Serving the Outdoor Power Equipment Industry since 1948
Power Equipment Company is a traditional 2-step distributor, we buy from the manufacturer and set-up dealers to sell to the public.
Our Territory:
Tanaka: Indiana, Northern & Central Illinios, Southeast
Wisconsin. Not in these 3 states? click here
Rhino Tool Co.: Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri, Iowa, Western Kentucky. (Gas powered products only.)
Honda: Indiana and Illinois.
Not in these 2 states? click here
World Lawn: Illinois and Southeast
Wisconsin.
If you are a business interested in becoming a dealer for one or more of our product lines, or a manufacturer interested in using Honda general purpose engines on your product, please click here.
If you are an end user/consumer who needs service work or is interested in the purchase of Honda or Tanaka products, please click here.
Power Equipment Company
211 W. Stephenie Drive
Cortland, IL 60112
Phone: 815-754-4090 or
Toll Free: 800-626-7326
Fax: 800-323-3692
Dealer Locator
History of Power Equipment Company
The story of Power Equipment Company is typical of many thousands of small businesses that help make America great. It started in 1948 when two young men secured the distribution rights for McCulloch chain saws. Both men worked for the Mall Tool Company, a Chicago based manufacturer of power tools. The partners recognized the superior technology of the just introduced McCulloch chain saws and the huge potential market for this reliable, light-weight (50 lb.!) unit. Thus Power Equipment Company was born, operating out of a basement on the south side of Chicago.
In 1948 the fledgling company hired its first employee, Dave Olson, who is the same man who eventually bought the company and whose family still owns it to this day.
Years went by, the company prospered, moved out of the basement to a Chicago storefront and then in 1957, to Elmhurst, a suburb of Chicago. It remained there until 1995 when a new building was constructed in Cortland, IL.
PECO began its relationship with American Honda in 1978 as one of their first small engine distributors. After 5 years, annual sales had gone from a few hundred engines to a few thousand. Fortunately for Power Equipment Company, Honda was taking off as McCulloch was declining. The sale of Honda engines and parts to dealers and OEMs became the primary focus. Farewell was said to McCulloch in 1998 after a 50 year run. Late in 2009, Power Equipment Company partnered with Tanaka Power Products to distribute their innovative line of outdoor power equipment.
The goal of Power Equipment Company continues to be to provide our customers with unparalleled service and support for the products we represent and supply.