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“‘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 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 buy- ers 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.

Pilbeam 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 company keep up with the times? If its recent history is any clue, the answer is a definite yes.