Alta Equipment says it’s “a service company that sells equipment.”The construction division of Alta Equipment of New Hudson, Michigan, has been named Equipment World’s 2018 Big Iron Dealer of the Year.
In selecting Alta Equipment’s construction group for this award, Equipment World editors note that the division has experienced a significant turnaround within the past six years, with the group going from 12 to 310 employees and growing ten-fold. With Volvo Construction Equipment as its flagship line, Alta Equipment’s construction group now has nine locations in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. The parent firm also includes an industrial equipment group.
Editors noted the following in making this award:
Alta Equipment is providing facilities for the independent Detroit Training Center, located in downtown Detroit, which provides training in diesel mechanics, equipment operation, asbestos abatement and obtaining a commercial driver’s license.
With a same-day solution philosophy, the company says it stocks 10 to 15 percent more parts than usual and has made a commitment to provide a robust rental fleet.
The company has enacted an “Alta Cares” internal program that focuses on reducing costs, strengthening culture, improving productivity and measuring outcomes through simulated workplace initiatives.
Through its acquisition of Elite Heavy Equipment Services in Spring Grove, Illinois, earlier this year, Alta Equipment aims to “crack the code” in field service. “We are a service company that sells equipment,” says Rob Chiles, president of Alta Equipment’s construction group.
In reviewing nominations for this award, the editors of Equipment World looked for the extras that dealers are doing to serve the construction industry. These extras include community service, customer and employee training, and how each dealer approaches both marketing and industry challenges. The editors also looked at how the industry was rewarding those efforts.
The Big Iron Dealer of the Year award is sponsored by online network platform Krank.
