John Tharpe, chairman of the board for Statesville, N.C.-based The TharpeRobbins Company Inc., has died at the age of 72.
In 1981, Tharpe, along with nine other recognition experts, founded the Tharpe Company, and was known as a “towering figure in our industry,” Dave Peer, president of Hinda Incentives, a division of TharpeRobbins, told IncentiveMag.com.
Brett Tharpe, CEO of The TharpeRobbins Company and a nephew of John Tharpe said in a statement: “My uncle launched the company based on integrity, loyalty and a spirit of partnership,” says Brett Tharpe, CEO of The TharpeRobbins Company Inc. “The culture he established produced an innovative and dynamic team, which quickly differentiated our company in the recognition industry by offering a broad product selection of awards for employees. His magnetic personality and visionary approach to doing business was responsible for a number of industry firsts, ranging from the introduction of consumer-focused award offerings to the application of technology to improve program results.”
The Tharpe Company underwent a number of changes in growth over the years. In 2001, the Tharpe Company was sold to Saugatuck Capital. Six years later, in 2007, The Tharpe Company merged with The Robbins Company to become TharpeRobbins. In 2012, TharpeRobbins acquired Chicago-based Hinda Incentives.
Brett Tharpe added, “We are comforting one another, realizing we had the privilege of knowing and working with a man who demanded the best of us and was a great friend and mentor at the same time. He never retired from the company, even after it was sold in 2001. Until the day of his death, he served as our chairman, coach and biggest cheerleader.”
Hinda Incentives’ Dave Peer echoed Brett Tharpe’s sentiments. “John Tharpe was a legend in our industry,” he said. “There’s no doubt about it. He felt that he could establish a culture of premier customer service … the results speak for themselves and the growth of the company reflects that customers are responding to that.”
Looking ahead, Peer sees continued success for both Hinda Incentives and TharpeRobbins. “When [John] retired and sold the company he had removed himself from the day-to-day operations, but he left a solid infrastructure in place. The future prospects of the business are quite bright, but he also left a lot of friends and employees who had a great deal of affection for him.” He adds, “The business principles that Mr. Tharpe instilled in his company are still here, and we have to try to live up to the standards that he established.”
Tharpe is survived by his wife, Ann, his daughter, Kris, and his stepdaughter, Jessica. His family has requested memorials in John Tharpe’s honor and has provided the following organizations as designated recipients: The Gordon Hospice House in Statesville , N.C.; the Piedmont Council of Boy Scouts of America in Gastonia, N.C.; and the Broad Street United Methodist Church in Statesville, N.C.