Companies in the News: Updates from TruGreen, John Deere and more

Photo: TruGreen

TruGreen recapped its year of giving and a partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This past year also marked a milestone with company giving $1 million back to local communities since 2014 through the company’s branch recognition and corporate giving program.

TruGreen’s charity of choice for 2020 was the youth development organization First Tee, which uses golf as a catalyst for personal growth. TruGreen customers raised over $70,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through the TruGreen website. These contributions support the hospital’s mission to defeat childhood cancer and other life-threatening pediatric diseases.

Neighborly, a franchisor of home service brands, has been named to Inc.’s inaugural Best in Business list in the Enduring Impact category. Created by Inc., the Best in Business Awards honor companies that have gone above and beyond to make a positive difference.

The list recognizes small- and medium-size privately held American businesses that have had a superlative impact on their communities, their industries, the environment or society.

Instead of relying on quantitative criteria linked to sales or funding, Inc.‘s editors reviewed the companies’ achievements over the past year and noted how they made a positive difference in the world. They then selected honorees in more than 30 different industries and in age- and revenue-based categories. The applicant pool was very competitive, with around 2,700 entries and an acceptance rate in the low single digits.

Reading Truck Group will host another edition of its popular “Driving What’s Next” webinar series on Jan. 20, featuring the Aluminum Classic Service Van (CSV).

During the webinar, industry experts from Reading will conduct an interactive walk-through of this premiere aluminum van body. Distributors, fleet managers, dealers, media and anyone interested in Reading truck bodies are invited to visit the registration page to register for this free one-hour webinar on Jan. 20 at 11 a.m. (EST). Attendees will have the chance to take part in a virtual product walk-around and engage directly with Reading’s product experts in an informative Q&A session.

Holland & Sons and Kelly Sauder Rupiper Equipment, two family-owned and operated John Deere dealerships deeply rooted in North Central Illinois, plan to merge in late January 2021.

The new organization will operate as Prairie State Tractor and employ more than 200 people. Prairie State Tractor will be the responsible John Deere dealer for the territory as far west as the Mississippi River, extending up to the Wisconsin border and down into Central Illinois. Dealership locations will continue to operate out of Dixon, Freeport, Geneseo, Lacon, Mendota, Pontiac, Princeton and Streator. The Mendota location will serve as the corporate headquarters.

In addition to Chris Rupiper and Todd Holland, the leadership team will include Tony Morrow (CFO), Zack Sauder (eastern region sales manager), Ty Holland (western region sales manager), Matt Aeschleman (used equipment manager), Paul Kelly (human resources manager), Matt Holland (marketing manager), Klint Rice (small tractor/turf manager), Brett Dewey (aftermarket manager) and Jonathan Koch (integrated solutions manager).

Mecalac welcomed Trekker Group to its growing dealer network. The Trekker Group is one of five dealers Mecalac added in 2020 to expand coverage across North America.

Trekker Group will offer Mecalac’s innovative line of crawler skid excavators — the MCR Series — as well as the company’s MWR Series of wheeled excavators and AS Series swing loaders at six locations throughout Florida. The partnership creates a solid foundation for sales and service in the Southeast and Gulf Coast regions as Mecalac works to bring its game-changing productivity to job sites across America.

Trekker Group originated in Puerto Rico more than 66 years ago, reaching mainland U.S. in 2010 with the establishment of Trekker Tractor. Several divisions of the company, including the original Puerto Rico Wire Group, continue to provide construction wire products, tools and accessories across Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. In addition to Trekker Tractor, the equipment sales rental and service division, the group also manages Trekker Distributor in the U.S. This division provides concrete formwork and shoring supplies and design consultation services, as well as multiple construction equipment lines throughout Florida and most states in the Southeast.

Midwest Equipment and Supply Company (MWE) of Evansville, Ind., has been chosen as the Scag 2020 Distributor of the Year.

According to Chris Frame, president of Scag Power Equipment, “The Midwest Equipment team has continued their history of outstanding work in support of the Scag product and brand. Despite the challenges presented by the circumstances of this past year, MWE has not only maintained their effort and focus but has taken their dealer education and promotional initiatives to new levels.”

Midwest Equipment & Supply Co. traces its roots back to 1951 and is now a premier wholesale supplier to outdoor power equipment retailers. The company currently serves Indiana, Kentucky, central/southern Illinois and Missouri for several major lines of outdoor power equipment.

Takeuchi-U.S. has expanded its North American dealer network with three Crystal Tractor Supercenter locations in Chiefland, Spring Hill and Ocala, Fla.

These locations will now carry the full line of Takeuchi excavators, compact track loaders and wheel loaders. They will also provide equipment rentals, replacement parts and serve as authorized Takeuchi equipment repair centers for customers throughout a six-county region in West Central Florida.

Owned by father-son team Steve and Justin Lamb, Crystal Tractor Supercenters are part of Crystal Motorsports, a subsidiary of Crystal Motor Car Co. headquartered in Homosassa, Fla. Steve Lamb founded the company as an automobile franchise back in 1984, and since then, it has expanded to include other automobile, heavy equipment and motorcycle dealerships.

Each of the three Crystal Tractor Supercenters will utilize six inside salespeople and three outside salespeople to support the Takeuchi product line. These individuals will also attend a special Takeuchi sales training, and at least one salesperson from each location will attend Takeuchi’s Corporate Sales School, tentatively scheduled for spring 2021. There will be a minimum of one Takeuchi-trained technician at each location as well.