Herb Gartner fathered three daughters, one named Sherry, who years ago caught the eye of a college student named John Hendrickson. It wasn’t long before John found himself driving truck for his new father-in-law Herb, and attending night classes at Dunwoody Institute. Rising from service to construction to sales to management, John became part-owner in” 1974 and was named President in 1976, a position he still holds today.

Meanwhile, George ‘s oldest son, Otto, worked at Gartner ‘s shop during summers, polishing his natural-born mechanical skills while still a youth. Otto attended both electronic school and Dunwoody classes. Then joined Gartner full-time in 1964, Otto ascended through the service ranks, eventually becoming part-owner and Vice President of Service.

George ‘s youngest son, George F., yet another Gartner with refrigeration in his genes, graduated from the University of Minnesota and joined Gartner in 1980, like his family predecessors starting at the bottom and working his way up. After working as a project foreman and sales engineer, George F. attained the position of Vice President of Communications. Although George F. is no longer with the company, he remains part of Gartner’s colorful history.

Herb and George retired in the mid-1970s, after instilling their doctrine of innovation and partnership into the new management team.