Robert C. “Bobby” Hutson designed a groundbreaking piece of equipment in 1963 for military helicopters engaged in war zones in Vietnam. The device has been used ever since for quickly and safely moving loads weighing thousands of pounds under tense and often dangerous situations.
That product, the Reach Pendant, became a mainstay of the Mathews company Hutson founded in 1964, Ocean Products Research Inc., located in Diggs. Hutson passed away in 2007, but thanks to his sons James and Paul Hutson and nephew Jimmy Hall, Ocean Products Research continued and is now celebrating its 60th anniversary.
In March, James retired as president of the company, and Paul’s son, Sawyer Hutson, became the new president. Of the original board members, only Jimmy continues to work on a daily basis.
Sawyer said his grandfather’s penchant for innovation didn’t stop with his Reach Pendant. Instead, Bobby quickly expanded his company’s capabilities, fabricating a “special patrol insertion and extraction syste...