Capitalizing on opportunity is vital to extended business success, and few companies are more adept at seizing opportunities than Truck Equipment Inc.
The distributor was founded as a service garage, but in its more than 60 years in operation, it’s also been an early adopter for key parts brands, an essential upfitter for one of trucking’s most established fleets and twice served as a trailer dealer. Truck Equipment is a company that seeks out “win-win” partnerships; instances where it can commit to vendor or customer needs while also growing its capabilities.
Now operating five locations strewn across Wisconsin into Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Truck Equipment’s large, diverse footprint and expansive parts and service offering is proof of its flexibility and willingness to invest in solutions that lead to shared victories.
It also — for the second time — has helped the company to be named a finalist for the Trucks, Parts, Service Distributor of the Year Award (2019).
[RELATED: The quick facts about DOTY finalist Truck Equipment Inc.]
“We built this business on relationships,” says Lynn Schroeder, longtime owner and chairman, who since retiring has transitioned daily operation of the company to his children and other senior leaders. “That’s one thing we’ve always told vendors. It can’t be good for us or good for you. [Decisions] have to be 50/50 good for both of us.”
Talk to the Truck Equipment team and it’s clear the message resonates. The company’s core values are visible on the walls of its headquarters and are echoed by leadership regularly.
“To Lynn’s point, when we make a decision it has to be a ‘win-win’ for us. If we’re considering a decision that doesn’t align with who we are, we’re not going to do it and it’s not going to work.”
That intentional, collaborative approach is found in everything the company does.
About half the company’s sales come from its parts business, which Lynn helped establish when he was an employee based on customer demand more than 40 years ago. Other revenue is split between its service bays and upfitting operations, the latter of which remains one of the company’s most unique and longstanding resources. Truck Equipment was one of the earliest upfitters for top-10 carrier Schneider and to this day offers robust upfitting, paint and signage operations.
Employees enjoy being supporting such a diverse complement of services and knowing they have the support of Truck Equipment to do what’s necessary to help customers when challenging requests arise.
Parts distribution accounts for about half of the sales at Truck Equipment Inc., with service, upfitting and other solutions covering other revenue.Truck Equipment Inc.
“The culture has always been around the customer,” says Parts Manager Nick Willems.
Vice President of Sales and Operations Kevin McCarty agrees, and references a recent incident where Truck Equipment next-day ordered a component from Pennsylvania for a customer on a time crunch only to see the part delayed two days due to a UPS error. McCarty called the customer to apologize and gave them the component for free.
“I think we do what’s right, no matter what,” he says.
That focus earns employee buy-in too. Willems has 41 years with Truck Equipment. Lynn started in 1978 and there are people on staff today who preceded him.
With fewer than 100 employees, such tenure is an incredible resource, says Human Resources Director Laura Englebert.
“A lot of businesses can have core values on the wall but we are living it, breathing it,” she says. “I’ve seen organizations big and small not really appreciate the people who dedicate their time and talent to the business, and that’s not the case here.”
She adds, “I’ve had more than one employee tell me this is the best job they’ve ever had.”
That’s something the company’s leadership takes to heart and wants to maintain, says Matt Schroeder and his sister Mandy Morgan, marketing director.
“We want to give our people not just technical skills, but give them tools to be a better human,” says Schroeder. “We want to make sure they are taking away something from their experience here.”
Morgan agrees and says employees stick around partly because of that investment.
“There are a lot of people who have been here their entire career,” she says.
The TPS Distributor of the Year Award is sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Solutions Network (CVSN), Cummins, High Bar Brands, Interstate Billing Service and Procede Software.
