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Alum Profile
When things get hot at the White House, at least the building can keep its cool, thanks to Gerry Hull, '64, president and CEO of Atlanta-based Automated Logic Corporation.  Automated Logic is the
world leader in control systems for critical mission
facilities--facilities
like the White House, E-Trade's central data processing center, Charles
Schwab, MCI Worldcom, MasterCard, Visa, AOL-Netscape, and United Parcel
Service data centers. Continuous monitoring and control with zero downtime
of 10,000 different points in a facility is typical in the control system
applications.The systems are designed
around web technology, so for example, a critical facility in Hong Kong
can be controlled from Dallas. The technology used in critical applications
trickles down to less demanding applications as well, like HVAC control
in commercial and industrial buildings. Other Automated Logic customers
include Cisco Systems, Sun Microsystems, Silicon Graphics, Lockheed
Martin, Boeing, Purdue University, the University of Virginia, and Ford
Motor Company World Headquarters."We do the Oval Office,
cabinet room, the west wing -- all of the White House," Hull says of
the HVAC system at the presidential residence. "That's a fun job."The business was started
in 1980 after Hull sold his former company, ATL Machine Corporation
to Brinks."It turned out to be a long hard struggle. We were in the
red for nine straight years. There is always a hope that success is
just around the corner, but it turned out to be a protracted period
of hope," Hull says with a laugh. "The last 10 years have been more
fun than I have ever had in my life." Today, Automated Logic has 175
employees with offices in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Taiwan, and Dubai."I learned to love and
respect the art of people management, but without question, my real
joy is creating new products and designing systems." Hull remains active
in the design of Automated Logic products and has patents in application
today."I thought that the
Engineering School was wonderful," he says of his days as a Vanderbilt
student. But he admits that if he "could turn the clock back and relive
college, I would spend more time in the discipline and less time with
the social monkey business." He credits the engineering faculty with
being able to see beyond adolescent behavior.The coming changeover
to a new millennium finds Hull prepared and busy. "It is quite challenging,"
he says of insuring that his systems are Y2K ready. "We have a lot of
products out there, and some were not Y2K compatible two years ago.
Converting them and making them compatible was quite a chore. There's
no question about it."Life away from the corporation
offers its own Y2K challenges as Hull watches his children, Gerry Jr.,
34, Peggy, 32, and two-year-old daughter, Anna, take on the future.
"Anna occupies most of my spare time now as you can imagine," he says.
"I might add that it's absolutely a wonderful experience. It is terrific."-- Nelson Bryan
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