George A. Vincent III Cause Of Death, Obituary Not Yet Available – I’m saddened to report that George A. Vincent III, Hallstar’s co-founder and former chairman, president, and CEO, has passed away. His wife Andrea, their two kids, and three grandchildren survive him. I’ve been thinking about how much I admired and learnt from George since hearing of his death.
According to workwonders.hallstar.com, His vision and leadership were important in the founding and growth of Hallstar, but he also had a significant impact on the Chicago business community, the chemical industry, and my personal and professional life.
Before joining The Hallstar Company, George had already achieved a number of academic and professional achievements. He received an ROTC scholarship to Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and subsequently served four years in the US Navy as a lieutenant. After graduating from Harvard University with an MBA, George joined General Electric’s plastics group (where he also served as Jack Welch’s speechwriter!). After that, he worked for FMC Corporation in corporate development, sourcing, and sales. When he was the manager of the Midwest Region and I started working for him as a seller, our paths met.
In 1983, George left FMC to become head of a polymer additives distributor. Three years later, I joined him and many other management team members in founding The Hallstar Company, which went on to buy the distributor. During George’s leadership, Hallstar saw positive growth. He was in charge of numerous major acquisitions, including a personal care ingredient company to complement Hallstar’s ester chemistry. Our company has developed into a global beauty and personal care business that continues to innovate since that first purchase.
George served on the American Chemistry Council’s board of directors during his career (ACC). He sat on the boards of Carus and Nanophase Technologies, as well as the Chicago Chemical Industry Council (CICI) and the Illinois Manufacturing Association (IMA). He was also enthusiastic about – and accomplished at – extracurricular activities such as skiing and sailing.
George’s energy, strategic abilities, and proclivity for ‘thinking big’ were all woven into Hallstar’s cultural fabric from the start. I spent many late nights with him discussing our company’s “what ifs.” George was the guy with whom I had big dreams. We imagined a fantastic place for Hallstar and, more importantly, we had a terrific time traveling together. I’m glad for the lessons he taught TeamHall and me about the importance of that journey. He will be greatly missed.
