By Nate F. Searing
Hydro Systems International
161 Atwater Street
Plantsville, Conn. 06479
Tel: (866) 864-9376 • Fax: (860) 620-0193
Web: www.hsiusa.net
Email: [email protected]
Quote: In the past three years, Hydro Systems International has doubled in size. A significant piece of that growth has been in our sales to dealers, but our other segments are poised for rapid growth.
—Ed Giordano, Hydro Systems VP
Ed Giordano and Ray Petrucci of Hydro Systems International have been making waves in the water world for a long time. While displaying the creativity that led to over 50 filtration-related patents between them, the two long-time friends and collaborators steer the mid-sized manufacturer/distributor to new heights in the industry.
Petrucci began Connecticut-based Hydro Systems in 1990 as the U.S. distributor for WF srl., an Italian injection molder. A former executive at CUNO Inc., Petrucci had retired from CUNO after 32 years of service. Two of Ray’s most notable achievements include his being the original developer of the current industry-standard 9-3/4” length filter cartridge and the first generation of all-plastic filter housings in 1957.
Though he officially joined Hydro Systems only four years ago as full-time vice-president and co-owner, Giordano has been collaborating with the company since its infancy as an independent consultant since he too left CUNO to explore new opportunities. Giordano has built his reputation in the industry with accomplished stints at Porex Technologies and Teledyne Water Pik and has served as technical consultant to more than 20 U.S. and overseas companies in the areas of product development, quality system development and regulatory compliance.
In the last two decades, the two men, along with Ray’s sons David and Mark, have helped Hydro Systems grow into a respected producer of private-label and OEM water filtration systems for such notable brands as Ecolab,® Puremark,® Nestlé® and Amtrol.® Hydro Systems also serves as distributor of KX Matrikx,® DMfit,® Sterilight,™ Cosmetal® and numerous other product lines.
“The early growth of the company was driven largely by our private-label manufactured products. We have a fine reputation and credibility with accounts seeking a capable developer-manufacturer that can manage NSF and other regulatory requirements,” Giordano said. Hydro Systems produces a broad range of the filtration systems for commercial applications in the food service and hospitality industries. Over the years, the company evolved to build a customer base with hundreds of water treatment dealers throughout the Americas. That side of the business now comprises about 80 percent of Hydro System’s growth.
“In the past three years, Hydro Systems International has doubled its revenue,” Giordano said. “A significant piece of that growth has been in our sales to dealers, but our other segments are poised for rapid growth. Custom-engineered components for OEMs is an important segment for us. We are, in fact, a company run by product engineers,” Giordano said. “Ray and I, Mark and David, we’re all trained engineers. And because of this, we’ve always been able to provide an extra measure of added value for our customers. They recognize this and it’s been an undeniable element of our success.”