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You, you, you, you. This newsletter is usually all about you. It is all about taking care of your water storage tanks and towers and why we are the best inspection and cleaning service to work for your system. Each month I feature a contaminant that has been found in water tanks and could find its way into YOUR water system. But occasionally, in the words of the late and great Toby Keith, I want to talk about me and not just my company.
I turned 65 last month. That makes a guy stop and think a little. I wanted to take a minute of your time and introduce myself and talk about where I came from and what makes me tick.
I grew up in Bedford, Texas. I guess I would have been another city kid, but I got to spend some summers on my grandfather's ranch near Honey Grove, TX. When I wasn't there, you would find me at Possum Kingdom Lake, where my parents had a small trailer house and dock for a weekend getaway. 1973 was a big year for me, I was 14 and my dad taught me how to ride a motorcycle and to scuba dive. He had been diving before I was born and claims to have purchased the first Aqualung in Fort Worth, TX. He had to order it through Fort Worth Welding Supply (there were no dive shops in the 1950's). Both my parents were government employees. My mom, Charlotte, was a manager for the Corps of Engineers, and my dad, Charles, a TCU grad, worked for the IRS. Bedford was still growing in the 1970's so there were thousands of acres of undeveloped land that I would explore on my 175cc Yamaha Enduro dirt bike when I was not at the ranch or the lake.
After high school, I attended what was then Tarrant County Junior College and worked as an electrician. I then attended The North Central Texas Council of Governments Regional Police Academy in Arlington (class #68). I graduated from the Police Academy in February of 1984 and also got married to Caroline Rice that year. We have three grown sons I am very proud of and we will celebrate our fortieth wedding anniversary next month.
I wanted to get out in the world and do something that would help people. I knew I did not want to be stuck behind a desk somewhere like my parents. My police career was from 1984 to 2006. I worked for the City of Fort Worth as a Deputy Marshal, The Everman Police Department as a patrolman and detective, and as a deputy Constable in Tarrant County.
In 1993, a coworker and I at the Constable's office started Tank Diver Inspections. A company that did not last very long. I sold my share to an Everman Police Officer who would later start U.S. Underwater Services, Inc. (USUS). I went to work as a salesman and Diver for USUS, spending four years there as the marketing director and then the director of operations. I loved the idea behind these businesses. It was a way to get paid to dive and also help people maintain clean drinking water. This fit into my life like a hand into a glove.
In 1997, I started my own company and Ron Perrin Water Technologies was born. That year I also went back to the City of Everman where I would retain my Law Enforcement Commission by working part-time as a reserve officer, and earned my Texas Master Peace Officer and Police Instructor credentials. In 2006, I resigned from my law enforcement commission to focus on my business full-time, and our business has gotten a little better with each passing year.
In 2010, my son Robert joined me and along with dedicated inspectors and divers, a great office staff (Debi and Pam) that have been with us for over a decade, we have grown a business to be proud of. We have a total of eleven employees and work for hundreds of water utilities each year, allowing them to meet state inspection requirements with no water loss or disruption in service. Our potable water diving service helps utilities maintain the highest possible water quality in their tanks by removing the sediment that could contain bacteria or other contaminants.
Our blog is at www.tankdiver.us, and our main website is www.ronperrin.com.
Robert has also embraced my love of motorcycles, and you can often find us on our Triumph, Tiger 800's kicking up dust on a trail or running down a Texas highway.
At 65 I am looking back at my life and feeling very blessed. I want to thank all of my employees and customers new and old, many of whom have stuck with us for the entire 27 years we have been in business! We will continue to do our best to earn your continued trust and support in the years to come.
If you are attending Texas Water in Fort Worth this month, stop by and see us. If you don't want to talk about your water tank we will be happy to talk motorcycles instead!
Photos: above Robert and I at an Adventure Bike TOY Run in 2023
below Robert, Caroline, and myself a few years ago at the top of Pikes Peak, CO.
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