Growing up in Jacksonville, Florida, Jerry Zucker began tinkering, innovating, and inventing within the first decade of his life. He found possibility in things that others overlooked and he made a habit of taking things apart and putting them back together, often improving their function in the process.
At the University of Florida, Jerry pursued a triple degree in Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics, followed by a graduate degree in Electrical Engineering — all while working full time. In these years, Jerry also began to invest in and open his own businesses including a delicatessen, a record store and a laundromat.
After completing his studies, Jerry served as the Director of Research and Development for Hudson Pulp & Paper Corporation where he amassed nearly a dozen patents which improved the function and efficiency of the company’s processes and products.
In 1978, as Director of Research and Development for Raybestos-Manhattan, in Charleston, South Carolina, Jerry continued to innovate and imagine a new course for the company. In 1982, Jerry and a business partner purchased Raybestos-Manhattan’s Charleston facility, calling it RM Industrial Products. Within five years, the company had grown from a single plant to a multinational manufacturing holding company, The InterTech Group, Inc.
From its inception, InterTech has been inspired by Jerry's love of science and technology, his desire for synergies and his visionary foresight. He also considered each employee of the InterTech team to be part of a large family and invested in their personal growth both in the workplace and in the community.
By the time Jerry passed away in 2008, after a battle with cancer, he owned over 300 patents and had successfully completed billions of dollars of merger, acquisition, and public offering transactions. Today, through the leadership of his family members and the outstanding InterTech team, Jerry Zucker's ingenuity, love of people and drive for excellence continue to guide The InterTech Group, Inc.