LABELLE, FL. -- Gene McAvoy, Associate Director for Stakeholder Relations at the University of Florida IFAS Southwest Florida Research and Education Center today wrote:
"It is with great sadness that I note the passing of Alton Louis Mims on Oct. 26 2019.
"Louis was a very important part of the S. Florida Agricultural community. He was the owner of Mims Welding in Immokalee and LaBelle.
"His specialty was building a discharge pump that could move a lot of water out of a flat woods farm field very quickly.
"The 24” Mims pump was also special because it was a free standing pump that could installed and pumping water out of a flooded pepper or tomato field in 15 minutes.
"Louis or his son Preston would always be there to deliver or just move pumps after a heavy rain typically in the middle of the night with one of their big 6 wheel drive winch trucks. Just like Hotshot’s father, Louis Franklin Mims, (that moved his family from Pahokee in 1963) he normally had 10-15 of these pumps built and ready for delivery to the local farmers 24 hours a day.
"Sources indicate that several times when a farmer didn’t have the money to pay him he’d say “don’t worry about that just get the water out now and pay me when you can.”
"Louis was a long time resident of Immokalee, Felda and LaBelle area."
Gene McAvoy is Regional Vegetable Extension Agent IV Emeritus and President of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents
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