In 1918, Henry Hixon Hill opened his Henry H. Hill Company out of his house on Main Street in Olean, New York. His main focus was on repairing magnetos used for the primary ignition system in the oil well industry. One hundred years later, the company today is the largest Axalta paint distributor and hydraulic/industrial hose shop in the Southern Tier.
Donald and Tom Derx — father and son — have operated the business since 1972. In 1972, two events reshaped the company. Justus passed away and his two sons, Donald and John, took ownership of the business. They also moved to their current location at 1208 W. State St. In 1983, Donald took primary ownership of the company. His son, Tom, joined him in 1977.
In the 1980s, Donald and Tom put in a complete machine shop, where they continue to do electrical repair. In 1977, they added a hydraulic and industrial hose shop and, in 2000, they purchased the Olean Sales Company. These two purchases allowed Henry H. Hill Inc. to be the largest Axalta paint distributor and hydraulic/industrial hose shop in the Southern Tier.
