The Hudson Companies is driving progress in the Pittsburgh real estate market and beyond
Written by: Nancy Christie
Photography by: Rob Wetzler / Wetzler Studios
It’s been four decades of continuing evolution for The Hudson Companies—an expansion strategy that is the driving force of the business’s success. Founded in 1977 by now President and Managing Partner John M. Hudson, it began as a construction business. By the 1990s, the company had evolved into a two-tier organization: general construction and development, with real estate investment added to the mix in the in the 1990s.
“Today, we're a four-tier organization with four distinct lines of business: general construction, development, investment, and management of our real estate investments,” says second generation principal Tyler Hudson. And four seems to be their magic number. Hudson Companies is based in Western Pennsylvania, but their reach stretches throughout the entire commonwealth to Philadelphia and across state lines to Ohio and Texas.
The company growth has been well thought through and controlled. “We focus on initiatives where we know we could do business and that’s always been somewhere in the fields of real estate investment, development, and general construction. We aren't a speculative developer, pioneering in unknown markets. We're working within proven markets where we know there's a dense population, a strong need, and high barriers to entry,” says Tyler.
In the past, The Hudson Companies had been a long-term developer and owner of Commonwealth leased properties, developing more properties in that category than any other single developer, according to Tyler.
“That was the primary function of our business in the eighties and nineties,” he says. “Then in the mid-2010s, I pivoted us into developing more multi-family apartments, whether it was student, senior or just market-rate apartments. We still are actively developing government real estate, but our multifamily holdings now surpass our government.”
It is the work ethic instilled by John Hudson and adhered to by his children as well as the quality and performance of the entire team of employees that are key elements to the company’s growth, as is the commitment to The Hudson Companies brand.
“We take pride in our long-term ownership and in our brand,” says Tyler. “Everything is branded ‘The Hudson Companies’—we are that brand-focused.”
Equally important to the company’s successful real estate endeavors is being supportive of local organizations, philanthropic causes, and educational facilities. Together with its partners, The Hudson Companies supports entrepreneurial advancement through the eCenter at Linden Pointe, Thiel College, The University of Pittsburgh’s Blast Furnace Entrepreneurial Program, and Hickory High School’s Student Technology Education program, and various other programs. It is also an avid supporter of the F.H. Buhl Club and The Harrisburg Camp Curtain YMCA. The company also offers internship opportunities and programs, partnering with local colleges and institutions including Thiel College in Greenville, Pennsylvania.
A Family Business
As The Hudson Companies has grown, so has the family involvement. While John is still active in the business, overseeing certain aspects of the business and investments, “the daily activity is really a function of us: the three siblings,” says Tyler.
Those three include Tyler, his brother Jonathan and his sister Alex, all of whom hold principal titles and collectively serve as The Hudson Companies leadership and function as partners within the organization. Additionally, the youngest sibling, Maxx, has just recently joined the business working in the property management and operations division.
“We're a very strategic group, and we function like any strategic organization would. Both Alex and Jonathan head up their own aspects within the company: Jonathan is on the front end of the developments, investments, permitting and doing upfront site selection, while Alex heads up a lot of the property management aspects with the operations and leasing,” explains Tyler. “My function is global across the organization—very leadership driven and finance-focused. I've been able to see the company evolve over the years and even more from my leadership.”
As the eldest and the one who has been with the company the longest, it’s not surprising that Tyler has more of a senior role in the triumvirate, particularly when it’s combined with his longstanding desire to be in the real estate industry.
“I've been in it since I could first go to work with my dad. That was truly my passion,” he recalls. “When I was a teenager, I worked more on my own and began to acquire residential homes. That was when I really started to learn how to interact and work one on one with lenders and professionals. And when I got into my mid-twenties, I did my first large development project: a student housing property called Hudson Lofts that I still own. I targeted that site, I financed it and went through all aspects of developing, owning, and managing, and I continue to own it today.”
Tyler is quick to acknowledge what he learned from his father. “One of the key things that he taught me when I was young was taking care of your customer, no matter how big or small that customer may be. I do attribute that to being true to our core: knowing our customers and being sincere in that aspect of taking care of them. It’s not enough to just have a first-class building, as we must carry out a first-class service as well. That is really important to our success and our future growth.”
Prioritizing accountability is another lesson Tyler learned from his father. “I was taught from an early age to be accountable—not just to myself, but to those who are connected to me, whether they were vendors, customers or employees.”
That accountability to company employees, shared by all members of the Hudson family, is a major reason why The Hudson Companies has been honored by the Central Penn Business Times as one of “The Best Places to Work in PA” for over five years. The program recognizes Pennsylvania based companies that exemplify industry leading culture, practices, and benefits exclusively through anonymous employee completed surveys.
“What helps us is having a workforce and team that is excited and energetic,” says Tyler. “We have people who have started as interns that have worked themselves into managers and directors. It's limitless. Although we've been established since 1977, we're young. Our investment and growth direction has really just started and there's still a lot of ground to cover. And as we grow, the positions and responsibilities grow. That is what gets people really excited about coming to work with us. They see that growth opportunity and potential.”
Current and Future Projects
The general construction arm of The Hudson Companies is primarily focused on higher education, institutional and similar projects in Ohio and Pennsylvania as well as involvement within the real estate development division in continuing to develop commercial and multifamily properties. As for its real estate investments, while the company has properties in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas and Florida, there are no plans in the near future to expand into other states, says Tyler, explaining, “We’re focused in the markets where we're already proving our business model and have economies of scale on the management side.”
In the Pittsburgh area, there are several major projects in the works including The Julian (148- units in Oakland), The Maxx and The Alex (234-units in the Strip District) that are all part of The Hudson Legacy Collection. This new series of luxury apartments will have amenities such as smart access controls, a fitness club with spa like amenities, sky lounges, outdoor terraces, swimming pools, sport courts, and community spaces.
“These projects are in an area with very limited development opportunities. It’s a new development path for us—a concierge and full-service luxury high-rise building—and a true achievement to bring that project out of the ground,” says Tyler. “It’s going to be high-end with customer-focused hospitality style services, and the service is going to be really the best in class.”
Other upcoming investments include the continuation of acquiring more value-add properties in high quality suburban submarkets of Pittsburgh, says Tyler, “especially in completely built-out markets with limited new housing availability. We’ll do a complete refresh: new flooring, new kitchens and bathrooms, modernized finishes, and updated community amenity spaces. Our goal is to acquire existing properties that require a creative fresh vision and excellent customer service to match”
And last but certainly not least on the list is The Brix at 26, located on Pittsburgh’s Southside and featuring onsite amenities, services, garaged parking, and penthouse-styled luxury apartments. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Pittsburgh Mercantile Company Building, it was originally constructed in 1908 and subsequently renovated into a beautiful apartment community in 2013.
“What drew me to the building was its historical significance. It’s such a notable Pittsburgh south side structure that just can never be duplicated,” says Tyler.
The Brix at 26 has also taken the relationship between The Hudson Companies and Farmers National Bank, which began in 2023, to a new level. When Farmers opens a branch in that building later this year, the relationship will now run both ways: bank and client as well as landlord and tenant.
“We’re very excited that Farmers National Bank selected the Brix at 26 as their new Pittsburgh branch location and want to continue to grow the Farmers relationship in varying aspects,” says Tyler.
The Future of The Hudson Companies
As for the future, the company’s goal is two-fold. “We’re going to continue to develop and acquire multifamily real estate within the region as we continue to prove out the markets that we’re in,” Tyler says.
But the second part might be even more important, given The Hudson’s focus on preserving and elevating its brand and honoring the legacy of its founder. “We will continue to build ourselves to be a first-class organization from a customer service standpoint and as an employment entity. Our Father started the business all by himself. So it's up to the three of us to make sure it continues,” he adds. “Alex, Jon and I are passionate about continuing to build our organization.
A Win-Win Relationship That Benefits All
The relationship between Farmers National Bank and The Hudson Companies is the result of a series of serendipitous occurrences—at least the way Jon Kosior, Vice President, Senior Relationship Manager, Commercial Lending at Farmers tells it.
It had its beginnings when Kosior was at First National Bank of Pennsylvania 30 years ago and had dealings with the Hudson family and the company. The company later became involved with Farmers National Bank of Emlenton (which was subsequently acquired by Farmers National Bank of Canfield) that bought a participation loan with a Pittsburgh bank which involved The Hudson Companies.
Once the Farmers Emlenton acquisition went through and Kosior joined Farmers, he began working directly with The Hudson Companies, now a client of Farmers.
“We've got a couple projects already in the works and have done some financing for them directly,” says Kosior. “And we've got three or four more projects we’re looking at for them right now.”
And in a further twist, the bank-client association also became a landlord-tenant relationship, with Farmers renting office space at The Brix, one of the many properties owned by The Hudson Companies.
“It was neat to watch it unfold,” Kosior says. “When Farmers was looking for a new location for our Pittsburgh southside branch, I suggested they look into properties owned by The Hudson Companies, and The Brix was ultimately chosen. So it was a win-win for everybody—both for the bank and for my customer.”
But that decades-long relationship wasn’t the only reason why Kosior wanted to share their story. It’s also the company’s similarity to Farmers National Bank in terms of growth and expansion.
“They are a local, homegrown company with roots in the same area—western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio—as Farmers,” he explains. “I’ve watched them grow from a small construction company and then getting into the commercial real estate market with projects all over the eastern part of the United States. It is very intriguing to me.”
While Kosior’s affiliation began with the founder John Hudson (President and Managing Partner), now he deals primarily with John’s eldest son, Tyler, the principal of the company.
Kosior speaks highly of Tyler’s grasp of the banking business and its operations. “He understands what we look at when we're making any credit decision and what requirements we have to follow from our regulators and from our internal folks.”
As for The Hudson Companies itself, Kosior has nothing but praise for its commitment to quality. “The character of the individuals of The Hudson Companies and the quality of work they produce have made them a natural fit for Farmers.”
