Jaime Harris grew up in Montana before earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado School of Mines. With more than 19 years of product development experience across a variety of industries, it’s no shocker that he’s the co-founder of Hydra-Flex, one of the fastest growing manufacturing companies in Minnesota.
Q: You started Hydra-Flex in 2002 with Gary Brown and have been at it ever since. What made you decide to start this particular company? Why not open a brewery instead?
While at my previous employer, where I met Gary Brown, we discovered a gap in the vehicle wash marketplace — a gap we knew we could fill. We saw an opportunity and knew we could make a tremendous difference. We founded Hydra-Flex as two men, a beer fridge and a machine shop, driven by the passion to fight a war on waste in the vehicle wash industry through innovative products such as chemical injectors, chemical dispensing systems and high-pressure nozzles.
Q: Last fall seems like it was a pretty busy time for the company. You all were named to the Minne Inno 50 On Fire list, MSPBJ’s Fast 50, you won Best New Product Design and you were named Executive of the Year at the Minnesota Manufacturing Awards. What do you attribute the success to?
For us at Hydra-Flex it boils down simply to People, Products and Process! If you get the right people on board, you make products that are measurably better than the competition, and you have the right processes in place — good things happen.
Q: How do you think you keep your business fresh? Or, how do you make sure you avoid getting complacent?
When you are growing more than 30 percent each year, as Hydra-Flex has, you don’t have time to be complacent. Our focus is on removing waste in everything we do, and that keeps our work challenging and fresh. We have a “work hard and play hard” culture — we set stretch goals and when we achieve them we celebrate as a team.
Q: What have you learned from the car wash industry?
The car wash industry is very fragmented and diverse. As a manufacturer it taught us to be nimble and flexible, continuously evolving and improving what we make, and through what channels we go to market.
Q: What trends or potential trends are you watching in the industry?
While I mentioned the fragmented industry above, there is a lot of consolidation going on right now. There are a number of investors buying and consolidating all segments of the car wash industry.
Q: What are you most excited about that ICA is working on?
I am excited about the plans we’re putting in place to provide additional value to our members and make our association even stronger. We are working on growth plans for specific areas such as trade shows and other networking events, education, and media.
Q: What do people need to know about the ICA board?
The ICA board members and staff are very talented group of people who are committed to the mission and success of the professional car wash industry. The 16 board members include both operators and vendors who come from very diverse backgrounds, and all are passionate about contributing to the growth and health of the professional car wash industry around the world.
Q: What do you do when you’re not ‘on the clock’?
Spend as much time as possible with my bride raising three active, amazing kids!
Q: What’s something people would be surprised to learn about you?
When I started Hydra-Flex I was 6 feet tall, and now 15 years later I am barely 5’6”.