State of the Brand

By Will Clark

This is my first state of the brand after being handed the reins earlier this year. There are so many things that flood my mind when I think about where we have been, where we are now, and where we are going in the future.

I want to honor the past by being faithful to our current and future customers with the greatest experience possible. The experience is really what matters. If we’ve been fortunate enough for you to try the GP brand once, it’s the experience that will bring you back. Any brand can make the first sale, but the experience is where loyalty is built over time.

There are many factors that play into the customer experience. We strive to have the best equipment brands, backed by stellar parts, service, and rental support after the sale. We work diligently to position, design, and layout our dealerships so that the location benefits the experience. We are constantly aware that our pricing has to be competitive in the market. But even if we get all of these things right, I think there is one “X” factor that makes more difference than the rest combined - and that is the GP employees.

If there’s one thing that I know after being in this industry for 20+ years - this is a relational business. Customers like to do business with people they know and trust. Customers like to do business with people that enjoy what they do and look forward to serving them. It isn’t by accident that we are the “brand that serves.” I believe our employees are the difference maker in retaining your business. I do not say that arrogantly to sound like we are irreplaceable or that we are perfect by any means. In my local community, I like to see familiar faces where I do business. I like to know that the businesses that I frequent are happy to see me and are eager to meet my needs. In short, people make the difference.

One of the responsibilities at the top of my list each day is to focus on our internal organizational health. If you’ll indulge me, I’ll explain this to you in an analogy that I think fits really well. Organizational health, or the lack of it is similar to how the human body functions. As you all know, the human body functions best when all of the internal organs are working together in harmony. The human body is very complex, and when it comes to external appearances - looks can be deceiving. For a time, the inside of your body can be malfunctioning, but the outside appearance remains unchanged. But this can only go on so long before the internal condition is evident on the outside as well. Organizational health is making sure that the internal workings of the business are functioning at 100%, so that customers have an excellent experience. This means that our internal processes, the servant mentality of our employees, and our willingness to work together behind the curtain matters tremendously to our customers.

It’s my job to make sure that the internal aspects of the GP brand are functioning well, so that the external experience for you, our valued customers, continues to be an excellent one. I want each one of our customers to know that I hold myself accountable for how the GP brand functions externally and I am open and willing to hear any constructive criticism of how we can improve to serve you better.

I appreciate the opportunity to serve you.

- Will Clark, President/CEO