SEATTLE — Harcourt G. “Harky” Runnings, founder and former chairman of Red Dot Corp., died Wednesday, March 23 in Shelton, Wash. He was 92.
Runnings founded Red Dot in 1965 after the popularity of the truck heaters he built at his Seattle radiator shop outpaced his ability to produce them. Under his stewardship, Red Dot became a leader in the design and production of heating and air conditioning systems (HVAC) and replacement parts for commercial trucks, buses, agricultural vehicles and construction equipment. Today, the company has more than 480 employees at its headquarters in Seattle and additional facilities in Memphis, Tenn., and Ipswich, England.
Runnings’ ingenuity and skill as an industrial designer brought numerous innovations to the mobile HVAC field. They include the Grilldenser; separate climate controls for the sleeper compartment of heavy trucks; the trinary pressure switch; air-operated water valves and vent doors; and low-profile roof-top condensers.
As focused as Runnings was on products that bring comfort to people in demanding jobs, the welfare of his employees was his number-one concern. The company instituted time-and-a-half pay for employees on vacation because Runnings wanted them to have time off without having to go in debt or sacrifice important things in their lives. In the early 1970s, Red Dot went to a four-day workweek so employees would have Fridays for personal business, a radical idea at the time.
Upon his retirement in 2000, Runnings sold 100 percent of Red Dot’s ownership to its employees, fulfilling a promise made when he founded the business. “The best decisions for a company are made by people who want to carry the business forward for themselves,” he said at the time.
At Christmas that year, he and his wife gave Red Dot employees a total of $2.2 million for their support and loyalty over the years.
“Harky believed there should be a greater reward for work than a paycheck,” said Red Dot president Randy Gardiner, who is Runnings’ grandson. “He wanted his employees to feel important and valued, like family.”
Runnings leaves two daughters, Gloria Runnings of Seattle and Carolyn Olsen of Shelton, Wash. He had 14 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. Runnings is predeceased by his first wife, Ruby, in 2001, and his second wife, Mary, also in 2001. Flowers may be sent to Red Dot, 495 Andover Park E., Seattle, WA 98188-7657; Flowers may be sent to the company. Memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 12721 30th Ave. N.E., Seattle, WA 98125; 206-363-5500.
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