Definition of an Entrepreneur

The Eardly T. Petersen Company, Inc.

Entrepreneur: In 1956 at the age of 34 Eardly T. Petersen was out of work. With an unshaken belief in God that he had done the right thing in leaving a top sales position in a New York City based textile firm, he answered an ad for a salesman.

The product he was subsequently shown was, in 1956, totally unique. It was an all-steel vacuum cleaner that, using a patented cyclonic cone system (rather than a bag), developed and then maintained extremely high cleaning power. It also filtered the exhaust air to the tiny, microscopic size of three microns. This vacuum worked on the same principle that Nature employed in the awesome power of a tornado. It was called the Filter Queen.

Petersen became the distributor of this machine for the State of New Jersey and part of Delaware. He opened three stores and hired a workforce to help market the product. As he went along, he added other vacuum lines to this flagship product -- the Filter Queen -- and began to build his business. In 1963 Petersen decided to focus all his energy on one location, and he sold his stores in South Jersey and Pennsylvania (both still operating today). His Westfield, NJ, store became the central element for a business strategy that, over the next three decades, added six divisions, a wholesale operation, and created a customer base of over 10,000.

Today: The Eardly T. Petersen Company today is an S-Corporation registered in the State of NJ. Petersen, now semi-retired but still almost as energetic and active in his 80’s as in his 30’s, oversees the finances and remains as president. His two sons, Keith and Doug, as vice-presidents oversee the day-to-day sales and service operations. The original building has been expanded into a 5,200-square-foot facility which provides a 2,400-square-foot showroom, a 1,600-square-foot warehouse with two levels (effectively doubling the storage capacity to 3,200 square feet) and a state-of-the-art 1,200-square-foot repair center with lifts and lift tables to enable working on large equipment. The current staff includes third-generation family members, and, as a debt-free company, the business is firmly on course for the future.

“Our customers reiterate to us that we have a clean, upscale facility with excellent service,” commented Keith Petersen, “and we certainly strive for this. We have some abilities in our repair center that provide advantages not found in many vacuum service centers. Since we use compressed air and air tools in our Outdoor Power Equipment Division, we have the use of compressed air throughout the facility for repair and cleaning procedures. Air driven tools typically run very fast. In addition, several years ago we installed large, roof-mounted blowers located directly over the main five work stations in the repair department. These enable a technician to flip a switch to run the blower and we can use compressed air to remove dust. It is a very fast process.”

Niche Marketing: The Eardly T. Petersen Company has always sought to position itself as a market leader in product lines and service. The company focus is on the highest-quality product lines at competitive prices, backed up with factory-trained and certified service technicians. Each division is always represented by at least one or more industry-leading manufacturer’s product line -- names such as Miele, Lindhaus, and Sebo in the floor care division, Honda, Stihl, Toro and LawnBoy, Echo and Walker in the outdoor power equipment division, Alpine/Ecoquest in the air purification section, Everpure and EcoQuest in the water purification product lines, DuoVac in the central vacuum sector, Pullman/Holt, Numatic and Royal in the janitorial section, and Advanced Vapor Technologies/LadyBug in the dry steam vapor cleaning category. Such leading names as these represent a focus on quality that is intrinsic to the company’s business. In 2005 the company closed the 35-year old sewing machine division which had featured
Pfaff, Elna, Singer and Viking Sewing machines as well as several cabinet lines, thread and accessories.

In the 80’s the company was offered the Master Distributorship for the metro NY/NJ area for the Oreck Corporation. Since Eardly Petersen’s background had been as a wholesaler, this was a natural step for the company.

“We enjoyed that,” stated Keith Petersen, “and one of the most enjoyable aspects was meeting the majority of the vacuum dealers in this metro area in the course of that distribution business. We were able to do this at a time when it was harder to meet dealers because the VDTA was still in its relative infancy, and we made many friendships that have been maintained through the years.”

In the mid-90’s the company built their first Web site.

“We had a small site up originally,” remarked Keith Petersen, “and several years later we decided to expand it to include just about everything we sell. So, in my spare time over the next several years I built the site to encompass most of what we sell. In 2006 we renovated the site to provide a more modern look. The process, of course, is ongoing -- a Web site always wants to be fed and diapered.”

Company Credo:  “We’re totally focused on quality,” said Petersen. “This begins with our thinking and extends uniformly to our product lines and our service. The company’s desire is to form an equal partnership with the manufacturer, themselves and the customer. Our Web site states, We strive to always satisfy you, the customer. Our entire business effort is aimed at this goal. We seek to accomplish this by (1) offering unmatched product quality at competitive prices (2) providing fast, expert service utilizing the best available parts (largely OEM), and, (3) the key ingredient, an uneasy conscience if you are not satisfied. We want to do everything right. We sometimes make mistakes and we much appreciate it if you tell us. We want to make it right!”

Now in their 51st year in business, The Eardly T. Petersen Company hopes to be serving and satisfying the marketplace for many years to come. For any questions, contact The Eardly T. Petersen Company at 1-866-738-3726; e-mail: sales@etpetersen.com. The Eardly T. Petersen Company is located at 224 Elmer Street, Westfield, NJ 07090. Visit the company online at www.etpetersen.com.

Reprinted from Floor Care Professional, August 2007