Equipment report

Kirby-Smith to carry Atlas line in several US states

The North Carolina-based SMH Group US says it has added Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc. to its dealer network for German-made Atlas material handlers. Kirby-Smith Machinery has 12 branch locations in the Midwest and South.

“We are excited to add such a major dealer to the network,” comments Tom Hickson, general manager of the SMH Group.

Kirby-Smith was established in 1983 and carries new and used heavy construction equipment and cranes. “The addition of Atlas material handlers for our territory in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Illinois will allow us to provide additional value to existing customers and increase our opportunities to partner with port businesses and scrap processors,” says Jeff Weller, chief operating officer and executive vice president at Kirby-Smith.

Headquartered in northern Germany, Atlas has been manufacturing equipment for more than 100 years, according to SMH Group. Atlas material handlers include mobile industrial machines and industrial tracked machines, which work on applications including scrap metal, wood, bulky goods, recycling, port applications and vacuum operations.

Kirby-Smith joins a network of SMH Group US distributors in North America that also includes Linder Industrial Machinery in Florida, the Carolinas and eastern Georgia; New Millennium Rentals for New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland; ROMCO Equipment for Texas; 5-R Enterprises for northern Illinois and northwest Indiana; Cowin Equipment for Alabama and western Georgia; Chadwick-Baross for New England; and Wood’s CRW in Pennsylvania.

Hendrickson’s president and CEO announces retirement

Hendrickson, an equipment manufacturer based in Woodridge, Illinois, has announced the retirement of Gary Gerstenslager, the company’s president and CEO. Gerstenslager, who has been with the company for 32 years, says he will retire at the end of the year. He will be replaced by Matt Joy.

According to a news release from Hendrickson, Gerstenslager joined the company in 1989 and his passion, technical knowledge and drive for excellence led to a transformation in product design and manufacturing, which permeates all of Hendrickson today.

“Gerstenslager became president in 2006 and, in 2007, became the first CEO, in addition to president, in Hendrickson’s history,” says Matthew Boler, chairman, president and CEO of The Boler Co., the parent company of Hendrickson. “Gary embraced this role, and over his 15 years as president turned Hendrickson from an important supplier within the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) commercial vehicle [market] into a leading global supplier.”

Joy, Gerstenslager’s replacement, joined the company in 2006 and has been instrumental in the ongoing transition of the company. He has moved through several roles at Hendrickson, including vice president and general manager of the Specialty Products Group, vice president and general manager of the Truck Division, and chief operating officer.

Hyundai expands dealer network with Taylor Construction Equipment

Hyundai Construction Equipment Americas (HCEA), Norcross, Georgia, has expanded its North American authorized dealer network with the addition of Taylor Construction Equipment. Taylor Construction Equipment is a division of the Taylor Group of Companies, which is headquartered in Louisville, Mississippi. For more than 90 years, Taylor has been a provider of material handling equipment, parts and service. It currently has 29 locations throughout the Southeast and South Central U.S.

With the addition of this new dealership, Hyundai’s North American network now includes more than 80 dealerships operating in more than 180 locations, offering sales, service and parts for the full line of Hyundai excavators, wheel loaders, compaction rollers and other construction equipment.

“I am very excited to announce Taylor Construction Equipment as our new Hyundai Construction Equipment dealer in central and eastern Tennessee, with facilities in White House, Tennessee, and Maryville, Tennessee,” Ed Harseim, HCEA district manager, North Central, says. “Taylor is an industry leader in construction equipment, forklifts and material handling products, with a goal of providing their customers with the highest quality products backed by the most responsive aftermarket service organization available. Taylor is a great option for construction equipment and material handling customers in central and eastern Tennessee with all the products and services that they provide, which now includes the industry-leading full lineup of Hyundai wheel loaders and excavators.”

“Taylor is excited to add Hyundai Construction Equipment to our portfolio of products,” Robert Taylor, president and COO of the Taylor Group of Cos., says. “Hyundai Construction is a world-class brand known for its quality products and aftermarket support. We look forward to partnering with Hyundai in central and eastern Tennessee.”

Vecoplan adds to service team

North Carolina-based Vecoplan LLC has added to its after-sales department with new team members with leadership roles the company says will provide critical services to customers.

Mitchell Hall has been added to lead the new department. Vecoplan describes him as a veteran in customer service with more than 15 years of experience. Hall has worked in the financial and government industries where he managed call and walk-in service centers, risk management operations, and payment operations. He will oversee replacement parts sales operations and technical services that provide Vecoplan machine maintenance and repair.

Paula Gates has recently joined Vecoplan as the administrator to manage the company’s field technical services in North America. Bringing operational and customer service experience, Gates serves as the liaison between customers and Vecoplan’s certified technicians that perform at customer sites.

The after-sales department has also hired five service technicians for both in-house and field positions to serve customers. “Vecoplan wants to provide the best service possible to our customers for the life of their machines, which often can last a decade or longer,” says Hall.

“Offering maintenance and service by full-time employees who know our equipment intimately is a value-add for customers,” adds Hall. “We will be benchmarking ourselves against first-in-class service models to elevate the customer experience.”

Vecoplan LLC describes itself as the North American subsidiary of Germany-based Vecoplan AG. The company makes industrial and mobile shredding equipment and recycling systems for a wide range of materials, selling into the plastics, wood, biomass, recycling, waste and waste-to-energy markets.

McCloskey appoints new dealer manager

Canada-based McCloskey International has announced the appointment of Sebastian Wellnitz to the position of dealer manager, where he will be responsible for the company’s brand and sales operations in the northern European market.

Wellnitz joins the McCloskey International team with 14 years of experience in the mineral processing industry, previously as sales representative for one of the largest dealers of processing equipment in Germany. His time collaborating in-market with customers to deliver solutions for their application requirements will provide a strong foundation for his new role with McCloskey International.

Given Germany’s competitive environment within the European market, one of Wellnitz’s key roles will be to continue to strengthen and expand McCloskey in Germany and Northern Europe, leveraging the strength of the brand globally as a market leader.

According to McCloskey, Wellnitz will use his deep knowledge of the market to strengthen and support the established dealers, while also bringing new dealers on board in regions with room for expansion in the global dealer footprint.

“In my first days at the factory in Northern Ireland, I experienced a dynamic environment with a lot of passion for the product. The complete range of products for all aspects of processing—screening, crushing, stockpiling, shredding and washing—offer many strong details that will be attractive for the end customer in a competitive market. I look forward to the opportunities ahead as we continue to expand our presence globally,” Wellnitz notes.

Wellnitz’s appointment is effective immediately.