Hudson Equipment was founded in 1991 out of my home in Ohio. The company I had been with since I was 18 years old had just been sold and I was mulling over options with my wife, Carol. I had some offers to represent some of the major manufacturers in the industry, but with three kids and one on the way, I didn’t want the life of a traveling salesman.

After much deliberation, Carol and I decided to reject those offers and set out on our own. Ra­ther than work for those companies, I partnered with them to bring the best products to my cus­tomers. We represent manufacturers with the best reputations in the business. These contacts stretch to Europe and China. We started with dry cleaning equipment sales, but have since grown to so much more. We provide our customers with everything from countertops to clean­ing machines to chemical products. We design plants for dry cleaning stores and large tuxedo rental companies. I am proud to say we’ve won awards for our builds.

We not only carry the best lines of equipment, but also have the most knowledgeable service technicians in the industry. The success of our business is due to these great partnerships and our ability to stay totally focused on our customers.

I have been in this industry for 43 years. When new customers ask me to give them references, I issue them a challenge: call any three people from the industry in the state of Ohio or Western Pennsylvania and ask them about our company. That’s how confident we are in our ability to service our customers. That is what we bring to the table.Skip Wilke, Owner of Hudson Equipment Inc.

In 2013, we saw a need in our industry in the chemical field. Our customers were being over­ looked by chemical companies too big to service their needs. I got together with one of the leaders in that industry and together we opened Hudson Chemicals Inc. We’ve found great success in our service-driven approach to provide our customers the products that save them money, while also getting their garments cleaner.

Our success in the machinery business coupled with our new chemical company, gave us the edge we needed to provide our services to the subscription clothing industry. We now supply all the equipment and chemicals to several of these operations. We’ve been working with them since day one on plant design, machinery needs, and chemical mixtures, all while being mindful of their budget.

I have been in this industry for 43 years. When new customers ask me to give them references, I issue them a challenge: call any three people from the industry in the state of Ohio or Western Pennsylvania and ask them about our company. That’s how confident we are in our ability to service our customers. That is what we bring to the table.