Secondwind Water Co-Founder Christine Fletcher Retires, Welcomes New CEO Shana Hoch
Secondwind Water Systems Inc. is pleased to announce the retirement of Co-Founder and President Christine Fletcher, and the appointment of President and CEO Shana Hoch.
Founded in 1989, Secondwind is majority owned by Christine Fletcher and her husband, fellow co-founder Crispin. Christine took the reins as president 23 years ago, and grew Secondwind to a 45-person company servicing more than 15,000 residential and commercial customers. Christine knew transitioning a company from founder-run to independently operated was going to take work.
“I spent significant time thinking about how to best continue Secondwind Water’s mission after I retired,” said Fletcher. “The company has been a part of me for more than 30 years, and we have worked hard to deliver the best water solutions with exceptional customer service. Finding a leader to support our customers and employees, maintain our 5-star ratings, and help us grow was no easy undertaking.”
Seeking to make the best possible selection, Fletcher hired a recruiter and made the Secondwind leadership team a part of the interview process.
“Everyone wanted a human connector, someone who was warm, open, honest and caring – someone who had a high level of integrity and would appreciate the customers and the employees,” said Fletcher. They were also loud and clear that they want someone who will hold people accountable. Everyone felt that Shana held all those qualities at once. You’ll see there’s something magical about her. She’s open, warm and comfortable, but she’s strong.”
Hoch was most recently employed as a Managing Director at Sprague Operating Resources Inc. where she was responsible for overseeing customer experience, marketing, Salesforce.com, and innovation. While at Sprague, Hoch worked periodically with employees from Kinetico Incorporated, a global manufacturer of water treatment systems. Secondwind also has a strong relationship with Kinetico, as Secondwind is New Hampshire’s only authorized Kinetico dealer.
“As soon as the recruiter told me the opportunity was at Secondwind, I reached out to my contacts at Kinetico,” said Hoch. “They were highly complimentary about Christine and the team at Secondwind and thought my background and skill set would be a great match for the role.”
Hoch will guide Secondwind as it transitions to an employee-owned company, another goal of Fletcher’s.
“The team at Secondwind is like a family – they are passionate, they challenge each other, and they hold each other accountable,” said Fletcher. “It was important to me to choose someone who could also carry out the work needed to transition ownership to the employees. Providing high quality effective water solutions is a balance of science, in determining what’s in the water and how to clean it up, and art, in choosing the right solution based on the needs of our customers. The knowledge and experience of our employees is critically important to our success in the effort to combat water challenges in New Hampshire and beyond.”
“One of the things that most attracted me to Secondwind was Christine’s vision for the company,” said Hoch. “She understands the importance of people – our employees and our customers. Her willingness and interest in making the company employee-owned really highlights how important people are to her and the business. With the right people, we can do anything.”
Secondwind’s reputation for impeccable customer service, unique products and service, and great design is all thanks to the employees and great relationships, said Hoch.
“In order to provide a quality product and quality service, you have to have people who really care,” said Hoch. “We have a strong, knowledgeable and hardworking team. I couldn’t be starting from a better place. My job is to continue the work that Christine and the team have done to date, and continue the mission to ensure our customers have clean, safe, great tasting water.”