Business visionary Jack Gentry dies at 82

Jack Gentry, founder of Positronic Industries and creator of the Southwest Area Manufacturers Association, died Sept. 23 at the age of 82.

Born in Kansas City, Kan., Gentry was a veteran of two wars, serving as a naval aviator in the Marine Corps during World War II and the Korean War.

After returning from Korea, Gentry went to work in sales with Minneapolis Honeywell and later with Litton Industries, where he learned about electronic hardware.

His greatest impact on the local market, however, came when he created Positronic in October 1966. The company was founded in a small Stewart Street warehouse and machined contacts and hardware for electronic components.

The operation grew quickly – it now has 45 sales offices and employs more than 1,000 to support its 11 factory operations in North America, China, Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Korea, India, Malaysia and New Zealand.

Gentry also felt that manufacturers in southwest Missouri needed a voice in local and state government. He created SAMA in 1993 as a way to make the needs and concerns of the manufacturing industry heard. Today the organization has more than 150 member companies, representing 13,000 jobs in 32 counties.

Visitation will be held 5-8 p.m. Thursday at Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home, 1947 E. Seminole.

Read more about the life and impact of Jack Gentry in SBJ’s Oct. 2 issue.