Rotarian creates his own success after several career paths along the way
Member spotlight: Gene Hinton
December 16, 2020
Sometimes, plans go by the wayside quickly and life offers a sharp course-correction.
That was certainly the case for Rotarian Gene Hinton, owner of a successful precision machining and fabrication company in Rockledge.
In 1974, Gene finished his journalism degree at the University of Florida and was ready to begin a career with the Fourth Estate. He started at a major newspaper, too: the Atlanta Constitution.
There was only one problem.
“I worked the graveyard shift on the police beat,” Gene said. “I was never comfortable there. It just wasn’t for me.”
Gene left the profession after only a matter of months chasing news stories. Instead, he started chasing customers in the hardware business. It was the era before Home Depot and Lowe’s, and Gene worked the sales and marketing side.
“I loved it,” he said. “I got to travel and meet some great people.”
Following a stint in the U.S. Army, Gene came home and took over his father’s machine and fabrication business. He successfully ran the company from 1978 to 1999.
But after more than 20 years in that business, he was ready for a change. Another company had acquired the business and Gene, with his strong entrepreneurial spirit, felt that he just wasn’t cut out to be an employee.
“After being the employer for so long, I wasn’t good with the daily grind of going to work, getting a paycheck, coming home, getting up the next day and going back to work again,” he explained. “I couldn’t do it.”
It was then that Gene started his own business. And he’s never looked back.
HMS, Inc. does work with an emphasis on steel, stainless steel, aluminum and custom polymer manufacturing. The company has customers in the movie industry, space industry and theme parks, to name just a few.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s in a submarine or a power plant or a theme park,” Gene said. “If it goes up and down, and round and round, we can usually get it manufactured.”
Gene has been involved in Rotary since 1984 when “a dear friend bigger than me said, ‘You’re going to get into Rotary’.” Since then, Gene has been sold on the club’s mission.
“I like the people and I like their mission: service above self,” he said. “I like the fact that you are able to give back to the local, national and global community. Rotary is whatever you want it to be – a true service organization.”
Peace professionals become effective catalysts for change
Rotarian sails the lagoon, once bagged an ample alligator
Rotarian is all about books, baseball and working smarter
‘Service Above Self’ motto strikes chord with longtime Rotarian
'It's hard to remember when I ever did anything else.'
Helping others succeed, from Japan to the Space Coast
Careers take Rockledge Rotary’s president-elect to the Pacific Northwest, the Middle East and the Space Coast
Local Rotarian returns to Florida after insurance business keeps him on the move for 23 years
Rotarian Duane Daski is a member of the Rockledge City Council and has extended his service to countless people through volunteer work over many years. “I've always been involved in giving back and helping out,” Daski said. “I’m a big-time believer in giving back to your community whenever you can and helping out in any way you can.”
Cheryl Cominsky just wanted to do a little volunteering for The Children’s Hunger Project – that’s all. It turned out to be more than that. In April 2020, she became the nonprofit organization’s executive director. “I started as an office volunteer and then it just became my heart,” said Cominsky, a Rockledge Rotarian . “It was never my aspiration to be executive director. I didn't walk in here with that idea in mind.” The Children’s Hunger Project in Cocoa is addressing a gap in schoolchildren’s meal programs. While in-school breakfast and lunches are available during the week, some children go hungry on weekends. In response to this problem, volunteers for the organization get together and pack weekend food packages that teachers place into the children’s backpacks. The packages contain nutritious, easy-to-prepare foods these children can bring home on Fridays. Volunteers meet at the Cocoa location to prep the weekend food packages. A number of businesses, civic groups and faith communities in the area support the effort with generous donations. “It’s just wonderful to be supported and surrounded by so many good people,” Cominsky said. The Children’s Hunger Project has been in Brevard County for 11 years. It started out serving 27 students. Now, the program is in 46 elementary schools helping to feed about 2,700 every week. In the early days of the pandemic, the number of meals served reached 6,000 but has since tapered off. “We're 72 miles of beautiful beaches with spaceships and rocket launches , but we still have families and children who need help,” she said. A New Jersey native, Cominsky moved to Florida with her husband and son in 2000 (a second son was born in 2002). The move came after she spent years in Pennsylvania managing sales for a software-reselling business. After that job brought the family to the Florida east coast, her husband's job prompted a move to Tampa. Seven years ago, they relocated to Viera . For much of her adult life, Cominsky has been involved in volunteer efforts, helping organize events, fundraisers, and functioning in other child-advocacy capacities. “You’ve got to care for other people,” she said. “Everybody needs some help sometimes.”