On Sept. 6, Leonard W. Moore (Len), founder and owner of Moore Industries-International Inc. passed at the age of 85. Len was born Nov. 26, 1933 in Hazelton, Iowa, where he attended elementary through high school. At the age of 16 he graduated high school and then attended Iowa State University where he obtained a BS in electrical engineering.
After graduating college Len entered the Army in 1953 as a weapons guidance specialist and spent time at Fort Sill, Okla., and Fort Bliss, Texas. He then trained and taught soldiers how to operate, calibrate and repair various guidance and artillery weapon systems. This was when Len realized he had a passion for instruments and control circuits.
In 1968, he founded Moore Industries-International, Inc. in North Hills, Calif. Starting out in a small office with one employee and a very small budget, Len set out to design the most rugged industrial instrument solutions that he knew the industry needed. He used to say that at Moore Industries, “we are an engineering company that solves customer’s problems by manufacturing bulletproof solutions.”
Beginning with one instrument, the SCT Signal Converter and Isolator, Len and his “troops” (the term that he used for the company’s employees) went on to design, build and support more than 225 different products that isolate, protect, convert, alarm, monitor, control and interface with any industrial or automation control and monitoring system.
Len often said, “the best compliment we can get from our customers is that they forgot about our products or solutions because they performed so well that they just plain forgot they were ever installed.” The resulting rugged M1 Tank design can be seen in most of the company’s products that are enveloped in solid aluminum cases instead of plastic or polycarbonate housings.
More than 50 years after its inception, Moore Industries’ world headquarters is still prospering and remains in North Hills, Calif. The company continues to manufacture 100% of its products at this U.S. location, something Len insisted upon. With two acquisitions, more than 19 industry associated patents, 200 employees and remote offices located in the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Belgium, Australia and China, the company continues to engineer, design, manufacture and support existing and new products for worldwide process control and automation customers.
In 2009, Len was inducted into the ISA’s revered group of Honorary Members, individuals whose support of and/or contributions to the advancement of the arts and sciences of instrumentation, systems and automation are deserving of special recognition. Len was also a Professional Engineer, had a private contractor’s license and was a pioneer and cornerstone for the industry.
Len is survived by his three sons: Tony and his companion Sonnie, Nick, and Chris and his wife Deanna; his grandsons Nick, Matthew, Justin and Christopher; and his longtime companion Christine Hulfish.
