OUR STORY

In 1972 Scotty Rolston & Clint Hogstrom founded Rolston Hogstrom, Inc. Since then, it has been purchased by Chris Hogstrom and Jack Daniels and has grown from a two-man operation into a full field organization with eight full-time sales representatives, one catalogue specialist, and two inside support personnel.

We attribute our long term growth and success to the partnerships with our manufacturers, our dedicated sales people, support staff, and our uniquely equipped fleet of demonstration trucks, vans, and trailers.

Scotty Rolston began at Black and Decker where he worked on a direct sales team for 19 years. Scotty then started his own agency in 1970 with just one line: Collins Machinery (out of California). 

 

Soon after, however, Knaack and Lidseen were added giving the agency its first push into the world of representation. When Knaack was added to the line, they used a demonstration truck to display their products. He bought it from them, and Rolston was the first Knaack agent in the country to have a demonstration truck.

This one man one van agency grew rapidly and in 1979, Scotty looked for a partner to help increase territory and expand his lines. Clint Hogstrom, at that time, had been working for Ridge Tool Company for 14 years, serving as the industrial tool manufacturer’s Midwest Regional Sales Manager. Through a mutual friend, Rolston and Hogstrom came together and formed a partnership and made the company into what it is today (Agency Sales).

Way back in the early years of Rolston Hogstrom, there were two men, two trucks, and a van. Rolston Hogstrom specialized in industrial supplies and plant maintenance equipment: steel storage chests, truck boxes, hoists, jacks, and pipe threading equipment. The basic premise, according to Scotty Rolston, was to present a “hands on” demonstration at the actual job site or manufacturing plant. This is why Rolston Hogstrom has always maintained a steady fleet of trucks and vans. This allows Rolston Hogstrom to be able to demo any product for any line. This ideology started early in our agency’s history.