Joe Murphy - President 

Joe has been in the manufacturer's rep business since 1979 and later formed the Dodge-Murphy Agency with Ray Dodge. Joe has successfully represented nearly every type of plumbing/heating product on the market including: tanks, pumps, softeners, tools, water heaters, and well products. You name it, he's sold it. He would rather spend a 14 hour day on the road making calls than an 8 hour day in the office. Joe might be in a Chicago high-rise at 8:00 a.m. sizing a hydronic heating job and in Peoria at 4:00 p.m. the same day holding a training session. While rarely in the office, he's always available by cell phone. If you would like to know more about Joe, just go into any wholesaler in the State of Illinois and ask anyone from secretaries to owners. Everyone knows Joe.

 Bob Muilenburg - Treasurer

Bob runs a tight ship. His dedication, product knowledge, efficiency and 16 years of experience enable us to live up to our motto: "If it's needed today...HOK." Bob oversees warehousing, order processing and customer service. When he's not on the road or working a trade show, he's helping customers with complex quotes for contractors and architects, answering technical and pricing questions and making sure inventory levels will meet customer needs. Bob can cut red tape when he needs to. He'll work with a wholesaler to enable a contractor to pick up directly from HOK so that a consumer isn't without heat or water overnight. One way or another, Bob gets things done.

 Mark Dodge - Secretary

Mark understands engineering. He understands and can explain the complexities of some of the more technologically daunting products we represent including hydronic heating and pressure boosting systems. In fact, he's even designed a few. Mark's calm, patient manner on the phone or on the job site has helped more than a few contractors survive a difficult installation with their hair intact. He also leads great seminars, enabling wholesale salesmen and contractors to expand the product lines they sell or install and teaches continuing education classes in thermal expansion for the state of Illinois. Even after a long day on the road, if there is a problem with HOK's own IT system, Mark will work patiently through the night to have it up and running again by morning.

Jim Grobe - Sales Associate

Jim joined HOK in 2004. He was hired to run our customer service and shipping, but we realized after 3 years ( ok, so we are not too quick) that his talents are really in sales. Jim has spent 30+ years in sales, running a local True Value Hardware store as part of a family business. Jim has seen it all – as all kinds walked through the store’s doors. That quality, the ability to be able to understand someone’s problems, and offer items and ideas to fix those problems, is really what a salesperson does. Jim can identify the needs of our customers and address them with our product line. Sounds simple, but it is the single skill that separates good salespeople from people who work in sales. Jim is approaching his new position at HOK as an outside salesperson with the same energy that he used in the store and his years here. In his soft spoken way he is very thorough, and you can be sure that if Jim has taken the time to get you an answer, it is the correct answer.

Dan Nolan - National Accounts Manager

Dan enjoys life. It does not make a difference if he is at work, out on the town, or at home with his wife and kids, Dan is trying to have fun. This attitude rubs off on everyone he works with, be it customer or Manufacturer. Dan also has a complete understanding of the Retail Hardware Market and can rely on over 15 years of experience in guiding products through the complicated systems of our customers. Need a new product sold and marketed? Dan can help you. Need a whole category of product sold into a new account? Dan has done that. Simply need an existing line of goods managed at one of the large hardware accounts? Dan can do that as well. Need trade show booths assembled and manned? That is a specialty of Dan’s. And don’t be surprised if you wind up coming away from a phone call or a meeting with Dan with a new joke or story to tell. Dan has a million of them.

Laura Grobe - Office Manager

Every office has that one person who keeps everyone on track. Laura is that person for H.O.K. At any given moment, she knows where every person in the company is, or is supposed to be. She tries to keep track of the deadlines that affect our business and fights a losing battle with us over our attention to detail. Laura is often the first voice you hear when you call H.O.K. and many times she is the only voice as she tries to handle as many issues as she can. Laura also acts as our I.T. person, in conjunction with Mark. Although Laura likes to refer to herself as i.t. while Mark is I.T. In addition to these duties, Laura also handles our accounts payable and receivable and keeps detailed account of all our sales with the Quick Books program. Laura’s value to the company is immeasurable, but don’t let her know that. We like to keep her humble.

James Hottat- Customer Service

James handles our incoming and outgoing freight, answers phones and troubleshoots problems over the phone, enters orders, tracks shipments, and generally keeps the whole place humming along. James has an extensive electrical background that has come in handy as many of our products are plumbing/electrical in nature. He has agreed to tutor some of us who are electrical illiterate. James also has a long history with working with pumps of all kinds, so he fits right in around here.

Terri Dodge

Terri joined H.O.K at the beginning of 2008. Terri has, by default, been in this industry most of her adult life; she just didn’t know it at the time. As part of the Dodge family, Terri is continuing the long standing practice of family working at H.O.K. Terri’s responsibilities at H.O.K include answering hundreds of phone calls a day, keeping our massive literature and catalog department in stock and tracking our daily shipments to ensure that all is on schedule. As Laura’s assistant, Terri is providing Laura with some time to stay on top of all the financials and general office management of H.O.K, as we have grown too fast to have one person answer all the phones and tackle all of the day to day jobs. Terri is a welcome addition to H.O.K. Next time you call, be sure and take a moment to say hi – she is trying to learn about 1000 names you know!

Jimmy Johnsen

Jimmy also joined H.O.K. at the beginning of 2008. Have we mentioned we are growing? Jimmy is making a return to H.O.K. after several years’ absence in another industry. Jimmy’s extensive knowledge of plumbing and its applications will serve him well in his new capacity at H.O.K. We have begun to build our own line of Pressure Boosting Systems, and Jimmy has taken on the responsibility of creating them. Jimmy is the type of guy who can build a car out of the things that are on your desk as you read this. It has been very interesting and educational to watch as he has built a shop in our warehouse with an assembly area to make the systems and a testing area where each unit is tested before it goes out the door. Our new systems will be efficient, quiet and powerful.

Jessie

Our final new addition is Jessie. He is Mark and Terri’s dog. Jessie is a Welsh Corgi mix and probably has the best disposition of any one working at H.O.K. Jessie’s main responsibilities include sleeping, chasing the occasional office supply salesperson, making sure the stupid rabbits don’t take over the parking lot, and generally being a stress relief at the office for everyone. Jessie is the ideal employee as he works for biscuits and the occasional game of fetch - so the price is right, and we don’t really offer him many benefits, unless you consider clean water a benefit. Welcome aboard Jessie! Sit! Good dog!