MANUFACTURING PRODUCTIVITY

HTE Technologies is a leading expert in Factory Automation and Industrial Productivity.  For 64 years our multiple business units have provided critical supply chain support and in-plant services to medical, military, and industrial equipment manufacturers, hospitals, food processors, pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturers, electricity, water, waste-water, gas, and petroleum producers and distributors.  Our enhanced technical expertise, field service resources, extensive supply chain, and inventory are central to the thousands of companies we serve.

The four business units and the geographic areas served by each are:

HTE Automation - Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois south of I80
HTE Compressed Air Solutions - Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois south of I80
HTE Abrasive Blast Solutions - Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois south of I80
HTE Rental Services - 48 Contiguous States

Our company has continuously evolved during our 6 decades of serving Midwest manufacturers.  The following presents a decade by decade review of our changes.

HOUSE OF TOOLS

1959
• HTE Technologies was founded as a tool and rubber distributor by 3 industrial factory reps and named House of Tools.

1960’s
• D.E. (Don) Shearburn purchased the small distributorship in 1961.
• In 1962, HTE became the St. Louis distributor for Parker Hannifin’s lines of hose and fittings – quickly expanding their offering to include fluid power components such as hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders, pumps, valves, and filters.
• HTE ended the decade in a new 6,000 sq. ft. building on Fee Fee Rd. in Hazelwood, MO.

HOUSE OF TOOLS & ENGINEERING

1970’s • HTE continued to add more product lines, offering air tools, hoists, blast cabinets, glass beads, and more.
• Making a major strategic move, HTE decided to “divisionalize” the company into 3 separate engineering and product-focused teams.
• With a growing emphasis on technical expertise and engineering support, Don changed the name to House of Tools and Engineering, Inc. to better reflect their increasing range of services.
• Pushed by significant growth, HTE moved into a 22,000 sq facility at 436 Anglum Road in Hazelwood, MO.

1980’s
• HTE acquired Ingersoll Rand’s St. Louis Air Tool Service Center, and built a 3,000 sq ft repair and fabrication center.
• With a struggling economy in the early-to-mid 1980’s, HTE focused on improving internal efficiencies, implementing a comprehensive software system to automate inventory control, accounting, and sales history. The change lead to an increase in responsiveness to customer needs, inventory availability, same day shipping, and customer reporting.
• HTE was selected by Sullair to represent their rotary screw compressor line across Missouri and Southern Illinois, offering air compressor and air dryer unit sales, compressor service, equipment rental, compressed air system design and complete air system installations.

HTE TECHNOLOGIES

1990’s • Don Shearburn became Chairman of the company, retiring from daily operations after 30 years, and his son, Kim Shearburn, was named president in 1991.
• Responding to the growing demand for quality improvements, precision in automation and control, and faster feedback and cycle rates, HTE further expanded its product lines – adding Mitsubishi Electric, Balluff, Tri-Tronics, Clippard, and Proportion-Air. These enhancements prompted a name change for the Fluid Power Business Unit, to HTE’s Motion & Control Business Unit.
• In 1996, HTE acquired local distributor, Air Components – making its president and owner, Eddie Tumminia, manager of HTE’s Production & Maintenance (Industrial) Business Unit.
• HTE built a new branch in Decatur, IL, which included a ParkerStore for custom hose assembles, and over 4,000 sq. ft. of inventory to support Central Illinois customers.
• House of Tools and Engineering became HTE Technologies in 1997 with the new byline, “Applying Technology to Industry.” A staff of Application Engineers supporting the three sales business units was consolidated into the TECHTEAM to enhance HTE’s robust engineering services and technical approach.

2000’s
• By 2000, HTE had outgrown its Anglum Rd. facility, and moved all fluid connector sales and operations – including a new ParkerStore hose assembly facility and showroom – to a newly renovated 7,800 sq. ft. facility on Ashby near Page.
• In 2005, HTE opened its third ParkerStore – a 2,800 sq ft facility in O’Fallon, MO.
• After 48 years of growth, and numerous facility moves and branch additions, in 2006 HTE purchased a 52,000 sq. ft. building in the Westport area.  The building’s new size, layout, and location allowed the company to expand their design, fabrication, assembly, and service capabilities – supporting HTE’s broad and growing array of Value Added Services. To celebrate the opening, HTE hosted their first ever Industrial Symposium for over 350 customers from 144 companies across Missouri and Illinois.
• On May 20, 2008, HTE held another Industrial Symposium – this time at Busch Stadium, home of the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals. HTE conducted 25 technical seminars, tours of the stadium, and displayed over 20,000 sq ft of product exhibits.

2010’s
• HTE continued to expand their product lines to offer a fleet of rental air compressors and rental dryers – available Every Hour. Every Day.
• HTE’s Motion & Control Business Unit entered into the growing robotics market, representing several prominent robotics manufacturers, including the, then industry leading collaborative robot, Baxter, from Rethink Robotics.
• HTE opened its Robotics Lab where customers could see proof of concept demonstrations in action.
• In 2014, HTE made a major change in its Power & Process Equipment Business Unit, choosing to discontinue its association with Sullair in favor of becoming the region’s distributor for all Atlas Copco compressed air equipment, parts, and service needs in Missouri and Illinois – offering a full line of air compressors, air dryers, vacuums, blowers, and controllers, most all available with remote monitoring from the world’s most innovative compressor manufacturer.
• With the continued expansion of products and employees, HTE expanded the Service Center to 15,000 sq ft, by acquiring space in the building adjacent to their St. Louis headquarters for a 10,000 sq ft HTE warehouse annex.
• HTE hosted several New Product Showcase Events at their St. Louis facility before holding their biggest event yet on June 23, 2015.
• HTE once again took over Busch Stadium, this time to welcome 600+ regional engineers and technical personnel from 275+ regional manufacturing companies to the 28 seminars and 55 interact exhibits covering, the “2015 WORLD SERIES of Manufacturing – Productivity Powered by Innovation.”
• In 2016 HTE made numerous changes, all with the aim of helping regional manufacturers become Faster, Leaner, Smarter, Safer.  The need to focus closely on our own core competencies led to the diversification of our tradition Fluid Power business.  All of the hydraulic, pneumatic, material handling, and tool business was sold to Hyspeco of Wichita Kansas.
• The remaining business units were each refocused as distinct business units with new branding as:
         HTE Automation          HTE Compressed Air Solutions          HTE Abrasive Blast Solutions
         HTE Rental Services
 • Proceeds from the fluid power business unit sale were reinvested in expanding each of the remaining traditional business units to include Western Missouri, and Kansas, and in expanding the fleet of rental equipment.
• HTE opens Robotics Lab and Industrial Productivity Training Center in new Lenexa Kansas office.
• In 2018 HTE made a major change in the Automation business unit when it parted company with the increasingly education and research oriented Rethink Robotics, and was selected by the global industrial Collaborative Robot leader, Universal Robot as the regions Preferred Distributor.