By HADLEY CAMPBELL

Special to the Herald

You know the name well: F-O-R-D.

Henry Ford revolutionized the moving production line with automotive assembly here in the United States. More than a century ago, the Model T and block-cast V-8 became synonymous with both quality and innovation.

That spirit still flourishes today. In fact, in Statesboro there is a homegrown entrepreneur and inventor with the same last name leading a company with the same dedication to detail and to finding ways to make things happen.

Harry Ford III, a Bulloch County neighbor for most of his life, has applied his namesake’s principal of making the best better in his local company – SESOLINC. Though Henry Ford is not a relative, Harry Ford’s visionary “bulldog” approach to problem solving reveals a parallel kinship in ways that matter – simplicity and an emphasis on affordability in all his company’s products.

A graduate of Georgia Southern University, Ford is a former commissioned Army Aviation Officer whose service included deployment planning – intermodal movement – and virtually all transportation logistics.

“Military service taught me to think in terms of mission readiness, agility and resource management,” he said. “Our products are investments in mission accomplishment.”

Ford founded his company in 1994 as Southeastern Solutions, Inc. and later re-incorporated as SESOLINC GRP, Inc. The company builds movable, modular structures used for defense, emergency response, industrial and commercial work, all out of its Statesboro plant off Highway 301 North, just down the road from the Georgia driver’s license office.

Along the way, Ford and SESOLINC have earned eight U.S. patents, including their latest one awarded in June – U.S. Patent No. 12,662,305 B2. The patent’s title is: “Laterally Combinable Multipurpose Relocatable Structures.”

“Think of it like snapping building blocks together,” Ford said. “Each structure can stand on its own, but this patent lets several of them connect side by side to form one big space, like turning a few small rooms into a full building. Teams can start small, then grow their setup as their needs grow, without losing the power to pack up and move.”

Ford employs a small and dedicated workforce of 18, that includes a number of engineering graduates from Georgia Southern. Ford credits the employees as instrumental to his company’s success story.

“Neither I nor this company would be here today without the great people I’ve been lucky enough to work with,” he said. “The people are the most important part of this operation.”

Company’s sweet spot

SESOLINC’s sweet spot is in the design and production of scalable mission exteriors, paired with mission-specific interiors, all constructed to overcome obstacles and allow opportunities, at the same time.

“Every patent takes years of hard work,” Ford said. “We build things that help people do their jobs, no matter where that job takes them.”

The basic product footprint for SESOLINC consists of fabricated cargo containers, mostly in 10-foot or 20-foot lengths. Similar to those that may be seen along interstates to lessen highway noise, but better constructed with superior design and materials.

The products are designed to support military, humanitarian and medical operations and, also, disaster relief, especially in remote-site operations. But the aspect where SESOLINC stands out in its field comes from a patented, synergistic system that allows multiple units to connect and form a larger working space, while maintaining mobility due to ease of transport.

A partial client list includes: Chick-Fil-A, USDA, FEMA, U.S. Forest Service, GA Ports Authority, Raytheon, Lockheed, scDataCom, Weston Inc, RCR Services and Darley Defense.

Ford offered an example of SESOLINC’s commitment to its clients and its constant search for innovative solutions in every situation.

“More than 10 years ago, SESOLINC was visiting the Army base at Fort Hood in Texas for one issue when another erupted,” Ford said. “All the large and trac-equipped vehicles used the same very large battery for operation. Standard practice was to remove and discard each battery as it failed.”

A mountain of 156 such units stood nearby. Ford said he told the officer in charge that he would be back to the base in a matter of weeks with a possible solution. SESOLINC and Ford returned with a fabricated structure strong enough to hold multiple batteries. Designed for safety, accessibility and re-charging, Ford said the configuration allowed 86 % of the discards to be returned to usage and at the same time saved $135,000.

The future

Ford is confident SESOLINC’s 70,000-square-foot manufacturing facility has adequate acreage to allow expansion for additional production, storage and processes as may be needed in the future.

One such process Ford and SESOLINC is considering is electrostatic powder coat painting, which would provide a superior finish with outstanding durability to its containers. Ford noted it’s a process currently utilized by many industries on smaller items, such as tools or hardware. SESOLINC would require a much larger and complex system to add powder coat painting to its manufacturing process.

Manufacturing since Henry Ford’s first Model T rolled off the line more than a century ago has and will continue to evolve. Harry Ford said SESOLINC will continue to focus on meeting and exceeding customer demands for innovation and quality, along with price and delivery.

“Small businesses like ours help drive innovation across America,” Ford said. “We’re proud to be part of that story.”