True entrepreneurs are never satisfied.
They are always pushing the envelope and
preparing for future possibilities. Jim Fabris
has continuously harnessed that entrepreneurial drive to convert his vision into business realities.
Fabris joined Hurco Cos. Inc. 20 years after
its founding, but he quickly understood the
value of the company’s mission of providing
unique software and equipment to the
machining industry.
Combined with his conviction, tenacity
and vision, he risked his career more than
once to convince the board to make tough
choices that were counter to company
norms and even industry norms at the time.
For example, while competitors continued
to focus on the North American market in
the 1990s, Fabris understood the value of
globalization and the importance of building
a strong global supply chain.
Fabris revisited the company’s mission to
convince the board that painful choices in
the short term were necessary for future
growth. Much of the pain was due to his recommendation to abandon legacy products
upon which the company was founded,
which meant layoffs of employees associated with those products.
“I had to convince them that shrinking
would actually make us stronger,” Fabris
says.
Focused on the company’s core competencies, Fabris instigates continual innovation of technology that supports the company’s mission. Under his leadership, the company that pioneered interactive graphical
computer controls systems continues to
push the evolution of technology to new levels, which has led to unprecedented growth
and profitability.
HOW TO REACH: Hurco Cos. Inc., www.hurco.com