated Dryers, Domnick Hunter Filtration Equipment, as well as fluid power component manufacturers, including Bimba, Foster, Freelin-Wade, Humphrey, Numatics and Pisco, represent excellence. The company also distributes the ROBO CylinderÒ linear actuator, manufactured by Intelligent Actuator America, Inc. (IAI). The advanced-precision, electric-controlled robots helps manufacturers in a range of industries to improve productivity while saving energy and money.
Representing quality is of paramount significance.
3.) Providing exemplary customer service
The third and critically important reason JHF has been able to achieve and maintain success is due to its exceptional sales and service teams that bring knowledge and experience to their customers. As new products, manufacturers and technologies come to market, JHF commits its staff to thorough training. Its sales and service professionals are dedicated to bringing their customers the best solutions, and the most reliable and efficient systems available.
One example is helping to identify energy saving opportunities for its clients by using an Air System Audit. In order to gather the appropriate information to complete an analysis, JHF works with both ends of the compressed air system; the supply of air and the use of air. By working with each touch point to find energy loss, JHF can determine corrective actions and opportunities on both the production floor and the compressor room. JHF was one of the first distributors in the country involved in Air System Audits. The company created and designed its own equipment, wrote analysis software and customized electronic control and monitoring equipment - another example of JHF’s innovation and resourceful approach.
Its staff also brings this resourcefulness to its mobile service agreement program, differentiating JHF from other providers. This service increases its market share by allowing its expertise to be brought directly to the customers’ air compressor rooms and plants, enabling JHF to immediately address problems, installation support, and preventative maintenance.
These three basic, yet key, principles have been the reasons JHF has grown into a $30 million business. The company’s strategy has carefully focused on maintaining this direction because the result has kept JHF’s business solid and steady, while bringing its customers product and service excellence and providing cost-saving solutions. That’s value.
John Henry Foster Minnesota Inc. (www.jhfoster.com) has been the Midwest's leading distributor and service provider of air compressor systems and pneumatic components for more than 70 years. The company also provides consulting services, and is one of the nation's leading experts in analyzing and monitoring compressed air systems for major industrial-grade manufacturers. JHF was one of the first distributors in the country to use Air System Audits, an analytical and monitoring plan to help reduce energy costs. Employee-owned, JHF employs over 85 technical, service and professional staff and is headquartered in Eagan, Minn.
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John Henry Foster Represents only the Best
Eagan, Minn. (December 2008) – John Henry Foster (JHF) one of the largest compressed air systems distributors in the Upper Midwest, has in large part owed much of its success to the stellar products it represents. The 70-year-old, $30 million business has carefully associated itself with companies and products that stand tall at the top.
One of the company’s best examples of product excellence is Numatics, a leading manufacturer of pneumatics and motion control products. A recent reader’s choice ballot conducted by Control Design, a magazine for machine builders, ranks Numatics #1 at the head of the pack.
“We take pride in offering our customers the world’s best in pneumatic components, and Numatics is one of our preferred companies” said John Hawkins, JHF’s president and CEO. “Our sales and service teams represent the best and the brightest to bring to our clients reliable and efficient systems. We also demonstrate the latest trends in world-class compressed air automation, compressed air systems, electrical motion controls, and aluminum framing systems.”
From smaller industries to Fortune 500 companies, JHF works with virtually every industry to provide compressed air systems -- the essential power sources for tools and equipment reaching across all segments of industries both large and small.
The company also represents manufacturers, such as Quincy Air Compressor, Zeks Refrigerated Dryers, Domnick Hunter Filtration Equipment, as well as fluid power component manufacturers, including Bimba, Foster, Freelin-Wade, Humphrey and Pisco. The company recently announced it is distributing the ROBO CylinderÒ linear actuator, manufactured by Intelligent Actuator America, Inc. (IAI). The advanced-precision, electric-controlled robots will help manufacturers in a range of industries to improve productivity while saving energy and money.
John Henry Foster Minnesota Inc. (www.jhfoster.com) has been the Midwest's leading distributor and service provider of air compressor systems and pneumatic components for more than 70 years. The company also provides consulting services, and is one of the nation's leading experts in analyzing and monitoring compressed air systems for major industrial-grade manufacturers. JHF was one of the first distributors in the country to use Air System Audits, an analytical and monitoring plan to help reduce energy costs. Employee-owned, JHF employs over 85 technical, service and professional staff and is headquartered in Eagan, Minn.
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John Henry Foster receives Star Achievement Award from CompAir USA
The “Star Achievement Award” is fifth in a series of special annual recognition awards given by CompAir USA for outstanding sales performance in the past 12 months.
These awards are presented to CompAir Distributors achieving sales of CompAir product
who reach a market share number that equals, or surpasses, CompAir USA’s National Market Share Number. Harris Info-Source, and CAGI (Compressed Air & Gas Institute), both independent Marketing Statistical firms, determine these goals and marketing areas based strictly on statistical data. Therefore, each distributor is not competing with other distributors, nor a number set arbitrarily by CompAir USA, but rather a goal indicated to be potential sales within the geographical market area where the distributor conducts business.
At the recent NAACD (North American Air Compressor Distributors) convention held
at the Coeur d’Alene resort in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho on October 20, 2008, John Henry Foster of Minnesota was one of eight CompAir distributors to receive this unique and prestigious award.
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John Henry Foster recognized as Quincy 2007 Premier Distributor
John Henry Foster was awarded Quincy Compressor’s 2007 Top-10 Distributor award for outstanding sales and service of Quincy Compressors. For more than 30 years, John Henry Foster has been a proud distributor of Quincy Compressors, and since 2002, has received annual awards recognizing outstanding sales. Our 13 Outside Sales Associates, in addition to our Inside Sales Team have extensive knowledge of the Quincy product line and are positioned to provide you with immediate pricing, availability and the knowledge to answer all of your technical questions. At John Henry Foster, we are proud to have earned this award and know that honors such as these would not be possible without the support of our valued customers and employees. We extend our thanks to all of you for making this possible!
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John Henry Foster recognized as Bimba 2007 Premier Distributor
John Henry Foster was awarded the Bimba 2007 Premier Distributor award
for outstanding sales and performance of the Bimba product line. For over 45 years, John Henry Foster has been a proud distributor of the Bimba Manufacturing Company and since 2002, has received annual awards ranging from Premier Distributor to Highest Ultran Band Sales through Product Lifetime. Our 13 Outside Sales Associates, in addition to our Inside Sales Team have extensive knowledge of the Bimba product line and are positioned to provide you with immediate pricing, availability and the knowledge to answer all of your technical questions. At John Henry Foster, we are proud to have earned this award and know that honors such as these would not be possible without the support of our valued customers and employees. We extend our thanks to all of you for making this possible!
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John Henry Foster Goes Electric
EAGAN, Minn. (August 2008) – Continuing John Henry Foster’s (JHF) mission to promote a progressive culture by seeking opportunities for cutting edge technology, we are excited to announce the addition of the Intelligent Actuator America, Inc. (IAI) product line. IAI designs and manufactures a complete line of motion control systems providing linear and robotic component solutions to businesses around the world in markets that include automotive, consumer products, electronics, food, medical, inspection and examination, to name just a few. They are the world leader in linear actuators and low cost, high performance SCARA robots, as well as a leading source of advanced plug and play automation throughout North America.
With the recent introduction of the ROBO Cylinder™ linear actuators product line, IAI has become a standard in cost effective, low maintenance, and fully programmable electric cylinders and ROBO Cylinder™ actuators. The ROBO Cylinder™ linear actuator was designed to accomplish the simple tasks usually assigned toair cylinders, but with greater flexibility and custom control over position, speed, acceleration, deceleration and torque.
Our goal at JHF continues to be our dedication to serve our clients with the most suitable products available on the market. We bring customized client solutions in consistency, reliability and profitability, while continuing to demonstrate our tradition of the latest industry trends and solutions in world-class compressed air automation, air compressors, electrical motion controls, and aluminum framing systems as we have for the past 70 years.
Our team of experts are positioned to support your productivity and efficiency needs with this innovative product and can determine how best to fill your automation needs. Please contact us if you have any questions or would like further information regarding the IAI product line.
To read more about IAI, please visit their website.
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JOHN HENRY FOSTER’S EMPLOYEES HAVE GROWN WITH COMPANY
EAGAN, Minn. (May 2008) – John Henry Foster, one of the largest compressed air systems distributors in the Upper Midwest, this year celebrates its 70th anniversary. And remarkably, especially in today’s market, many of JHF’s staff boast long careers with the company.
JHF has promoted a progressive culture by seeking opportunities for cutting-edge technology and providing clients with exceptional value. The company has become an industry leader in part because of the educated, trained and focused talent that manages both pneumatics and compressed air systems. Some of these professionals include master electricians, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, service coordinators, mechanics and piping experts.
“Many of our employees have been with us for two to three decades,” said John D. Hawkins, JHF’s president and CEO. “Our employees have grown with the company and have acquired tremendous knowledge and experience over the years to address customers’ needs.”
The firm also provides an infrastructure to support its account managers, technical support specialists and other key staff that are trained and practiced so they can obtain results.
“We take care of our 80+ employees, whom have been extraordinarily dedicated,” said Hawkins. “In turn, they provide our clients with first-class service, which has built our reputation for nearly 70 years.”
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JOHN HENRY FOSTER HIRES TECHNICAL STAFF
Eagan, Minn. (April 2008) – John Henry Foster, one of the largest compressed air systems distributors in the Upper Midwest, has hired Ryan Koepsell as a mechanical engineer and Michael May as a fluid power specialist.
Prior to joining JHF, Koepsell was a mechanical engineering intern at Andersen Windows and Doors in Bayport, Minn. At JHF, he will partner with energy companies to identify energy savings inititatives and conservation with compressed air consumption for the firm’s clients. Koepsell received his B.S degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota, Duluth.
May previously was a hydraulic repair technician for Central Hydraulics in Hutchinson, Minn. At JHF, he will work directly with the company’s customers to help select their fluid power products and services. He graduated from Alexandria Technical College, Alexandria, Minn.
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Published Articles
Xcel Energy Increases Rebate in 2010
Xcel Energy has changed their Compressed Air Study Funding Program for 2010. Xcel Energy is now providing 100% funding for all customers using greater than 50 hp. The funding limits are outlined below.
Less than 50 hp – no study funding
50 hp -74hp - $2,500 maximum
75 hp - 99 hp - $3,000 maximum
100 hp - 249 hp - $10,000 maximum
250 hp- 499 hp- $15,000 maximum
500 hp and up - $20,000 maximum
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Shop Profile - Is Your Compressed Air System Wasting Energy?
Compressed air is one of those things that most people don't see, hear or think about very often. It's always there, working behind the scenes, yet most companies have no idea how much it costs them each month.
They might be surprised to find out.
Compressed air typically accounts for 10 to 15 percent of a company's total energy bill. When it isn't used efficiently, it can account for even more.
"The biggest mistake I see companies make is using more compressed air than they need, " said Ryan Koepsell, mechanical engineer for John Henry Foster...
Read entire magazine (or full article on page 26)
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In The Know and In The Green
Prominent among JHF’s energy-conscious, air treatment solutions is the HeatSink™ True-Cycling™ refrigerated dryer, manufactured by ZEKS Compressed Air Solutions. A pioneer of green technology since 1959, ZEKS invented the first cycling refrigerated air dryer to help companies reduce the energy waste associated with typical compressed air treatment equipment. HeatSink’s cycling operation enables the dryer to match energy consumption to the compressed air load through thermal energy storage and by turning on/off the dryer refrigeration system. Energy matching saves operating costs by reducing electrical power consumption...
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New Compressed Air Pipe System Results in Lower Costs and Bigger Savings
Compressed air piping systems are essential to deliver compressed air, a utility that about 90 percent of commerical industrial facitilites consider essential for production...
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Count on relationships for technology purchases
Just as in many other parts of running a business, finding the right technology is often a matter of who you know...
John Henry Foster recently took a jump into that 21st century realm as well by spending $20,000 to add ethernet capabilities that allow users to monitor processes and troubleshoot problems...
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Compressed Air Best Practices Article
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The John Henry Foster Minnesota mission is to offer consultative sales versus commodity selling to our clients. By providing both capital equipment and pneumatic components consultatively, we have the ability to partner with both the supply side and demand side of compressed air systems. JHF is a leader in providing innovative solutions and consistent value to customers with this sales process and technical development. JHF is one of very few firms in the country that is structured to work with both sides of compressed air and has since the firm’s beginnings. Industries in the 1940’s were smaller and companies could sell both, but today companies either focus on one or the other due to difficulties in training staff and manufacturers who tend to team with distributors who focus in their area of expertise.We anticipate industry drivers of our customers to be the exclusive provider by bundling our services into a single point of contact. By anticipating the needs of customers, JHF has expanded and further explored new areas, such as fluid cooling and vacuum markets. Another application we now focus on is identifying energy saving opportunities for clients, or an Air System Audit. In order to gather the appropriate information to complete an analysis, we work with both ends of the compressed air system; the supply of air and the use of air.
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Contact: Ron Nordby, Vice President
John Henry Foster Minnesota
651.681.5724 or ron.nordby@jhfoster.com
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John Henry Foster plays key role in the 2007 Minnesota Fluid Power Society's skills competition
John Henry Foster plays key role in the 2007 Minnesota Fluid Power Society's skills competition (MFPSC). The contest is held annually with the top six students from each of the four Minnesota Technical Colleges providing exceptional Fluid Power Programs competing to determine the "Best of the Best." The MFPSC consisted of four distinct test sections, in which the contestants rotated through. JHF's Randy Meyer, Account Manager, was a special project judge and Paul Terry, FP product specialist, was selected by Hennepin Technical College to participate in the competition.
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