Have you
ever had a birthday that made your fondest dream came true? If so, it’s most
likely that your loving family arranged it.
That’s
exactly what happened to Dr. Robert (Bob) Henderson of Lancaster, South Carolina.
Bob became interested in hovercraft 15 years ago when he saw one at a boat show
in Annapolis, Maryland. Here he is, exhibiting that interest …
You may
not recognize Bob, but you’ll most likely recognize his work. His son, Troy Henderson,
describes why he and his brother Todd decided to give their father a hovercraft
for his 80th birthday on May 14, 2020 …
“Dad has always been an innovator. As
a pharmacist, he was intrigued with nutrition in the 70’s and 80’s. Then in 1992,
he founded Nutramax Laboratories and patented
the combination of Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate that led to the launch
of Cosamin® DS for human joint health and Cosequin for animals - which has
changed the way many physicians treat osteoarthritis,” Troy explains. “The innovation of the hovercraft, with its ability to fly on land and
water, is fascinating and Dad has talked about one day owning a hovercraft of
his own. My brother and I decided that a
hovercraft would be the perfect gift for Dad’s 80th birthday.”
Why did
they choose a Neoteric hovercraft? Troy says, “We tasked Brian Adams, our Director of
Engineering and Maintenance at Nutramax Laboratories, to research the
companies that sell hovercraft in the U.S. and he found Neoteric Hovercraft, Inc. One of the main reasons we chose
Neoteric was the patented reverse thrust system which gives the pilot more ability to control
the hovercraft.”
Nutramax
is a family of companies run by the Henderson family. Bob is founder and
Chairman of the Board; his sons Todd, a veterinarian,
is President/CEO and Troy, a chiropractor, is Executive Vice-President. They
are obviously innovators, as well. At their father’s birthday party, attended
by 300+ Nutramax employees and family members, they teased him with a birthday
cake shaped exactly like the Neoteric hovercraft he was about to receive …
His sons presented
the cake to him, saying, “Here you go,
something you’ve always wanted!” Bob just laughed and suspected nothing -
until his new hovercraft came flying around the building. It was Bob’s “dream
come true”! Troy says, “Dad was totally
surprised and threw his arms up in the air in disbelief!”
Watch and
enjoy his reaction …
Todd (center) and Troy (right) were as excited as their father (left) when the hovercraft appeared, piloted by Steve Stafford from
Neoteric …
Troy says,
“Our father has done so much for so many;
not only for us over the years, but also for countless others and for our
community. It gave us so much joy to see
the look on his face when he saw the hovercraft hover across the parking lot.”
Bob
couldn’t wait to get behind the controls of his hovercraft. Here he is with his
wife, Janet …
And here he shares his joy with his five month old great-granddaughter, Rosie Fletcher …
After the
once-in-a-lifetime birthday party, Bob and his sons underwent flight training
on Fishing Creek Lake in Lancaster, South Carolina, conducted by Steve Stafford, Flight Instructor for Neoteric and
its Hovercraft Training Centers. Flight
training is essential. It’s easy to confuse hovercraft with other land-based
vehicles since they travel so close to the surface, but make no mistake:
hovercraft are flying machines. Because they fly above the surface on a cushion
of air, hovercraft operate on the principles of aerodynamics, not the rules of
the road or waterways.
In
conclusion, we’d like to say that the Hendersons are not only innovative;
they’re wise, organized and disciplined as well. This is exemplified in the
steps they followed in purchasing a hovercraft:
First, they
did research to learn that, besides its patented reverse thrust system, Neoteric is the world's original light hovercraft manufacturer. Founded in 1960, with clients in 50+ nations, Neoteric has a level of trustworthiness,
experience and professionalism superior to any other light hovercraft
manufacturer.
Second,
they contacted Neoteric in November 2019 to learn more.
Third, in
February Troy, along with Brian Adams, came to Neoteric to take a Test Flight before they ordered a Model #1874 four-passenger hovercraft with several
added options, including a trailer.
And fourth,
they arranged for immediate flight training for
the family after the hovercraft was presented to their father.
In
closing, we at Neoteric would like to emphatically say that we are grateful to
be associated with such a caring family and are honored to have played a role
in helping the Henderson brothers make their father’s 80th birthday
a memorable one!
