Serving Customers in a Family Business

NHLA membership is comprised of businesses of all types and sizes, and the one thing many of them share is humble beginnings. That is the case for Hurst Boiler & Welding Co., Inc. Clifton Eugene Hurst (Gene to his friends) was a family man, a dedicated husband, and an entrepreneur. He was a visionary in the boiler industry and had superior engineering skills. Gene had the knack of accomplishing anything he set his mind to, and he was determined to build a business that would remain strong for decades.

Gene began small. In 1967, he and his wife, Edna, had big ideas but only had a little capital, so they opened their first shop behind the family home in Thomasville, Georgia. In the 1970s, Hurst Boiler & Welding Co., Inc. relocated to Coolidge, Georgia, where the Hurst family continues to operate to this day.

Hurst Boiler & Welding is a multi-dimensional business, manufacturing a full line of wood, solid waste, gas, coal, oil-fired steam and hot water boilers, and all the related equipment. They have been in business for 56 years and have grown their manufacturing facility and campus across a whopping 60 acres. What’s more, the manufacturing facility’s total size is now 314,000 square feet, allowing them to manufacture a large variety of boilers and equipment to meet the myriad of requirements and conditions of its customers worldwide. Hurst Boiler has more than 275 employees at full production capacity.

Gene’s sons, Tommy and Hayward Hurst, were trained by their father in childhood, so it isn’t surprising that they joined their parents in managing the business when they were older. Like their father, Tommy and Hayward have intelligent, mechanically talented minds. It only took them a few years to use their innovation to expand Hurst Boiler to what it is today: a complete boiler manufacturing and design company that serves a global market.

Hurst Boiler is very much a family business. Tommy Hurst serves as the President and Hayward Hurst is the Director of Field Installations. Gene’s daughter, Teri Hurst White, serves as the Corporate Affairs Secretary, and Gene’s youngest son, Jeff Hurst, is the Director of Marketing. Several of Gene’s grandchildren have also chosen to dedicate their lives to Hurst Boiler & Welding.

Cliff Hurst, son of Tommy Hurst, represents the third generation to enter the family business, and the fourth generation isn’t far behind, ranging in age from 1-21 and ready to join the Hurst Boiler team.

Cliff Hurst serves as Solid Fuel Sales Manager at Hurst Boiler, and he’s been working with the family since he was young, expressing, “I’ve worked at Hurst for my entire professional career. My first job at the company was in the seventh grade working in the warehouse over the summer, pulling components and parts. I learned the key items that make up a boiler as I gathered and stocked new parts. I’ve worked here ever since.”

Cliff loves working in the family business and is especially fond of “meeting new people when I travel to trade shows or customer’s sites,” which Hurst Boiler frequently does as it is a complete systems provider for all boiler-related equipment, including aftermarket parts and after-the-sale service. Cliff continues, “Helping our customers overcome challenges is very rewarding. There are a lot of boilers in operation today where the manufacturer no longer exists. At Hurst Boiler, we provide service and support—even for boilers we didn’t build. We have the knowledge necessary to support older and our own products. We serve people in any scenario when they need a part or a piece. If the part isn’t available, we can make upgrades or manufacture a substitute part. We handle all things boiler – old and new equipment, replacement stoker parts, boiler emissions equipment, air handling equipment, fuel stores, and more.”

Cliff feels he is in good company as a member of NHLA, saying, “We enjoy being members of NHLA because our membership allows us to better support our customers and gives us an opportunity to meet with one another to find ways to improve operations and the industry. We especially appreciate the NHLA Annual Convention and Exhibit Showcase. When you go to the NHLA Convention, you have access to all the industry experts under one roof, so you can meet customers and suppliers in the industry (like kiln suppliers and equipment suppliers), as well as your competitors. So, it’s an excellent networking opportunity all the way around.”

To get in touch with Hurst Boiler, visit their website at www.hurstboiler.com or call (229) 346-3545.