We got our start in 1993 when Howie Breeggemann and Bobby Wigglesworth sold off their car wash equipment sales and service division but retained ownership of the chemical supply and manufacturing division. Looking for a memorable name for this new venture they took the first two letters from each of their first names and came up with HOBO. Love it or hate it, you’ll never forget it.

Looking for a way to compete with the big brands of the car wash chemical industry, HOBO decided to focus on private labeling and custom blending. This proved to be popular with the car wash industry and HOBO began to grow. Utilizing our expertise in formulating, manufacturing and private labeling, HOBO began to create products for other industries.

In February of 2000, HOBO moved into a 15,000 sq. foot manufacturing facility located about 20 minutes south of the Minneapolis / St Paul International Airport in Lakeville, Minnesota. It wasn’t long before more space was required to accommodate HOBO’s growth - so, in June of 2002, HOBO added a 15,000 sq. foot addition to their building.

HOBO took a big step forward in November of 2006, when it purchased ChemQuest, Inc., a marketer of carwash chemicals best known for their liquid bulk delivery program to the washes in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

In 2014 and 2022, HOBO purchased multiple facilities in Dakota County, MInnesota, including a 23,000 sq/ft. building, allowing us to further expand our capacity.