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SENNEBOGEN NAMES VCES TREE CARE DEALER OF THE YEAR
At a recent trade show, Constantino Lannes, president of SENNEBOGEN LLC, awarded David Hill, president of Volvo Construction Equipment & Services (VCES) based in Corona, Calif., with eight branches across the state, the SENNEBOGEN Tree Care Industry Dealer of the Year.
In late 2019, VCES began representing SENNEBOGEN’s tree care handling line.
“VCES’s customer focus enterprise coupled with SENNEBOGEN’s game changing tree care products and customer centric approach has resulted in a resounding success in this new but growing market,” said Lannes
VCES has been representing SENNEBOGEN material handlers since 2015 and expanding the representation to tree care seemed natural. Hill said that the success in California was a true partnership and the support of SENNEBOGEN LLC provided to launch this product was first class.
“It wasn’t just SENNEBOGEN trying to find representation for this product, but what SENNEBOGEN offered to support the market development seemed endless including experts, resources, product familiarization, and training. They were all in and so were we,” Hill said.
“California had a problem,” Hill continued. “Years of poor forest management practices coupled with increase threat to life and property posed by the states ever expanding fire season made the tree care line an excellent product to address both the clean-up effort and ongoing forest management program.
“Our safety-first culture, combined with SENNEBOGEN’s solution designed, and manufactured to offer a safer solution to an industry with an inherit dangerous work environment resonated with us. Representing a product that provides a safer solution, with a purpose aligned with your own values provided a platform for success.”
Brian Walter, VCES Northern California head of sales added “SENNEBOGEN’s tree care machines offer a safer, more efficient and cost-effective solutions to address not only these big problems and projects that our president mentioned but also mid-sized tree care companies who are operating one or two crews using traditional tree removal practices.
“For these companies, the SENNEBOGEN tree care handlers are an industry game changer”.
Hill feels that his team is able make inroads beyond the initial sale and having a strong product support organization has been critical to that.
“VCES has invested heavily in our product support team over the last three years. Our technicians working on SENNEBOGEN machines are highly recognized by our customer for their technical knowledge and craft.
“We have also invested significantly in parts inventory including the various Kits that SENNEBOGEN provides including Saw and Uptime Kits,” Walter said. “These kits are critical to keeping these machines operating continuously and as such we actively promote and marketed at the time of machine sale.
Hill wrapped up by saying, “As you can see it started with SENNEBOGEN’s innovative tree care handler and the support that we receive from the entire SENNEBOGEN organization, but VCES’s own success is a result of a dedicated team of professionals taking care of our customer’s needs through the entire lifecycle of the product.”
SENNEBOGEN photo (L-R) are Colleen Miller, SENNEBOGEN; Dave Hill VCES president; and Constantino Lannes, SENNEBOGEN LLC.
Caleb Summers Joins Connect Work Tools Team as Field Service Technician
Connect Work Tools’, an Exodus Global company, announced that Caleb Summers has joined the Connect Work Tools team as a field service technician.
Summers most recently was a breaker specialist of St. Louis Bobcat/Doosan and brings with him a wealth of breaker knowledge and equipment repair. He also is certified in automotive technology. With his experience and knowledge in the field, he makes a great addition to the service team, the company said.
“I am honored to be part of Connect Work Tools and Exodus Global companies as a team member, everybody has been super nice and welcoming me into the family,” said Summers.
Summers will support Connect Work Tools’ customers with installs and repairs of Connect Work Tools hydraulic attachments throughout the United States.
“Caleb is knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with. We’ve worked together in the past on various projects. I believe he will bring a lot to our team,” said Johnnie Gibbons, Connect Work Tools product support and breaker specialist.
Summers joins a service team focused on customers and providing them with the training support they need to get the most out of their attachments, the company said.
INDOT’s U.S. 20 Project to Begin in Middlebury, Ind.
The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) announced the beginning of a major construction project to improve safety and mobility on U.S. 20 in Middlebury between State Road 15 and County Road 35.
The $49 million project includes widening U.S. 20 to a five-lane road that includes a two-way left turn lane. The project also includes 10-ft. paved shoulders to accommodate non-motorized traffic.
INDOT contractor Milestone began work in September, with work happening in different phases into 2024. All work is weather-dependent and schedules are subject to change.
During this first phase, traffic should watch for lane shifts in two locations. The first shift is between S.R. 15 and the west junction of County Road 27. The second shift will be from the east junction of C.R. 27 to County Road 29. Inside these shifted locations there will be a 6-ft. shoulder/buggy lane and an 11-ft. through lane in both directions.
Milestone is expected to continue working over the winter. INDOT will continue to provide updates when available throughout the construction of this project.
