(L-R, seated): Third-generation ownership John and Brooke Dodson and Kristen plus Drew DeLaney; and (standing) second-generation ownership Brad in addition to Melissa Facial beard come together at the company’s Mobile, Ala., headquarters.
(Photo courtesy of Facial hair Equipment)
It’s been a couple of years since Beard Equipment Company celebrated its 50th anniversary, and the company continues to grow and thrive with the third-generation family members completely taking the reins of management and possession.
Brad Mustache (L) and even his father William Beard, founder of Beard Gear Company, in the 1970s. (Photo courtesy associated with Beard Equipment)
The company was founded in 1970 by William B. Facial beard and an area contractor, who together envisioned the growth of the particular John Deere industrial line in Pensacola, Fla., together with seized typically the opportunity to buy-in as the distributor of this area. Beard Equipment grew into a second location in Panama City, Fla., in 1972, and additionally enjoyed a decade regarding success at these two locations before becoming often the dealer within Mobile, Ala., in 1982.
With Mobile being a much larger market, the decision was made to make that branch the company’s headquarters.
Brad Beard was named president in 1990 and his dad, William Facial hair, retired inside 1993.
In a recent conversation with Construction Products Guide (CEG), Brad Mustache recalled his father’s way of selling equipment.
“Dad never had the signed order or a P. O. number, ” Beard said. “The deal has been always sealed with a handshake. To this day, many of our deals continue within the same fashion. ”
During this time, Facial beard, great wife Melissa, worked to expand the business while investing in your training not to mention education of their sales team and service technicians.
“We believe that our own employees are the greatest asset we have, ” said Beard. “They need in order to know the value they bring to the organization. ”
The particular benefit to this approach had been having knowledgeable employees that could discuss the best equipment options for each customer’s unique task at hand and to be able to get them the exact right options for the right machine.
It was always important to develop strong customer relationships and also to create Beard Tools an easy company for you to do business with.
“We want to help serve the customers as well as their needs better than anyone else, inch said Facial hair. “We want to take care of them and do the right thing, even when it hurts or is expensive [to resolve]. ”
Customer feedback prompted Beard Devices to become an early rental fleet adopter and to understand the overall value that rentals deliver. From approximately a dozen machines in the early years to a fleet of more than 600 machines today, the company always strives to provide the best gear options to its customers for sale, rent or local rental purchase.
Typically the rental division has also been a new key asset in helping the organization quickly react when machines are usually needed for the rapid cleanups often required after Gulf Coast storms and hurricanes. One involving Beard’s largest rental operations took place during the BP oil spill in 2010, when it was able to assemble and support more than 300 devices on the Alabama coast and Florida panhandle to help along with the cleanup. This included onsite technicians, a constant flow connected with parts plus “a little bit with everything” from John Deere tractors in order to the biggest heavy industrial equipment.
Facial beard Equipment Golf was created as a separate division and was one of the first designated golf in addition to turf products dealers for John Deere Golf tools. Even today, it continues to be one of the particular top performers in this category.
In 2004, a Freeport, Fla., location was constructed. Then, throughout 2011, Mustache Equipment purchased Industrial Tractor, acquiring new locations around Jacksonville, Lake City and even Palatka, Fla. In 2014, the company purchased typically the Tallahassee together with Perry, Fla., branch locations from Flint Equipment, and additionally then bought the Ocala, Fla. -based Highland Tractor in 2015.
Fast forward to this third generation of control. In 2013, Melissa not to mention Brad Beard passed often the torch to be able to their two daughters, Kristen and Brooke, and 2 sons-in-law, Drew DeLaney (president) and Steve Dodson (COO). Kristen and also Brooke grew up in your business, and now, along together with their husbands, have all been using the organization for 15 to 20 years. Complemented by a top-notch administration team the exact couples continue to run the company with the same core principles that will have led to consistently be recognized because one of the top performing David Deere Dealers in North America.
All generations agree that technology — especially the Internet — has changed the way people value equipment as well as research their options compared with just some sort of couple for decades ago. Today, Facial beard Equipment is constantly evaluating the particular best way to connect with customers, add value to their business and earn a place of consideration with prospective buyers.
“The early days didn’t involve technology like today, inches Melissa plus Brad stated. “You had to stop at a pay phone for you to call clients back in addition to they were often not available. They could be in the woods or on a job site. You looked up parts on a microfiche reader and there were no computers in support to assist diagnose service problems. As time went by, we became more ‘computerized’ and even found it was hard to do business without them. very well
“The biggest change through generation to help generation is the general technology of the dealership and in the devices itself, micron said Company President Drew DeLaney.
“We’re inside a more competitive marketplace than prior to with stronger competitors. We’re also looking at tougher margin equations, so all of us have to be more efficient having resources whilst continuing to deliver excellent customer service. In typically the early days, this seemed to be a lot more about the equipment. Now, it’s more about the way the equipment is supported. ”
One of its newer divisions, Beard Technology Solutions, was created to fill the growing need with regard to machine control and automation solutions by providing Leica Geosystems software, products together with training throughout the state of Florida and south Alabama. This Leica Geosystems unit provides a comprehensive suite of solutions to civil contractors from this planning and additionally estimating phase of a project all the way to final documentation and completion. Beard Technologies also sells survey apparatus and software program.
Embracing new opportunities like this is one of the reasons that the company offers virtually been in constant development mode since inception. Facial hair Equipment continually adds brand new John Deere product lines and was recently named the Wirtgen Group machines supplier in six about its Fl locations to better serve the road building not to mention asphalt industries.
Through it all, the third-generation’s leadership in Beard Apparatus has been diligently working to achieve record sales years and also to continue the business enterprise tradition from excellent customer support.
Co-owners Received and Kristen DeLaney and also John as well as Brooke Dodson are now fully vested and entrusted to meet often the challenges of their geographic expansion, increasing competition and ever-changing client needs. Often the Beard family considers that a great opportunity to end up being a family-owned, family-run company, and continues to position Mustache Equipment as a nationwide leader among family-owned distributors.
About Beard Machines — At a Glance
Growing coming from approximately 12 employees at the beginning to more than 350 today, Beard Accessories now operates 10 full-service John Deere construction & forestry facilities throughout north Florida, your Panhandle plus south The state of alabama. Its golf division serves five states along the exact Gulf Coast. In addition , select locations also carry in addition to service products from Ruben Deere (small ag), Wirtgen Group (Wirtgen, Vögele, Hamm, Kleemann), Cemen Tech, LeeBoy, Rosco, Basic Rollers, BOMAG, NPK, Eager Beaver Trailers, Alamo Industrial, and Talbert manufacturing. Beard Technology is the Florida and even south Birmingham, al dealer associated with Leica Geosystems products. CEG
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