Introduction Time Line Leo 'Bud' Harsh

An amazing man who overcame adversity, Leo 'Bud' Harsh

Bud was born on a Colorado farm and grew up on hard work, leaving home at 16 the young runaway took work wherever he could, finally taking a job as a chauffeur. In his spare time he learnt to weld - an interest that would change his life.

One day Bud read that engineers were looking for ways to weld underwater. He thought about it. Why not a "bubble" of compressed air around the torch? He tried it out and it worked! Next he contrived a mask for himself with an oxygen pipe so he could breath underwater.

When Bud heard the Navy were looking for divers he enlisted and was ordered to sea in charge of a salvage and rescue unit, during this time he rescued 75-trapped men using the underwater torch.

The Battle of Okinawa, was the largest sea-land-air battle in history, for Bud it almost cost his life. "I dived in the ocean and managed to pull three men out of that pitch black hole. Then a crazy "Kamikaze hit a ship near by".

Bud Harsh was fished out of the water more dead than alive, nine months later Bud was invalided out of the Navy on a 100% disability pension - "but I've got to work, got to stand on my own," he kept telling his wife.

Shortly afterwards Bud was proudly shown a the new truck hoist which had just been bought. Bud was not impressed and vowed "there ought to be a lighter and cheaper hoist, and I think I can build it!"

Bud rented a small repair shop and commenced experimenting. First he had to design a short hoist, for stability he introduced two cylinders. Next came the valve. "I didn't have the stuff to build anything fancy. I had to knock old bearings to pieces for parts."

In a few months he had a crude hoist, but the cylinders leaked. Struggling on his pension he experimented with new materials. With no money left Bud had to go back to the scrapyard for more scrap, the dealer listened to his story and offered him the loan and the use of an old blacksmiths shop. Times were hard but Bud repaired tractors by day and experimented by night. He made test after test.

Elated he demonstrated his first sucessful hoist, instead of weighing 1 tonne it weighed just 300 pounds and it tipped from side, front and back.

Seeing the first Harsh tipping gear fitted to a coal truck a local farmer ordered the second, after that everybody at the farm wanted to use the truck, the farmer ordered three more. The word spread, orders poured in, a sales man was hired and returned with orders for 50 hoists for Montana." If Montana like the hoists I'm going to line up dealers all over the country".

In the first year (1949) Harsh made 100 hoists but still remained in the red, the second year they turned the corner and each year after they doubled their gross, reaching $1 million in just 7 years.

Bud would be proud to know his hoist remains the world’s best, with over 500,000 satisfied operators world wide.

We thank you Bud!