Joe Groh began his career working for contractors, installing residential HVAC equipment before joining Lennox Industries Inc. Joe was an outside sales representative and dealer business consultant, working with contractors in Chicago and downstate Illinois. He graduated summa cum laude from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago and held a Bachelor of Science Degree in marketing.
Joe held marketing and sales management positions with Lennox in the Columbus, Ohio division office, and the Richardson, Texas corporate office. He then served as District Manager for North and South Carolina in Charlotte before relocating to Chicago as District Manager for Illinois and Indiana. After 21 years with Lennox, Joe became Director Of Marketing for Excelsior, a sheet metal manufacturer and HVAC distributor based in Chicago. Following that, Joe moved back to the Dallas area as Director Of Product Development for Titus, an industry-leading manufacturer of air management products. Joe then joined PCI Industries in Fort Worth as Vice President Of Sales And Marketing. PCI is a leading manufacturer in the air and sound control industry. Joe received the Dealer Business Consultant of the Year award from Lennox Industries in 1988, the Service Leader Award from Service Roundtable in 2015, and a Humanitarian Award from the Franciscan Alumni Association in 2018.
On June 15, 2008, Joe was severely injured in a bicycle accident, resulting in a C3/C4 complete spinal cord injury. (ASIA-A) In 2009, along with family members and close friends, Joe started the Joseph S Groh Foundation. The mission of the foundation is to:
Provide extensive information to those with disabilities & their caregivers. Provide financial assistance for those connected to the contracting industry who are living with life-altering disabilities. Advocate for pathways to affordable short/long-term disability insurance for employees of small businesses in the contracting industry. The foundation has provided more than $700,000 in grants to 71 individuals in 30 states. If you are interested in contributing to the foundation and helping Joe continue his mission, please visit https://www.josephgrohfoundation.org/.
Joe is a published author penning two books. Check out "From Two Wheels to Four," which chronicles one family's story about learning to prevail in times of extreme difficulty, vowing never to look back, never give up and remain positive. This book talks about overcoming obstacles as a function of your life experiences, your support network, and your faith based on real-life events.
His second book, Stepping Up, is a collection of witty, poignant, and inspirational stories of a physically challenged life. This book chronicles incredible, informational, and just plain funny experiences from the lives of disabled authors. Whether comical, infuriating, or just plain incredulous, these stories are based in reality and offer a compelling window into lives of determination, perseverance, and hope.
You can also email the foundation at hope@josephgrohfoundation.org or call them directly at 214-998-9749.
