Company History
Five generations of the Williamson family, from 1882 to today.
Founded in 1882
In January 1882, Richard Williamson Sr. opened R. Williamson & Company, offering premier gas and electric architectural lighting fixtures to all of America.
The company specialized in stained glass, leaded glass and chandeliers. It grew fast, from a 1,500 square foot shop to more than 115,000 square feet, and by 1910 it employed more than 500 people.
Distribution and the Hartzell Partnership
Richard Williamson Jr. joined in January 1911 and grew the business through distribution. By 1914, R. Williamson & Company reached every state in the nation.
In August 1931, he signed a historic deal with Robert Hartzell to distribute Hartzell Propeller Fan Company fans to residential, commercial and industrial markets. That deal laid the foundation for the business today.
Bob Williamson, Third Generation
In January 1945, Robert Williamson Sr., known as Bob, came home from the Philippines after serving in World War II and joined the business right away. He kept the company growing through positive leadership, more distribution and a larger sales force. Bob led the company for 64 years and retired in 2009.
Rob Williamson, Fourth Generation
In January 1973, Robert Williamson Jr., known as Rob, joined the business after serving our country. He learned the business from every angle. His product and application knowledge let him grow the company and add products that complemented the line, including commercial and industrial air cleaning.
Rob also brought the company into the computer age, building processes that made the sales experience more efficient and effective.
Scott Williamson, Fifth Generation
In October 1997, Robert Scott Williamson, known as Scott, joined the business after finishing school. Working under both Bob and Rob, he learned from generations of experience and soon earned the company top honors with many of its manufacturers.
Rob retired in 2025, and Scott now leads the company. His priority has always been to keep the level of service and growth the four generations before him delivered.
What We Do Today
For more than 140 years, R. Williamson & Associates has supplied industry with high quality commercial and industrial equipment. Today we focus on air movement and air pollution control equipment.
If you need to clean up, cool off, separate, exhaust or pressurize your facility, process or people, we carry a wide selection of air movement and air cleaning equipment. We help with your application from start to finish, whether you need equipment only or a full turnkey installation.
Contact our team today. We look forward to working with you.
Contact our teamStill want to know more? Read the full history of R. Williamson & Company, or learn more about sales engineer Jordan Hernandez.