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The Malvese Equipment Company as it is known today began as a vehicle repair shop in 1912, with two employees located in Central Park, now known as Bethpage, New York, as a combination of gas, service and general repair center which established a reputation for the dependability still associated with the Malvese name today. Horse drawn wagons were giving way to trucks in those days; and as mechanization increased, Malvese’s garage business prospered. During the 1914-1917 period, the Malvese garage moved into a rented facility in Garden City Park, while their new building was being erected in the same town. The new building was to include a blacksmith shop, inside storage areas, equipment repair bays with overhead cranes, parts departments, and an industrial hardware department. At the time the Family still lived over the Hardware Store, which meant they were literally available to parts or service “round the clock”.
Agriculture was Long Island’s principal industry well into the 1940’s, and George Malvese, known affectionately as the “Skipper”, changed the firm’s direction entirely in the late teens to take on revolutionary piece of equipment known as the tractor. Agricultural equipment loomed large on Malvese’s inventory in those days when farms stretched all the way from the New York City line to Riverhead. Farmers were quick to discover that tractors could go where horses could not. “The early tractors were merely iron horses” said the late George Malvese, Jr., who started with the company in the mid 20’s. “There were no attachments in those days”, he continues, “and farmers used their tractors to pull their plows and other implements” Experimentation soon produced attachments and Malvese followed the dictates of the agricultural markeT by stocking the growing number of attachments. Early diversification in the form of mowers was an important development and the relative prosperity of the tractor and mower departments was a vital factor in helping the Company through the rough times of the Depression. As well as the tractor, the inventory in those days included farm equipment, diggers, implements, scrapers and mowers. By 1929, when the Depression arrived, the Company had 29 employees, despite the difficult years of the 30s, Malvese survived. During those lean years the concept of the “Malvese Family”, which exists to this day, steadily took shape. This willingness on the part of every employee to do whatever had to be done to satisfy the customer, greatly aided the Company’s growth and built client confidence and loyalty. Bulldozers began to appear in the 1930s along with graders, loaders and air compressors. Malvese stocked them all and began the subtle changeover to heavy construction equipment which culminated in the construction booms of the 50’s and 60’s. Those booms witnessed the complete urbanization of Nassau County and the start of the same process in Suffolk. Dozers, graders, and cranes as well as mowers and golf course equipment crowded Malvese’s inventory as the Company responded to the rapidly changing market.
As the agricultural market faded in face of continued urbanization, Malvese responded to the challenge by going after a different market, private estates, golf courses, municipalities, and schools. Sales and service of lawnmowers still constituted a large portion of the company’s business, and success in the new markets kept the company moving forward. By the late 40’s the Company had reached the point where it had to be divided into three separate organizations. For more efficiency, the construction equipment part became George Malvese & Co., the mower company became Malvese Mowers & Equipment Co., Inc. and the tractor operation became the Malvese Tractor & Implement Co., in 1959, Malvese rededicated itself to the Long Island market by opening a new 49,000 sq. ft. headquarters on Old Country Road in Hicksville.
In 1981, Paul G. Malvese, son of George P., and Grandson of the founder, became the President of the Company. In 1983, Malvese expanded its operation to the eastern end of Long Island. A new 12,000 sq. ft. building on a 5-acre site became the firm’s Riverhead branch, chosen because both the North and South forks of Long Island, along with western Suffolk County, could be serviced properly from there. The intent was to create a service and parts facility that equaled Malvese of Hicksville.
In 1997 the Malvese companies, located in Hicksville, were merged into the current Malvese Equipment Co., Inc. which is currently located in a 15,000 sq. ft. newly renovated building located on two & a half acres of property at One Henrietta Street, Hicksville, New York. In 2020 Paul Malvese retired and executive Management Albert Cooley - President and Otto Cooley – Senior VP acquired ownership of Malvese.
Malvese continues to be unique for the number of equipment lines carried in a relatively small sales territory and will continue to live by the credo of quality equipment and service, as it has for over a century. The equipment dealership is determined to maintain its premier position in its chosen markets. Together with its staff of professionals, the Malvese Equipment Company will continue to service Long Island and the New York metropolitan area with its trademark of excellent service well into the future.