Lew Hudson Sales, Lawrenceville, Ga., is celebrating 45 years in business. In 1977, Lew Hudson sold his interest in a business and opened a sales and marketing company. The company was formed to serve as a bridge or liaison between the rental customer and the manufacturer.
Hudson quickly realized he needed a very good understanding of the equipment rental business to enable him to make qualified recommendations about many aspects of the rental business.
“Over the last 45 years, understanding our customer’s business became the company philosophy and that concept has been adopted by each rep hired to join Lew Hudson Sales,” Hudson says.
“Customers have come to know we place a high priority on product training, customer service and we have invested in warehouses and training facilities to support it. As we call on our customers, we learn from them, and they hopefully learn from us. The information exchanged is extremely valuable and helps our customers to not only make educated buying decisions, but it also helps our manufacturers stay in tune with current demands of the rental industry,” he says.
An additional key to the company’s long-term success has been the ability to adapt to the industry as it changes. This includes acquisitions of other rep agencies, state-of-the-art sales tracking software and a mobile app that helps the sales force work more efficiently. The mobile app allows the company to keep its sales team informed on pricing, programs and product updates all in one place.
This is all supported by an experienced inside sales and administrative team and ensures the sales team spends more time consulting with customers and less time on administrative tasks, Hudson says.
“The main things I like about the industry are growth, innovation and our customers,” he says. “The industry has expanded from a few hundred rental locations to thousands in our territory. Manufacturers have continued to innovate and introduce new and exciting products to an ever-changing rental industry that is managed by talented professionals committed to running a successful rental business.”
Hudson, who is officially retired, still consults for the business when needed. His son, Darrell, serves as president. Darrell grew up in the equipment rental industry primarily under his father’s tutelage, going to The ARA Show™ since he was a boy.
“Lew pulled me out of school to go to The ARA Show on many occasions,” Darrell says. “I started in the business back in 1991 doing data entry on our computer system to track sales.”
In 1994, Darrell took over responsibility for a sales territory and later became president in 2014.
“The industry has continued to evolve, becoming more sophisticated and more specialized. We have had to do the same to keep up,” Darrell says.
Scott Place was hired in 2019 as partner and senior vice president of sales and has more than 20 years of industry-related experience working in rental for dealers and manufacturers.
“Scott plays a key role helping to manage company initiatives and 13 sales representatives, covering 17 states representing 20 major manufacturers of construction equipment,” Darrell says.
“From what I see, the industry will continue to grow and diversify, and manufacturers will continue to make investments to keep pace. This is a trend which I certainly think will continue,” Darrell says.