Solutions Current Issues > Oct.Nov.Dec_2008 >The Right Things Right
Email LinkTHE PROBLEM SOLVERS
We’re always looking for a good challenge.
by Rick Hudson
There is something uniquely rewarding about developing an effective solution to a difficult problem. It’s one of the things I have always enjoyed most about my job. In fact, we’ve built our company around the idea of solving problems for our customers.
THE BUCK STOPS HERE:
Rick Hudson is
president
and CEO of RL Hudson.
Back when RL Hudson was a small distributor of sealing products, we increasingly found applications for which standard seals would not suffice. In those cases, I used my engineering background and rubber chemistry knowledge to design custom seals that met the customers’ needs. I taught myself how to use CAD software, so I could create my own drawings.
As the business grew, however, the design challenges arrived more frequently, and became more complex. I knew I couldn’t do it by myself anymore, so I hired a very bright young man to be my first design engineer. In the beginning, we worked mostly on sealing problems. Then we expanded into molded rubber and plastic, then hoses. It seemed the more problems we solved, the more our business grew.
During this time, my vision for the company continued to evolve. I envisioned RL Hudson as a first-class company with smart design engineers, a top-notch quality assurance system and lab, and even rubber chemists to develop specialized compounds.
People told me that a “distributor” didn’t need all that stuff. What they didn’t understand is that RL Hudson would no longer be a “distributor.” We were going to develop the capabilities of a world-class manufacturer, but without being tied to a factory out back. We didn’t want to lock ourselves into being a distributor for one company, or to be restrained by what we were able to make ourselves. Instead, we would gradually build a diverse line of products produced by carefully- selected manufacturing partners.
We would develop the ability to handle all the design work for new products, ensure the material was right, work with skilled manufacturing partners, and deliver competitively-priced, excellent quality products to our customers on time, every time.
It seemed like a pretty ambitious dream twenty years ago, but today it’s a reality. Every day, our engineers, chemists and quality assurance team work with customers to develop custom solutions that meet their needs.
Sometimes, I’ll talk to a customer who doesn’t know us very well, and they’ll refer to RL Hudson as a “distributor.” I just smile and invite them to come to our place sometime and see whether we’re a “distributor.” Once I show them our state-of-the-art material development facilities with a lab mixer and mill, and our CNC tooling shop and press for making prototype parts, they realize that we don’t have to rely on off-the-shelf rubber compounds; we can design one that’s just right for each application.
When they visit our quality department and see our technicians using a CMM and the latest laser scanning and video imaging equipment, preparing PPAPs, and managing customer quality requirements, they understand that our quality systems are equal to or better than those of any U.S. manufacturer. And when they see our product design and testing facilities and meet our engineering staff, they understand that we have the brainpower to overcome any challenge, no matter how complex.
So, if you’ve never been to RL Hudson, I encourage you to come see us. You’ll find that at RL Hudson, solving problems and surprising customers, is just part of doing the right things right.
