EntrepreneurAndy was born and raised in Memphis and has had a life long love affair with the city . After graduating from White Station High School in 1974, he attended The University of Mississippi where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in Business / Marketing. A two year stint with Dover Elevators and another two years in a small, privately held distribution company, was all he needed to get the entrepreneurial spirit going.
When Andy purchased Flint Hydraulics, Inc. in the summer of 1981, it was essentially a 2 -man repair / rebuild shop for hydraulic components used on mobile and industrial equipment in the Memphis area. Within the heavy mobile equipment marketplace, it became apparent that the local and domestic heavy equipment dealers were experiencing long down times while awaiting the availability of replacement hydraulic pumps and hydraulic motors for the service of their current accounts. It didn’t take long to realize that a particular replacement hydraulic pump and motor niche existed and that the niche was not being adequately filled regionally or nationally. Using the repair and rebuild skills that were learned from the existing business, Andy negotiated with various manufacturers of hydraulic pumps and hydraulic motors to allow his company to custom build the specific models at his Memphis facility and ship them directly to the equipment dealers and their customers overnight or next day. Using the Build Center model, heavy equipment dealers worldwide began to rely upon the ability to obtain hydraulic pumps and hydraulic motors on a same or next day basis. Today this segment represents approximately 45% of their annual revenue and is continually growing as existing machines in the marketplace age. Utilizing the Memphis-based proximity to Fed Ex has been an excellent compliment to the Build Center concept as shipments to locations all over the world are scheduled each day .
Along with the build center concept, a normal distribution model of warehousing the more common models that can be easily modified for same or next day conversions fit very well into the supply of small to mid-sized manufacturers throughout the country as well. As with the custom Build Center segment, the centrality of Memphis as a distribution hub played a key part in the overall business strategy.
With the companys’ ability to fill the niche that was not being adequately served, Flint Hydraulics, Inc. has grown from its humble beginnings to 41 fulltime employees and annual revenues in excess of 12 million dollars. After 42 years of service, the heavy construction and mobile equipment industry has come to rely upon Flint Hydraulics for same or next day shipment of hydraulic pumps and hydraulic motors worldwide.
Andy is involved in the Memphis community and is an active member of Holy Communion Episcopal Church ( Chairman of Usher Committee 11years ) , the University of Mississippi Business School Advisory Council ( two terms) , University of Mississippi Alumni Association Board of Directors ( 3 terms) Independent Distributors Association, National Tractor Parts Dealers Association, and the Wesley Senior Living / Golden Cross Board of Directors. He and his wife, Nancy, have two children, ( Donnie, Kirk) along with three grandchildren. Andy enjoys hunting and fishing along with spending time in the outdoors with friends and family.
The free market system our country was founded upon is the basis for all entrepreneurship. Without the endless opportunities and incentives that the free enterprise system generates, there would be no entrepreneurs. It is with this understanding that an individual recognizes a niche, or a need, and fills it through innovation, hard work, and teambuilding. Without the dreamers, and those that say “There Hass to be a better way” our country would not have the millions of small to large enterprises filling the daily niches and needs of our people. As long as we remain a country founded upon free market principles, the individuals who recognize the niches and fill them, will forever be bringing new ideas to the world.
