Saint Louis / Missouri / United States
Hester-Bradley Company was started back in 1914, the same year the first telephone link was made between New York and San Francisco. The company, founded by Tom Hester and Gene Bradley, was first located in the Chemical building in downtown St. Louis. Shortly thereafter, it was moved into a location at 2835 Washington Avenue in what was originally Moon Motor Company showroom and remained there until June of 2007 when we moved to 1814 South Third Street in the historical Soulard neighborhood. Mr. Bradley was a founding member of ASHRAE ( American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers ). In the early years, we were a combination of what today are independent companies. We were mechanical engineers, draftsmen, manufacturers representatives, wholesale distributors and contract installers. Like no other company in St. Louis, a majority of the mechanical engineering firms and manufacturers representatives have had some connection with Hester-Bradley Company. As time passed, we developed into a specialized wholesale distributor, catering to mechanical contractors and industrial/commercial end users. We are currently distributors for over twenty-five major manufacturing companies, with combined experience spanning over 60 years. When you think about it, things have changed a lot since 1914. But, after all this time, there are things that have remained the same...some things which, fortunately, havent fallen by the wayside. One good thing is that Hester-Bradley Company is still around and thriving after all these years of hard work and lots of dedication by everyone involved.
