Arthur Products got its start in May 1946 when two brothers bought several World War II surplus lathes and set up a machine-to-print business in their father’s garage.

The company eventually evolved into a product venture with the core business being jetting nozzles. That continues to this day. Richard Rauckhorst, president of Arthur Products, and his business partner acquired the company in 2006. Rauckhorst previously worked in the aerospace industry, his specialty being aircraft wing deicing. Just prior to purchasing Arthur Products, he served as director of engineering for a BE Aerospace business unit.

Cleaner recently spoke with Rauckhorst about Arthur Products’ history and the approach it takes to the jetting nozzles it provides customers.

CLEANER: Tell us a little about the history of Arthur Products.

Rauckhorst: Arthur Products was established in 1946 by two brothers, Paul and Al Abramoska, who had acquired World War II surplus machinery and started machining in their father’s garage. In the 1950s, Al became involved in the beverage industry and designed and patented fill/vent tubes for beverage filling machines. In the late 1960s, Al’s inquisitive mind led the company to industrial cleaning. He had an engineering degree and a nose for business trends. He identified a market need for industrial cleaning nozzles used with pressure washers. There were other nozzle manufacturers out there, but Al brought his unique applications and styles to that industry. It’s a very niche industry where everybody wants their nozzle their way, and Al was able to adapt to that demand and give the customers what they were looking for beyond the off-the-shelf type of nozzle. His designs and quality product made Arthur Products an established nozzle source. The company has been an ongoing entity since that time. 

CLEANER: What differentiates your jetting nozzles from the competition?

Rauckhorst: There are two sides to the market. There are the off-the-shelf, prepackaged nozzles that are already drilled, so you get what you get. Then there’s the custom market, where blanks are manufactured and then drilled to a specific pressure and flow for the customer. Arthur Products doesn’t predrill nozzles. We stock blank nozzles and then drill each nozzle based on the customer’s specifications. The thing that makes us unique is that we not only drill the nozzles for pressure and flow, we also manufacture the nozzles, all in the same building at our Medina, Ohio, location. We are most likely one of a few manufacturers who does that completely in-house. For nozzles, we are like the Burger King slogan: Have it your way.

CLEANER: What’s the most common problem you see your customers facing?

Rauckhorst: Every customer’s situation is unique. We typically ask our customers five to seven questions to determine how to best drill their nozzles. It’s an interview process where we try to determine what that specific application is. Then we’ll make a recommendation based on the information the customer gives us. There’s no one answer for every single application. If you’re trying to break a solid blockage, you’ll use one type of nozzle. Depending on how far you want the nozzle to travel — many nozzles are designed with rear-facing ports that propel them through a pipe — we might drill it differently. If you want to pull the material out or push it back, we’ll drill it differently. We even go as far as to ask if you’re using hot or cold water, which can make a difference.

CLEANER: What are some recommendations for customers shopping for jetting equipment?

Rauckhorst: For jetting equipment in general, our advice is to strongly consider the types of jobs you envision accomplishing. Does the equipment meet that need? For nozzles, always remember the nozzle is a tool at the end of a system.

CLEANER: What is an example of a success story one of your customers has had using your jetting nozzles?

Rauckhorst: Bill Rager, a plumber in Medina, Ohio, purchased an Arthur Products Alpha Kit with three specialized jet nozzles for his personal use. His nephew was running a farm and had somebody out to try to clean out a drain in the middle of winter. It was frozen. They tried to snake it, but that didn’t work. The nephew called Bill and said, “The landlord will pay you whatever you want if you can get this drain open.” Bill had the drain open and flowing within an hour using the Alpha Kit. It was able to melt the ice a snake just couldn’t grind its way through. The owner asked Bill what he wanted for the job. Bill told him what he paid for the Alpha Kit, and the owner said OK. Bill’s Alpha Kit paid for itself in one job.

CLEANER: What’s new for Arthur Products in 2023? What can customers expect in the future?

Rauckhorst: Don’t get the impression little has changed at Arthur Products since the 1960s. The company regularly introduces innovations such as the Cnt-r-KUT product family, the industry’s only flexible centering system for nozzles, which enables users to tackle the tightest bends and turns. These centering devices for jetting nozzles can be modified for custom applications.

CLEANER: What do you want your customers to think of when they hear the name Arthur Products?

Rauckhorst: Quality, value and customer service. From bar stock to shipping a nozzle, Arthur Products controls the nozzles we sell. We do our best to treat our customers in the manner that we as individuals want to be treated. In the years since the Abramoska brothers pursued their dreams in their dad’s garage, Arthur Products has had four different owners, but its commitment to excellence has remained constant.