Solutions Current Issues > Jan.Feb.Mar_08 > TIME FLIES
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FROM THE TOP
TIME FLIES
Rick Hudson reflects on the achievements of 2007.
by Rick Hudson
THE BUCK STOPS HERE: Rick
Hudson is founder and CEO of
RL Hudson.
Tempus fugit. Time flies. Said to have first been used in 29 B.C., ‘tempus fugit’ is a phrase that is certainly still true today, especially for me. In fact, as we close the books on yet another year, it seems impossible to believe that it’s been nearly 28 years since I launched RL Hudson & Company. Impossible, that is, until I take stock of what we’ve become.
The year was 1980. Back then,“… & Company” was more dream than reality, and I was a one man show servicing customers in the oil and gas industry. Since then, RL Hudson & Company has become a leading supplier of molded rubber and plastic products serving some of the world’s most well known companies and brands in a host of industries.
In 1980, the sum total of our operation occupied a small part of my home. Today, our Broken Arrow headquarters, alone, occupies some 110,000 square feet, and we also operate facilities in Nashville, Arkansas and Greer, South Carolina. And just this year, we opened our subsidiary in Suzhou, China, which is fully staffed and ready to serve our international customers.
Today, RL Hudson & Company also offers its customers a host of value-added services:
- A full staff of design engineers;
- A highly sophisticated Material Technology Lab, led by an expert in the use of rubber and plastics;
- A Rapid Tooling Center specifically designed to help speed our customers’ time-to-market;
- An assembly department;
- A quality assurance department that works closely with our manufacturers in Asia and else where to ensure products meet customer specifications; and
- International supply chain management services to ensure that your products are delivered on time, on budget.
Indeed, time flies, and much has changed. Yet, since inception, one thing remains: Our commitment to providing outstanding service to our customers. It is this commitment that has been the guiding force in the development of the services we provide today, and, I believe it is the primary reason for our success.
So, as we prepare for the start of another new year, rest assured: RL Hudson & Company will forever be committed to providing you with outstanding quality and service. We’re committed to doing the right things, and doing the right things the right way. You have my word on it.
GROWING AND IMPROVING: (Left to right) RL Hudson’s new logo; our Material Technology Lab; the staff of our Chinese subsidiary; and our new Rapid Tooling Center.
