There are great stories of ingenuity in times of difficulty that can inspire us; the story of E.A. Morse & Co., Inc. is one of those.

In 1938, Emerson A. Morse was given some V.T. Borax hand soap and dispensers by his employer in lieu of expense money he was owed. It was through this turn of events that E.A. Morse & Company began out of the Morse home and garage in Middletown, NY. Morse’s wife, Winifred, handled the books while he sold the soap locally.

Another challenge was turned into an advantage during World War II, when Morse needed more than the rationed amount of gasoline to make trips to New York City to pick up the soap he sold to his clients.

The enterprising entrepreneur leased a gasoline service station and enlisted his wife and children to help. Morse was able to pump gas, service cars and continue selling his soap until the end of the war. At this point, he sold the gas station to purchase the 800 square foot building on Harding Street in Middletown, NY.

Although it has since been expanded, E.A. Morse & Co., Inc. is still at the same location today.

Throughout the 1950’s, the company grew and added product lines, such as paper and packaging materials, to serve the needs of local private businesses, restaurants and schools.

The original Middletown building is now 60,000 square feet of warehouse, which includes a maintenance equipment service center.

This location continues to serve as a distributor of paper, chemical specialties and maintenance equipment for numerous suppliers, including some who continue their patronage since 1938.

In 1984, E.A. Morse & Co. purchased the Charles M. Dagwell Company in Hudson, NY, and in 2011 we purchased Restrooms of Albany.

These two acquisitions have enabled us expand our service area.

E.A. Morse & Company, Inc. offers more than just janitorial and maintenance supplies – our experienced professionals provide training programs that can be conducted on-site.

Topics include restroom cleaning, floor care for hard, soft or wood floors, team cleaning and cleaning for health.

Our sales people are called consultants for a reason. They analyze your existing cleaning process and make suggestions to increase productivity and lower labor costs. Labor usually represents 90% of a cleaning budget.

E.A. Morse and Co. continues to be led by a Morse family member.

Emerson Morse III, grandson of the founder is President.

Candace Morse Depew is Vice President.

Thomas Morse is Secretary-Treasurer.

Since, 1960 E.A. Morse has been employee owned.

The existing staff consists of 4th generation descendants and long-time employees who perform at highest standards every day.