It brings me great sadness to write that yet another luminary, of the radar detector industry, recently passed away.
R. Gregory Blair, joined the Escort team late in 1984 and was largely responsible for the turn around of the company in the wake of Cincinnati Microwave's reorganization. Mr. Blair acquired Escort in 1997 as part of their asset sale.
During this time, Mr. Blair made a purchasing play for Whistler, but eventually was successful at acquiring Beltronics--who themselves were experiencing financial difficulties--in an interesting twist of events.
He managed to put together a highly successful team which took both brands of Escort and Beltronics to new heights through his years at Escort until his retirement in 2013.
One of his colleagues recently told me that Greg was one of the very best CEO's that he has ever worked with. Greg's approach to management was to assemble the best talent possible, then get out of the way, and let his team succeed without having to resort to micro-management.
His successes with Escort culminated into his recognition by Ernst & Young as Entrepreneur of the Year" in late 2002. Under his guidance of Escort and Beltronics, Greg was responsible for what has been the only (major) North American manufacturer of consumer electronics.
Craig Peterson (of RadarTest) summed up Mr. Blair's talents, succinctly, as being "smart, savvy and the guiding force behind the resurrection of Escort."
His influence continues well beyond his time here and he will be missed by many.
Additional References:
- http://www.radardetector.org/escort-beltronics-factory-tour/
- http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2003/12/04/biz_escort.html
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