CINCINNATI — Sid Millman, founder of H-M Commercial Laundry Equipment, died Oct. 17. He was 81.
Millman, who was raised by his immigrant mother and grandparents, was driven by his humble beginnings. He started selling newspapers at age 5.
In 1957, he purchased a small residential appliance repair shop in downtown Cincinnati, brought in a partner, and created H-M Company, a commercial laundry equipment distributorship now run by his two sons, Mike and Steve.
“H-M Company exists today because of my father’s founding principles and his unyielding belief in honesty and customer service,” says Steve Millman.
“My dad was always a giver, someone who was more focused on other people than himself,” says Mike Millman.
A pioneer in the laundry industry, Sid Millman established H-M Company as General Electric’s first commercial distributor and engineered H-M’s widely used drain troughs.
He was an Air Force veteran who served during the Korean War. Shortly after returning home from the service, he met Bernice Markell. They married in 1956.
