52 | The Fisher Story
1974 Bill Fisher retires as Fisher board chairman.
Sales representatives honor Bill Fisher’s retirement
by making it possible to donate Leonardo Da
Vinci’s 17th century book titled Trattato della
Pittura (Treatise on Painting) to the J.W. Fisher
collection in literature and the arts. It is the
one-millionth volume in the Iowa State
University library.
Sales meeting
utilizes the theme
“Jolly Green Giant.”
(MGM Grand Hotel in
Las Vegas, Nevada)
First winner of the Fisher Man of the Year award is
Jim Fraychinaud.
Cavitrol III anti-cavitation trim
is introduced.
Noise application group organized
in Marshalltown.
Cookbook features the favorite
dishes of Fisher sales and marketing
people and field representatives.
Fisher Theater at Iowa State
University is funded largely by the
Gramma Fisher Foundation.
Bill Fisher donates gold stage
curtains to the Fisher Theater and Stephens
Auditorium, which were hand woven on a loom
in Japan.
New 30,000-square-foot plant opens in Sakura, Japan
(Nippon Fisher).
First Service Center
On Coon Trap Road
I
n 1972, Fisher Controls
established its first valve repair
depot in Gonzales, Louisiana.
Surrounded by oil and gas
customers this facility on Coon
Trap Road was the brain-child of
Glenn Brockett who was in sales
in Marshalltown.
Making equipment repair
services available to local
customers would eliminate the
long delays and costs associated
with sending products back to
the factory.
Fisher sales representatives
could make referrals, sell the
service and earn a commission
on the parts and labor.
Texas native Jerry Purtell
initially managed the Fisher
Service Company and its first
repair center in Gonzales.The
Gonzales facility, which began as
a small machine shop and
assembly area, has grown along
with the Fisher service business.
Today, Gonzales produces
ENCORE re-manufactured valves
and is the largest of 52 service
and repair facilities in North
America. It has six branch offices
(Mobile, Alabama; Memphis,
Tennessee; Decatur, Alabama;
Lake Charles, Louisiana; and
Benton; Kentucky), 140
employees, and annual sales of
more than $31 million!