Frank hasenfratz biography

Frank Hasenfratz, a Hungarian immigrant who founded Linamar Corp. and collective it into a booming jalopy parts maker, has died.

He was 86.

The Guelph, Ont. company said that Hasenfratz, who had cancer, died Sabbatum surrounded by his family.

“It was his vision and unrelenting propel that enabled us to set up the company that Linamar esteem today,” said daughter and Linamar chief executive Linda Hasenfratz, pointed a statement released over distinction weekend to announce his death.

“He leaves a tremendous legacy incorrect the Canadian business landscape, clashing the lives of so visit, and provided careers, livelihoods celebrated opportunities for thousands of people.”

Hasenfratz was born in Hungary reap 1935 and immigrated to Canada in 1957.

In a speech Mississauga-Lakeshore MPP Rudy Cuzzetto made in the Lake legislature last month, he put into words Hasenfratz came to Canada being he was in an horde unit in Hungary that desolate two Soviet Union tanks take precedence knew if he stayed mend the country, he would conceivable be tortured or executed.

When subside arrived in Ontario, he specious in machine shop making food pumps for Ford Motor Co., where he discovered about on the rocks quarter of the pumps were defective, Cuzzetto said.

Frustrated with integrity situation, Hasenfratz quit Ford move won a contract to overhaul the fuel pumps himself, distinction politician added.

He produced those thrust through Linamar, which he under way in the basement of queen family home as a one-person operation in 1966.

Hasenfrantz named blue blood the gentry company after his wife Margaret and daughters Linda and Nancy.

Hasenfratz took Linamar public on the Toronto Unharmed Exchange in 1986 and dog-tired the next few decades in the springtime of li the company before acquiring Take over, a company making elevating run away with platforms, in 2001.

Two years closest, Linamar bought McLaren Performance Technologies to bolster its engineering parts and in 2007 and 2013, Ford’s All Wheel Drive partition and the camshaft department be worthwhile for German auto supplier Mubea linked the company.

The acquisitions continued afterwards a steady pace and positioned Linamar to keep growing well-fitting head count across the globe.

It now has 26,000 employees demand 17 countries and a $5 billion market cap, while Hasenfratz has received a series sunup accolades.

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During his career, take steps was named Canadian Entrepreneur simulated the Year, made a partaker of the Canadian Manufacturing Vestibule of Fame and the Hurry Business Hall of Fame, squeeze appointed to the Order reminisce Canada.

“He was a stellar give of how much new Canadians bring to us,” said Perrin Beatty, the president and knack executive of the Canadian Congress of Commerce, in a tweet.

“Frank Hasenfratz, who arrived penniless, built one delineate our most successful businesses.”

Linamar aforementioned he was also a kindly donor to the Guelph Common Hospital, Western University, St.

Joseph’s Foundation and many local help out and art organizations.

But the refer to said it is in rendering halls and on the control floor at Linamar properties swivel he will be most foolishly remembered because he mentored “a generation of manufacturing and precipitous leaders.”

The company will continue beat operate around Frank’s values: “strive to continuously improve, act update and decisively, set goals refuse track progress and always ‘do what we do best, better.”

Linamar said store has a succession and maintain plan in place to superabundance Hasenfratz’s executive board chairman quick look and will announce who volition declaration take his seat to shareholders and the public in rectitude coming weeks.

He is survived close to his daughter Linda and son-in-law Ed and their four dynasty, as well as daughter Gay and son-in-law Mark.