Sun Hydraulics Celebrates 50 Years of Fluid Power Innovation

Sun Hydraulics is celebrating 50 years in the fluid power business this year, marking five decades that started with a simple plan and a clear company vision from founder Bob Koski in 1970.

Bob Koski co-founded Sun Hydraulics with fellow engineer, John Allen. The first products from Sun were sold in 1971, manufactured out of Allen’s garage in Sarasota, Fla. The company quickly reached profitability by 1972.

“Bob Koski believed in the importance of people in building a successful company,” remarked Raj Menon, President of Sun Hydraulics. “It remains our company focus today. We continue to invest in our people and in our future to ensure the next fifty years are as successful as the first—and not just in terms of profits, but in terms of personal and professional growth of our employees.”

“In our celebration this year, we are focusing on our co-workers, past and present, and recognizing the immense contributions they have made to our products, our processes and our success in the first 50 years,” Menon said.

Wolfgang Dangel, CEO of Helios Technologies, Sun’s parent company, recognized the importance of this 50-year milestone. “Sun is a critical part of Helios,” he said. “It is the foundation for our company, and its continuing global growth will keep our company strong and thriving here in Sarasota and across the world. Sun has many reasons to celebrate.”

Sun Hydraulics has three manufacturing locations and employs 765 people in the Sarasota area. With additional operations in the United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea and China, Sun employs a total of 1,145 people across the globe. The company manufactures high-performance screw-in hydraulic cartridge valves, electro-hydraulics, manifolds, and integrated package solutions for the worldwide industrial and mobile hydraulics markets.

For more information, visit www.sunhydraulics.com.