Harrell's CEO and Chairman of the Board Jack Harrell Jr. died after a short battle with Glioblastoma.
“My family is saddened by the loss of my father, but we rejoice that he has gone home to Glory and is not in any more pain and suffering any longer. His body had been restored and he is at peace, said President and COO of Harrell’s Jack Harrell III. "My father was a great man who took care of so many people. Everyone else was always his main concern, rather than himself. We will all miss him but are so happy that he is rejoicing in Heaven.”
Following in the footsteps of Jack Harrell Sr., Jack Jr. began working at Harrell’s in 1978 after he graduated from Georgia Southern University with his bachelor’s degree in business management. Not too long after, in January of 1982, Jack met his wife Tina Webb Harrell, and just over a year later in February of 1983 they were married.
Giving back to and supporting his community was a driving force for Jack that he and his wife made a conscious effort to act on wherever they could: from supporting the initiatives of the growing Bonnet Springs Park, donating time and resources to various charities in and around Florida, or working with the leadership at Harrell’s to make the company employee-owned, people were always on Jack’s mind.
In April 1985, Jack Jr. and Tina’s first child, Jack Harrell III was born, and not too long after, Jack Jr. and Sr. together opened the first Harrell’s manufacturing plant off Kraft Road in Lakeland. The following year, in October of 1986, Jack Jr. and Tina’s second child, William Harrell came into the world.
More recently, Jack and Tina Harrell partnered with Lakeland Regional Health to donate the Harrell Family Center for Behavioral Wellness. Jack and Tina recognized the need in their community for more people to have access to state-of-the-art health care, and to erase the stigma surrounding mental illness by helping more people to be treated. The center is set to support the needs of Polk County and its surrounding areas for many years to come.
Jack Jr.'s accomplishments in the industry include:
- On Sept. 30, 2016, Jack, along with former Harrell’s President Dave Schermerhorn and the other leaders at Harrell’s, announced that the company was now 100% employee owned.
- On June 21, 2019, Jack won the Distinguished Citizen Award from the greater Tampa Bay area Boy Scouts Group. The council presents the Distinguished Citizen Award annually in honor of individuals who represent the values of scouting through their service to the community.
- In August 2019, Jack Harrell Jr. received the Florida Turfgrass Association’s Wreath of Grass Award. This award pays tribute to individuals who have shown outstanding service to the Florida Turfgrass Association and to the turfgrass industry as a whole.
- On Nov. 15, 2019, Harrell’s officially acquired Polyon controlled-release fertilizer from Koch Services after being in partnership to use the product for nearly three decades before.
- In May of 2021, the Florida GCSA presented Jack with the Marie Roberts Lifetime Service Award. This award is presented to individuals who have made significant contributions to the Florida GCSA and golf industry through participation, support, and achievements in the industry. This award is granted to those who have dedicated their life to the industry.
- In May of 2021, Jack Harrell Jr. was inducted into the Tampa Bay Business Hall of Fame. The event celebrates those who are seen as visionaries in their field and celebrates the accomplishments, leadership, and service of the honorees. This ceremony celebrated both the 2020 and 2021 induction classes, of which Jack was a member of the 2020 class.
