Hydraulic Warehouse, Inc. - Lewiston
Ed Endebrock, owner of Hydraulic Warehouse Inc. (HWI) in Lewiston has been a client of the Region II Idaho Small Business Development Center since 1999. Hydraulic Warehouse opened in 1989 and became incorporated in 1993. Endebrock first came to the Idaho SBDC for counseling to expand his business and strategize how to better reach his potential market. He recently sought advice on how to revamp his marketing plan.
Starting as a hydraulic equipment repair business, HWI slowly made the transition to manufacturing. The transition occurred when the company realized all their suppliers were located in the eastern United States. HWI saw the opportunity to become the sole manufacturer of hydraulic equipment on the west coast. The company manufactures hydraulic gear pumps, vane pumps, gear motors, vane motors and low-speed, high-torque motors. HWI fills the needs of west coast hydraulic repair shops, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM), and industrial distributors.
Endebrock has grown his business in many ways by training through the NxLeveL™ Entrepreneurial course. He describes the course as very intensive but states that working "on" the business instead of "in" the business has improved his bottom line. Sales have tripled in the past six years, since he began working with the Idaho SBDC. NxLeveL™ helped him identify his customers and their needs, something he had not thought a lot about before the class.
The Idaho SBDC has also helped Endebrock with developing a strategy for specific training. Lewis-Clark State College business students evaluated HWI and developed leadership and management strategies to further improve the business.
The NxLeveL™ Entrepreneurial course helped Endebrock with his business so much that he decided to attend more trainings through the Idaho SBDC, including a manufacturer-specific course to provide further benefits to HWI. "Tell vs. Sell" helped him look at new ways to measure his effectiveness in promotions. All these objectives have succeeded in raising the business's bottom line.
"The marketplace changes day to day and hour to hour," he said. "Every day you try to sharpen your edge a little more to stay ahead of the competition."
SBDCs are a program supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration and extended to the public on a non-discriminatory basis. SBA cannot endorse any products, opinions or services of any external parties or activities.
