John Reed, founder, and Chairman of Mestek, passed away peacefully in his sleep Thursday morning at his home. He died of heart failure due to advanced congestive heart disease.
His wish was to pass quietly in his own bedroom, on his own terms, the same way he had lived his life. Until the end, he never lost his dignity, aplomb, or respect for others.
Mestek was always more than a business to him; it was his life and his creation. It was personal, and he cared deeply at many levels. He was intensely proud of the people who chose Mestek for their careers, our independent representative partners, and the progress of the company. He established a culture for Mestek that he wanted to last for generations beyond his life, his most cherished legacy. Whether visiting manufacturers’ representative/dealer partners, customers, in his office, or on the shop floor, the people involved were his priority.
He created and maintained Mestek’s guiding culture: nonpolitical, practical, respectful, recognizing and rewarding competence, teamwork, and loyalty, recognizing independent representatives and dealers as partners, customer oriented, high integrity, evenhanded and steady leadership, and always looking for ways to improve our partnership and future. This culture will prove durable in good times and bad; it is built to last.
John Reed touched many of us in a profound way, those of us who knew him well; he will be long remembered. We can honor his memory by fulfilling his vision: a world-class American manufacturing company, with committed manufacturers’ representative and dealer partners, together creating a bright future indeed.