Entrepreneur Of The Year
Creating a win
How James Fabris takes risks to reap rewards at Hurco Companies Inc.
Smart Business Chicago | July 2009
Finalist
Manufacturing
A person can resist change, adapt to change or embrace change, but a true entrepreneur instigates change.
Jim Fabris, president and COO of Hurco Cos. Inc., exemplifies the best attributes of an entrepreneur with his ability to instigate change that has helped his company emerge as a leader and created a new model for the global machine tool industry.
Using a hands-on approach, Fabris combines the traditional Midwestern work ethic of the 20th century with the vision of leading-edge tech companies. The direct result is a company built on innovation and targeted expansion that focuses on fiscal responsibility, supported by streamlined processes and continual identification of new processes.
His master plan has helped Hurco grow its customer base and meet the needs of existing customers as it facilitates the agility to develop relevant products that help customers increase productivity. As a result, Hurco is able to develop flexible product designs that yield cost efficiencies by using common components while delivering machine tools that are easily adapted to meet the needs of markets worldwide.
Fabris continues to lead innovation at Hurco, which resulted in the simultaneous introduction of 14 new machines at the industry’s largest trade show. Prior to that, he pushed for an open architecture control system to replace the existing control system in all of Hurco’s products to promote integration of peripheral manufacturing technologies in the future. The company’s research and development efforts have resulted in a number of new patents.
With a broad product line, efficient supply chain and flexible control system, the company is poised to develop seamless services for customers in the future, in addition to meeting their current machine technology needs.
For More Information: Hurco Companies Inc., www.hurco.com
