Buck & Knobby 75

Buck & Knobby Celebrates 75 Years of Growth

Buck & Knobby Equipment is a Midwestern company that has enjoyed organic growth during all of its 75 years — the kind of growth that characterizes, say, an oak tree.

That is, Buck & Knobby always has been opportunistic, rooting itself in whatever field of equipment showed promise at any given moment. It always has been innovative, sometimes strengthening itself by leaning into economic winds. And it has produced strong branches that give its customers even more for their money.

The fruits of this perennial top-performing company are loyal customers, who trust that Buck & Knobby always will be what it always has been — opportunistic, innovative and there for them when they need it.

“Looking ahead, I don’t see anything that would preclude the company from continued success” says Ray Cordrey, Buck & Knobby President. In other words, it’s business as usual at 75, with the equipment company moving on toward a hundred years of service. Some oaks, after all, live for centuries.

Founders of the company were Melvin Cole and Lloyd Nolfo, who grew up together in rural Michigan and somewhere along the way acquired the nicknames of Buck (Cole) and Knobby (Nolfo). They each survived World War II military and civilian service and, in 1948, started a business together in Toledo, Ohio.

It was a combination lawn mower store and a gasoline station. Cole was a natural mechanic and Nolfo an enthusiastic salesman. Nolfo was pretty handy with tools himself and could create a tight bead with a welder. The partners’ combination of talents and entrepreneurial spirit was enough for them to survive the usual start-up challenges of robbing Peter to pay Paul and growing a fledgling business one day at a time.

In 1972, Cole retired. A year later, Nolfo relocated the by-then established store, crossing the OhioMichigan state line to property in Ottawa Lake, Mich. Today, several buildings house different divisions there on 100 acres.

When Buck & Knobby began to

Buck & Knobby leadership team

Buck & Knobby Equipment accounting department staff

focus on construction equipment in the 1960s, one of the first lines it represented was a skid steer being manufactured in Minnesota by Owatonna Manufacturing. Decades later, the nimble “Mustang” machine still is a mainstay of the company’s brands lineup, though it has worn different labels along the way. Most recently, the Manitou group consolidated the skid steer/compact track loader into its Gehl product lines.

“The Gehl RT165 and RT215 CTLs are taking off. Customers really like those models,” said Tim Kitzmiller, sales manager. “The 165 is fast and well-balanced with plenty of power. Gehl’s joystick pilot controls make the machines easy to operate.”

Other construction machinery brands offered in 2023 by Buck & Knobby include Hyundai and Yanmar. Which is to say the company represents a broad spectrum of powered machinery from large (Hyundai) to compact (Yanmar and Manitou/Gehl).

Kitzmiller describes the new Hyundai wheel loaders, like the HL940A, as “outstanding.” They feature a new Cummins A-Series diesel engine and larger, quieter cabs. Another product in increasing demand is Hyundai’s HX145 116-hp hydraulic excavator.

“Around here, the population of that machine is growing.”

Kitzmiller and sales representative, Jeff Wente, are why.

Yanmar’s compact machines sell steadily for two reasons, according to Kitzmiller: the performance of the machinery and the support of the dealership after the sale.

“Around here, our customers have learned that Yanmar is the best,” he said. “Their products are getting better and better.

With Yanmar, the name precedes itself and we have done a good job of establishing that name. We have a pretty good reputation ourselves.”

Service Manager Brian Pirolli is a fan of Yanmar machinery.

“The mini-excavators are very reliable pieces of equipment. All the big companies seem to have them. Contractors might have fifty or sixty different pieces of equipment of all brands, but they all have a Yanmar mini-excavator.”

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In 2016, Buck & Knobby was looking for another manufacturer to fill a gap in its equipment line. It succeeded in acquiring the right to represent JCB, a line of machinery with a significant reputation for innovative engineering. Knobby Nolfo was attracted to the British manufacturer because he identified with the entrepreneurial achievements of the founder of JCB, Joseph C. Bamford. Unfortunately, Nolfo passed away before completion of due diligence that led to the JCB dealer agreement, said Maibach, but negotiations continued. In March 2017, Buck & Knobby’s new stand-alone JCB dealership held its grand opening opening … back across the Michigan state line at 9127 Airport Highway, Holland, Ohio, in the northwest part of the state. The full-service facility has earned multiple JCB dealer sales and service awards. The dealership offers the full range of JCB construction equipment, from a full line of compact equipment to telehandlers, rough terrain forklifts and

Buck & Knobby Equipment sales staff continued on page 4

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the one-of-a-kind Teleskid to heavy line wheel loaders and excavators and of course, the backhoe loader, of which JCB invented the concept. One of every two backhoes working in the world today is JCBbranded.

In January 2023, the JCB product offering at the Holland facility expanded to include the manufacturer’s full agriculture line.

“The JCB Agricultural line is an important addition to or business,” said Maibach.

Agri business is a big part of the economy in Northwest Ohio and JCB isn’t new to agricultural equipment.

JCB has been producing farm machinery since 1945, when Joseph Cyril Bamford built his first farm trailer. JCB always understood that when it comes to agricultural machinery, only the very greatest levels of performance and productivity will do. That’s why the company always believed in developing specialized farm machinery — agricultural telehandlers were introduced in 1977; agricultural wheel loaders in 1983; and Fastrac tractors in 1991. The result of more than 25 years of innovation, the current range is the most productive, most versatile, most comfortable and safest series of tractors on the market.

“We are pleased to represent JCB Agriculture product line in our served markets,” said Maibach.

Buck & Knobby Equipment became an extremely diverse source of machinery. The founders may not have started out with the vision of offering an expansive array of machinery and tools, but the variety of top-ofthe-line products represented by Buck & Knobby in 2023 is just short of staggering.

The Michigan dealership offers a broad selection of lawn and garden equipment for residential and commercial customers. They are (take a deep breath): Toro Dingo compact utility loaders, trenchers, stump-grinders, vibratory plows and material handling buggies; Bobcat commercial zero-radius mowers; Grasshopper

front-mount, mid-mount and stand-on mowers; Scag commercial and residential mowers and blowers; and Stihl chainsaws and trimmers.

In addition, customers are offered an assortment of Honda power equipment, including generators and tillers. Those products are sold and rented from a separate building because the equipment caters to a different customer base.

Somewhere in that mix of specialized equipment is a mower or compact machine perfect for just about any task in yard, garden or pasture. However, if a tool or small-powered machine is needed beyond that, Buck & Knobby offers yet another equipment option — the Tool Depot.

The Tool Depot idea was embraced by Nolfo after he was approached by an employee, Lester Bacon. Bacon had a career background in rental trade work offering a variety of specialized tools, including sewer and water construction and maintenance machinery, trench shoring materials and personal protection equipment.

The concept behind the Tool Depot idea was simple: Customers already were coming to Buck & Knobby for heavy

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Buck & Knobby Outdoor Power staff

Buck & Knobby Equipment rentals department staff

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construction equipment, so why not provide the hand tools and auxiliary supplies they also would need on any typical job site?

“Knobby thought it was a great idea and looked for the opportune time to build a facility to accommodate the business,” Bacon recalled, “but he passed away before plans were completed.”

The company’s board of directors moved ahead with the expansion and opened the stand-alone facility in April 2016. Bacon manages the Tool Depot division.

It’s stocked with more than 800 kinds of tools and supplies for sale and rent. These include asphalt and concrete finishing equipment and saw blades; laser positioning devices and traffic control signage; safety equipment and pumps; and more. High volume rentals include Snorkel or Haulotte man lifts.

The Tool Depot has been well-received by customers.

“Each year we doubled the business volume of the previous year,” Bacon said. Consequently, the company is now expanding the 60-ft. by 85ft. Tool Depot building to increase showroom size.

The two company divisions — Tool Depot and JCB — are recent examples of the innovative leadership that’s a trademark of Buck & Knobby Equipment. Service manager Pirolli remembers another new thing the company did back in the 1970s — fabricate trailers.

“We built a lot of trailers back then,” he said. “We had our own jig and would lay the steel components on it and weld them together. I sometimes stayed after regular work hours to paint a

finished trailer.”

An estimated 800 trailers were built by Buck & Knobby before the dealership phased out of the trailer fabrication business.

Today, Buck & Knobby sells several major brands of trailers. It represents the full Eager Beaver trailer line — which also has been in business for 75 years — as well as Felling, Interstate and Towmaster products. Kitzmiller, the sales manager, said the inventory of trailers is relatively large as a hedge against lengthy production lead times.

“We sell about a hundred trailers a year and like to keep 30 or 40 in stock. It can take so long to get them. Some trailers that we ordered a year ago are just now coming in.”

The parts department wasn’t untouched by Buck & Knobby

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Buck & Knobby Equipment service department staff

Buck & Knobby Equipment service department staff

Hydraulic Excavator Thumbs

Excavator Demolition Grapples

All attachments available for on time delivery!

Stump Pullers

Excavator Thumbs

Excavator Grapples

Excavator Wood Shears

Loader Rakes with Top Clamp

Buckets

Skid Steer

Skid Steer Forks

Skid Steer Brush Cutters

Loader Forks

Skid Steer Grapple Rakes

Skid Steer Bucket Grapples

ATTACHMENTS

RENTAL EQUIPMENT

Model

Air compressor

Breaker CAL 550B / 650

Breaker CAL 750

Breaker CAL 850 /HDB40 / 50

Breaker CAL 1000 / SF

Breaker CAL 1200 / HB90

Breaker SF 1500

Breaker CAL 2200

Breaker CAL 3200

Bucket Small / Road plate

Bucket Large / Concrete bucket

Compactor HC 10/12 / the beak

Compactor HC15 20/SF TPC2K

Compactor HC30

Compactor HC40

Compaction Wheel - Pad

Coupler Mount - Auger

Forklift Basket

Forks - Backhoe

Forks - Loader/Jibb

Frost Ripper Small + Point

Frost Ripper Large+ Point

Light Tower / 8’ loader forks

60” Forestry head

72” Drum mower

Flail Mower -130/BC60/42”

Power Rake – Magnet

Rollover Box /Tilt / Helac

Trench Box

Sheeps Foot Roller / Drag

TR3 / Road plates

Slit Seeder/10’ Brush Cutter

DOZERS BROOMS

DUMPERS

EXCAVATORS

SKID/TRACK LOADER ATTACHMENTS

COMPACT TRACK LOADERS

MINI-EXCAVATORS

SV-08

Rental Rates Subject to Change without Notice

SKID/TRACK

TOOL DEPOT

TX1000 Dingo Narrow Track

TX1000 Dingo Wide Track

SM100 Wacker

TRL620D Baumalight

e-DINGO 500 Forks

Grapple Bucket

Auger Bit with Drive

Power Rake

Breaker for Dingo

Auger Stumper

Toro Stumper

Trencher - Mini Power Buggy Wheeled

Canycom

SV-08 Mini Excavator

SV-08 Bucket

Walk Behind Trencher

Trailer 5000 lb tilt

Trailer 10,000 lb tilt

Scissor Lift 13'

TRACTORS

WHEEL LOADERS

Lift Tow Behind 34'

Nifty50 tow behind lift 50'

Nifty SP34TDE 4X4 34' OUTRIGGERS

Lift 4X4 34'

Haulette 55' tow behind

Nifty SP64D 4X4 64'

Nifty SP50D 4X4 50'

Haulette 45' 4X4

ARX16 Ammann Roller

ARX20 Ammann Roller

HR25T Hyundai Roller

RD24-100 Wacker Roller

ARR1575 Ammann Trench Roller

AR14H Multiquip Roller

Concrete Mixer 3 cu ft electric

Concrete Mixer 9 cu ft

Mortar Mixer 8 cu ft

BT131 Hand Power Auger

Hydraulic Power Pack

Hyd Post Driver

Log Splitter

Build A Box 6' X 6'

Build A Box 8' X 12'

Light Tower

Large Message Board

Small Message Board

Arrow Board

Barrier Grab

Lifting Arm

185 Air Compressor PDS185S-6E1

Kaeser M27 Air Compressor

Kaeser M55 Air Compressor

Work Platform

Power Screed

Power Screed Board

First Cut 6"

6" Early Entry Blade

36" Power Trowel

48" Power Trowel

10" Tile Saw

10" Tile Blade

14" Brick Saw

14" Brick Blade

12" Concrete Saw Hand Held

14" Concrete Saw Hand Held

14" Diamond Blade

16" Concrete Saw Hand Held

20" Walk Behind Concrete Saw

20" Diamond Blade

Bull Float Kit with 4 handles

Concrete Vibrator

Breaker 60lb

Electric Jack Hammer

Rotary Hammer 1-9/16" MAX

Hammer Drill SDS Plus Tile Roller

Drywall Jack 11'

Drywall Jack 15'

Rotary Laser LL300

Pipe Laser

Tiller Rear Tine

Tiller 9"

Yard Vacuum

Blower - Walk Behind

Bedding Edger

Jumping Jack Compactor

Small Compactor

Large Compactor

Reversing Plate Compactor

2" Submersible Pump

2" Trash Pump

3" Trash Pump

4" Trash Pump

2" X 20' Suction Hose

3" X 20' Suction Hose

4" X 20' Suction Hose

2" X 50' Discharge Hose

3" X 50' Discharge Hose

4" X 50' Discharge Hose

5000 Watt Generator

Pressure Washer

SLG68V Screener

SLG78V Screener

SLG108V Screener

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spirit of innovation. One example: years ago, the department started fabricating hydraulic hoses, the connecting lines that keep so many pieces of modern equipment moving and lifting. Why? Making them was a quicker way for a customer to get a replacement hose.

“We are still actively producing hydraulic hoses for equipment,” said Controller Nick Liaros. “Dozens of the hoses are produced every working day.”

While Covid’s supply chain disruption had some impact on the parts department, managers did their best to stave off interrupted supplies by anticipating problems and expediting orders. Typically, more than $2 million in machined parts and other components are in-stock.

Still another fresh idea that sprang from Knobby Nolfo’s vision was renting of equipment. Rentals are commonplace today, but they were rare six or seven decades ago.

“When Knobby first started renting,” recalled Cordrey, “he would charge $5 an hour for rental of a dozer. Eventually, the renter would purchase the dozer. Numerous large customers of ours started out that way.”

Rental activity slowed somewhat during the pandemic, but it has bounced back, Cordrey said.

“Rental has recovered quite well from that period of time.

Supply chain issues and the rising cost of new equipment are factors. You sometimes wait 12 to15 months for a new piece of heavy equipment to arrive.”

Liaros believes renting will remain a top choice for contractors.

“Until our customers adjust to the current economy, we believe rentals will continue to be strong..”

The company has about 150 pieces of equipment ready to rent. Whether a machine is sold or rented, it is all revenue. According to Liaros, sales of equipment at Buck & Knobby constitute about 70 percent of business volume and rentals about 10 percent, with the remainder being generated by parts and other revenue-producing activity.

As disruptive as the last two or three years have been for entire industries, Buck & Knobby Equipment has come through it strong and stable, according to Maibach.

“It has been a robust three years of learning experiences, adjusting to market conditions and various other things. There was nothing in the playbook that could have prepared us for what happened. We quickly realized that this wasn’t anything that we had experienced before and adjusted accordingly. They turned out to

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Buck & Knobby JCB service manager Buck & Knobby JCB parts manager

Buck & Knobby Equipment parts department staff

be very good years for our business.”

Very good, indeed. The past two years set records, Liaros said. Business volume for the past fiscal year increased 23 percent.

“Now we just have to do better this coming year.”

Furthermore, the company did not shed employees to emerge intact from the economic downturn, employing the same number of company employees on the payroll as before the pandemic arrived.

“At times during the pandemic we didn’t need as much staff, but we knew from experience that when you let someone go, it’s hard to replace them when you need them. We were able to handle it and retain everyone,” the controller said.

The service department employees that keep rental equipment operating and maintain customer equipment brought into the shop all stayed busy. What they weren’t able to do was receive the usual amount of training.

“Some manufacturers just canceled training for a period of time,” Pirolli said.

Full program OEM training has now resumed.

Of the company’s employees, several have been with the company for decades, including the company president, who has worked there for 55 years. Cordrey had just gotten out of the Navy

where he was an aircraft carrier fire suppression specialist when Knobby hired him.

“He said, ‘I don’t have a lot of use for someone who can put out fires, but I’ll give you a fair day’s pay for day’s work.’”

Decades later Cordrey succeeded Nolfo as president. He said Nolfo’s vision constantly drove the company forward.

“Knobby was so energetic. He had foresight, always 10 years ahead of the day.”

Laurie Nolfo, who is one of the founder’s three daughters, echoes Cordrey.

“Dad was a brilliant visionary. He had unwavering commitment to the business, together with the vision and ambition to get things done. He was self-made and an off-the-cuff intellectual. He anticipated how the business would evolve after his passing, and he was spot on.”

Cordrey added that another defining characteristic of Knobby Nolfo was his affinity for customers.

“‘Raymond,’ he would tell me, ‘When you sell something, it has to be good for both the buyer and the seller.’ He would say, ‘We just sold a dozer and I’m going to put ample inventory of track rollers on the shelf. I’m not putting those parts on the shelves, the customer put them there, because if his equipment goes down, we go down.’”

Establishing relationships with customers is valuable, but so is partnering with vendors. Company business manager Joe Grady said communicating regularly with manufacturers gives a company an edge.

“We constantly talk with our vendors so we can understand what is coming down the pike, what the industry is doing, where we need to steer the ship.”

Grady gives an example of how being in the loop with manufacturers can pay off.

“We were able to get Grasshopper’s new stand-on mower before other companies in the Midwest based on our relationship with

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Buck & Knobby Tool Depot staff

Buck & Knobby JCB service technicians from page 10

Y YAANMAR COMPPAACT EQUIPMENT:

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© 2023 Yanmar America Corporation.YANMAR has a corporate policy of continuous product improvement and development; therefore data, specifications, and warranty are subject to change without any advance notice.There may be differences between the specifications and illustrations contained in this publi cation and the actual equipment. Equipment components produced by other manufacturers may be shown in photographs in this publication for the purpose of illustration only and is not intended as an endorsement of that particular equipment or its suitability. Inspect equipment before using it and be sure it is operating properly.The product depictions are not meant to be used or relied upon as a substitute for the safety and use information that is published in the respective operator’s manual.Before operating a machine,read,understand,and follow all instructions of the manual and on the machine.YANMAR disclaims all representations, express or implied, or any liability from the use of this publication.

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Grasshopper and our sales volume of Grasshopper mowers. Relationships absolutely matter.”

The pandemic changed relationships somewhat, with customers opting to physically interact less, sometimes picking up packages in drop boxes outside the dealership door. Company executives also took the unexpected intermission to revisit internal business processes.

“We are more open-minded as a consequence of the Covid experience,” said Grady. “We saw an opportunity to further develop internal technologies that improved the customers’ experience.”

Looking ahead, Buck & Knobby Equipment leadership recognizes that how business was done 75 years ago is history. The very concept of a “local” dealership has evolved as technology has shrunk distances. Consequently, more sales are occurring well outside the old neighborhood.

“If you just stay local, you can never grow to full potential,” Cordrey said. “You have to be looking for remote buyers outside local markets. Today, our distance sales business volume is growing.”

Digital advertising and social media strategies have broadened the effective footprint of the company.

The company’s controller said Covid accelerated the trend.

“Over the last four or five years, using the internet has widened our customer base. For 50 years, our sales region was 50 to 75 miles from our facilities. Now we sell equipment across the country. Our reputation for honesty and integrity has created sales referrals from distant markets.”

Jeff Pilbeam is the company’s IT manager. As such, he is

in the forefront of the virtual relationships being cultivated nearer to home and far away.

Jeff also manages the eBay store for the company. The company’s eBay pages are described as “offering a selection of new and vintage construction equipment parts, collectables and special interest items.” In mid-February, the company’s eclectic eBay offerings included a Yanmar boom ($3,500) and a 1958 Ford Fairlane owner’s manual ($20).

Pilbeam said video conferencing “more and more” are defining working and training relationships at Buck & Knobby, as in every other progressive company. He regularly sets up rooms and equipment to facilitate Zoom meetings for company executives, webinars for sales personnel and long-distance training sessions for other aftermarket employees.

“It’s more challenging in some respects to manage an older company and keep it vital,” said Grady. “You can’t rest on your laurels. You have to embrace change and keep opportunities alive.”

Liaros believes the current management team is on top of things.

“Our team is all veterans of the industry. Not too much bothers us. We are very focused on business climate, the economic forecasts. We assess all potential impacts and act to keep the company aligned to a constantly changing marketplace.”

The question is: Amid all this change, can a 75-year-old com-