Water Well Journal
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/752472
and executive vice president of the Swan Group, married Ali- son and gave George and Joanne their granddaughters, Emily and Victoria. A few years later, James, senior vice president at Emerson Swan, married Rachel and they gave George and Joanne their grandsons, Jack and Owen. There's just a peek at Simas' coming happiness in retire- ment. The family, easy trips to their camp in Maine, some hunting and fishing, boating, and that long-awaited down- time when trips away from family are no longer necessary. But, yes, he admits he'll miss the rush and excitement of professional success. Early years at Flexcon Flexcon was born as a joint venture startup in 1988. As a result of the need to manufacture water well tanks for the North American market, Flexcon's manufacturing efforts led to the development of their unique controlled action dia- phragm (CAD) tank. Today, tank sizes range from 2 to 119 gallons in fabricated steel, stainless steel, and lightweight composite materials. Being a startup in need of sales talent, Swan asked Simas and Parker Wheat, currently Emerson Swan's CEO, to take on additional responsibilities by traveling and working with vari- ous Flexcon water well distributors. "We were successful but we also had a lot of fun present- ing and selling Flexcon's high quality well tanks," Wheat says. "I still remember our tank was not just 'blue' but was 'Caribbean blue' and George came up with many other fea- tures and benefits that we used to gain market share. Just as importantly and in the process, we became fast friends and remain so today." According to Wheat, it was Simas' sales talents, persever- ance, street savvy, directness, likeable personality, and loyalty that made Flexcon into the company it is today. "George will be impossible to replicate. So we'll simply have to accept the fact that the mold won't be reused again. He's, well . . . legendary in so many ways, all uniquely his own," adds Wheat. "George was brought up in Cambridge (Massachusetts), back when it was a bit rough, to an Irish mother and Por- tuguese father. George has an interesting vocabulary. His pro- nunciation of some words lends charm to his truly unique speech patterns. We often tease him he works out of a special dictionary." Sadly, Tom Swan Jr. passed away in March of 2011. Simas looks back on that relationship with great warmth. "Tom was a driving force, and one of the classiest guys I've ever met," Simas recalls. "Even competitors liked him, and that's a rarity. "It's the Swans who are amazing, and the success of every- thing they seem to touch stems from the steady contributions of the team they built. That's what to point at when you look at our success!" One proud Bostonian "Boston—all of this city—is George's in many ways," says Gerry Duggan, executive vice president, sales and marketing for Flexcon. "He's so proud of the city and loves to give tours." Duggan recalls Simas' salesmanship among Flexcon cus- tomers—both distributors and contractors. "A tour [of the city] by George, or a meal with him and customers, is some- thing someone would always remember." Bill Kay, president of the manufacturer's representative firm Florida Waterlines, agrees. "Anyone who has an encounter with George will recall his distinct personality and honesty because—if he told you it's so—that's just exactly as it is. That alone earned him orders and built lasting relationships." Street-smart, lobster-savvy Matthew Phillips of wholesaler Coast Pump fondly recalls Simas as a veritable bulldog for business with an insatiable curiosity and entrepreneurial drive that can't be taught at Harvard or Yale. Long-time colleague Parker Wheat (left) with George Simas at the Simas camp in Maine on Labor Day, 2013. George Simas (left) with Ron Williams of Williams Drilling and John Hansen of Hansen Well Service. Simas is explaining the niceties of eating a Northeastern lobster. SIMAS continues on page 36 Twitter @WaterWellJournl WWJ December 2016 35