Celebrating 55 Years: A Letter from Charlie Takeuchi
July 14, 2020
To Sullair Partners and Customers，
Today marks a special day for Sullair as we celebrate our 55th anniversary. We have come a long way from our founding in 1965 by four Michigan City businessmen led by Don Hoodes. Sullair grew from four employees in 1965; to eight employees in 1966; to 200 employees in 1973; to now 1,000 employees worldwide today.
Celebrating Our History
There are lessons to be learned from the past which we can and should apply to the future. Along our journey, we did things no one else had done and we played a significant role in the industry – from being one of the first companies to execute rotary screw technology in air compressors, to launching the first 500 psig portable compressor package. Over the years, Sullair products have won numerous industry awards and accolades from organizations including Plant Engineering, Rental and Rental Equipment Register.
Through the years we have expanded and outgrown spaces. Not only have we expanded physically but also geographically. While Sullair experienced rapid growth in Michigan City in the late 1960s and into the 1970s – including moving from our
original location at 500 N. Carroll to our current site at 1 Sullair Way in 1969 – we also expanded into Asia. In 2000s, we expanded into Australia and re-entered Europe. The growth hasn’t stopped, as we continue to add to our distribution channel to serve customers in nearly every corner of the globe.
And over the years, Sullair has experienced many different ownership situations. Beginning as an independent company to one trading on the New York Stock Exchange, then being acquired by Sundstrand, who was ultimately acquired by UTC. The 2012 divestiture of the former Hamilton Sundstrand group by UTC ultimately led to Hitachi acquiring Sullair in 2017 – and subsequently allowed me to join and now lead the organization.
It’s About the People
To our Customers: We understand the stakes are high when it comes to compressed air. It can mean the difference between your facility operating or not, and in many cases, millions of dollars are on the line each day. Our customers continually show their confidence in us by giving us their business, by sharing new opportunities and by recommending us to others. We do not take this lightly. We are grateful for that confidence and we continually do all we can to continue to earn it.
To our Channel Partners: To be in business for 55 years, we recognize the importance of establishing and maintaining a second-to-none channel which brings value to both Sullair and our end customers. Buying an air compressor is not a transaction; it’s a long-term partnership. We thank our channel partners for their commitment, skills and expertise in helping us serve millions of customers around the world.
Reaching 55 years is an incredible milestone of which we should all be proud. Many businesses are not as fortunate – and, unfortunately, we’re seeing that now more than ever.
While I am proud of where we are, I am most excited about what is yet to come. Our greatest accomplishments are still ahead of us, and I look forward to working with all of you to achieve them.
Sincerely,
Charlie Takeuchi
President & CEO
Sullair, LLC