William C. Prior, co-creator of the Kinetico non-electric water softener and founder of Kinetico, Inc., is officially retiring from the company. In 2006, Kinetico was sold to Axel Johnson, Inc.; however, Prior remained an employee of the company until January 2009. Currently, Prior is launching Tangent Co., LLC, a resurrected version of the company Kinetico grew from, and is assembling a specialized team of water treatment scientists and engineers with a goal of pursuing emerging water treatment technologies and flying sailboats.
Since Prior and Kinetico co-founder Jim Kewley introduced Kinetico's highly efficient, fully automatic home water treatment systems more than 30 years ago, Kinetico has been an innovative leader in the industry.
Over the years, Prior came to be thought of as a visionary in the water treatment industry. In addition to his work with Kinetico, Prior was very involved in the Water Quality Association (WQA), where he shared his visions of the future with the entire industry. His previous contributions included serving on numerous committees and founding the World Assembly Division of WQA. His work earned him recognition by WQA with its "Lifetime Membership Award" and induction into its prestigious "Hall of Fame." Prior also has been active with issues surrounding the preservation of the quality of water and the environs of the Great Lakes, and he's been a member of the Georgian Bay Association for many years.
Bill's new team at Tangent Co. is primarily focused on developing new and emerging water treatment technologies. The long-term goal is to provide an alternative solution to the world's water and energy problems. It is intended that Tangent's relationship with Kinetico be strategically aligned and continue well into the future.
Shamus Hurley, president of Kinetico, commented, "Our combined knowledge and the sharing of ideas will be beneficial to both companies and will serve as a great example of how two companies can leverage each other's respective strengths and depth of talent."
"People love soft, clean water, and they love good drinking water. How rewarding it's been for me to be part of an industry that actually makes people's lives better. More than that, the world I found in this industry is so exciting, so fun and the sales folks so passionate that every day is an adventure," Prior said. "If there is a dream, and people have the freedom to follow it in their own way, amazing things happen."
Source: Kinetico, Inc.
