Chuck Leach retires after 42+ years at Harris’ St. Paul office

(ST. PAUL, Minn.) – After more than 40 years of leading negotiating, pricing and estimating of all non-labor materials for one of the country’s largest mechanical contractors, Chuck Leach will soon be assessing the best way to snag a fish instead. A resident of Shoreview, Leach has been Purchasing Manager for Harris since 1978 and has taken the purchasing department from a one-man show with an assistant to a group responsible for all project construction needs for the now over $500 million company.

From his early years of working with Bob Hosch, former Harris owner and CEO through 2008, to working with team members across the company, Leach’s goal has always been, ‘how can I help Harris succeed.’ Leach has spent his career saving the company millions of dollars with his negotiation skills. With over four decades of dedicated service, Leach is known for his knowledge of the industry and mechanical systems, his guidance and training, oversight of materials and specifications, and that persistent parleying to secure best pricing.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Chuck for sixteen years,” says Greg Donley, senior vice president + general manager, Harris. “Before joining Harris, vendors we worked with would tell us Chuck was relentless at purchasing; he really is. I have learned a lot from Chuck since getting to know him in 2005. He has worked his tail off to make Harris profitable wherever he could lend his talents. I am proud to call Chuck a trusted friend. He’ll be sorely missed.”

Beyond his mentorship, talent and impeccable work ethic, Leach is known as being quite the conversationist, not only with new faces, but also with countless Harris vendors and partners over the years. From the early days of working with Hormel in Austin, Minn., Leach has worked on a magnitude of projects across many sectors for Harris, including U.S. Bank Stadium, Orchestra Hall, Hennepin County Medical Center, Xcel Energy, St. Olaf College, and Ebay.

Jon Ewing, vice president + general manager at Harris has worked with Leach for 30 years. “Back in the day, when I moved to Minneapolis, Chuck and other Harris folks helped move furniture into my house,” Ewing says. “I’ve worked with Chuck on many projects over the years and he has always found us the most cost-effective way to run a project; he even came to one of my jobs in Texas to help buyout the project in a week.

“Chuck has complete integrity for Harris and would give the shirt off his back to help any of us become better at managing construction projects,” continues Ewing. “He has not only been a coworker; he has been a friend. I’m really going to miss him. I am, however, looking forward to fishing together!”

When its former CEO Bob Hosch passed in 2018, Harris created the Robert F. Hosch Lifetime Achievement Award to honor Hosch and those employees who have built strong relationships, empowered and created opportunities for others, and shown humility, selflessness and respect. Leach received that honor in 2020.

During his tenure, Leach also received the “Jerry Dalton” Culture Award, given to employees who demonstrate honesty, integrity, loyalty, pride for the company and foster high team morale.

CONTACTS:
Angela Mork
[email protected]
651.602.6538

Gina Swanson
[email protected]
612.298.2631

About Harris
Headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, Harris is a leading national mechanical contractor specializing in design and engineering, construction, controls, service, manufacturing, conveyors and end-to-end building systems with twelve offices nationwide. Customers who partner with Harris benefit from our national reach, regional offices, local expertise and more than 70 years of experience. From power plants to stand-alone hospitals, stadiums to concert halls, we bring a spirit of creative problem solving and a commitment to excellence to every project, no matter the size, complexity or location. Harris was named 2021 Top Workplaces USA.