Mark Richardson, Southeast regional manager of Hydradyne LLC, moved to Jacksonville 17 years ago from the Midwest with his wife and daughter.
"I answered an ad in a trade magazine," said Richardson, who has been with the company as it expanded in Jacksonville from an 8,500-square-foot operation at 5035 St. Augustine Road to a 36,000-square-foot center at 3919 Philips Highway.
Hydradyne, which serves the hydraulics industry, invested about $4.2 million in the project, he said.
The open house is Friday.
Hydradyne produces and services products for the manufacturing, construction, power generation, marine, military and original equipment manufacturing industries in the Jacksonville area and throughout Florida.
Its website is www.hydra-dyne.com, which describes the company as a full-service fluid power distributor offering components, systems, repairs and field service.
Products include pumps and motors; hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders; and an inventory that includes fluid power components, parts and accessories.
The Jacksonville center serves industrial customers in North Central Florida and Southeast Georgia.
Richardson and his crew were unpacking and arranging Monday while also continuing the company's work.
"Business is what we've got to do first before we set up an office," Richardson said as he showed his desk that was bare except for the essential telephone and computer.
Richardson said the Jacksonville workforce of 11 is down just one from its peak of 12. "We obviously plan on hiring more when business warrants it," he said.
Richardson, 58, grew up in Missouri and has been in the hydraulics business for more than 35 years.
After a year in Chicago selling men's clothing, Richardson started his industrial career in 1977 in St. Louis with Air Hydraulics Co. as a shipping clerk.
He relocated to Kansas City in 1979 and worked for three companies in the business before answering the ad for the Jacksonville position and moving in 1996.
Richardson and his wife, Candace, have been married 32 years. Their daughter, Alyssa Richardson, is the gallery director at Stellers Gallery in San Marco.
Hydradyne bought its St. Augustine Road property in 1993 for $228,000 from Gateway Tile Inc. Richardson said it would be listed for sale.
Hydradyne paid $1.29 million for its 6.75-acre Philips Highway site in July 2011. The site is a block south of Emerson Street and the land was acquired from auto dealer Buddy Hutchinson. Infinity Design Builders Inc. was the contractor for the new operation.
When construction was approved in September 2012, Hydradyne said the new facility would better serve its customers with increased warehousing and distribution capabilities and an expanded repair service, fabrication and machine shop.
It said the building also would include the Parker industrial and hydraulic hose counter to service walk-in customers.
Hydradyne is the largest distributor of Parker Hannifin products in North America with 29 branches in the southern United States.
Last year, Hydradyne moved its headquarters from Harvey, La., to Dallas/Fort Worth.
Hydradyne has 29 branches throughout the Southeastern and Southwestern U.S.
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