Scott Coley will succeed Kris Den Besten as CEO of Vermeer Southeast. Den Besten will continue to serve as chairman of the company’s board of directors.
Coley previously served as president of the 100 percent employee-owned company. He has more than 22 years with VSE and 30 years in the construction equipment industry.
"Scott is an outstanding leader who has exceeded expectations in every role for over 20 years. He is ready and well equipped to take Vermeer Southeast to new levels while maintaining the Biblical foundation and caring culture the company was founded on," said Den Besten.
"To me, the key to VSE's over 54 years of success is two-fold. First, it is and always will be about our hardworking, dedicated employees who truly desire to partner in the success of our customers. Second is our leadership's commitment to honor God in how the organization operates. It is exciting to be a part of our company's rapid growth and to see employees connecting their impact to results as an ESOP," said Coley.
MANUFACTURERS & SUPPLIERS
Terex
“One of the biggest challenges for electric utilities in the coming years is electrification of their heavy-duty fleets, including both bucket trucks and digger derricks,” said Joe Caywood, Director of Marketing for Terex Utilities. “This investment will accelerate availability of Viatec’s solutions while positioning Terex as a strategic partner in fleet electrification.”
The manufacturer has been working with Viatec since 2019 and recently launched the latest SmartPTO product family at The Utility Expo in September 2021. Terex now offers SmartPTO on a variety of its Hi-Ranger™ telescopic, overcenter, and non-overcenter aerial devices as well as Commander and General digger derricks.
Other investors included Duke Energy, who was an early customer of Viatec and continues to support development of the business by making this investment alongside Terex.
Kohler Joins eFuel Alliance
Engine manufacturer Kohler has joined the eFuel Alliance, an organization representing the interests of companies producing synthetic fuels from renewable energy on an industrial scale. Its mission is to proceed on the path of synthetic or biogenic fuel production as an alternative to conventional fuels and contribute to climate protection.
“Kohler is proud to be a member of the eFuel Alliance. E-fuels, electric motors and hybrid solutions represent an additional solution for the reduction of CO2 emissions. At Kohler we have always been innovation-oriented; that’s why we are ready to develop clean energy solutions for our customers and the users of their machines and equipment. We are thus committed to playing an active role in the new association,” said Nino De Giglio, director of marketing, communication and channel management at Kohler Engines.
Trail King VP of Sales & Marketing, Rick Farris to Retire
Thirty-seven-year Trail King veteran Rick Farris is set to retire from his post as vice president of sales and marketing in May 2022.
Farris joined the Trail King team in the traffic department in 1985. After serving as a shipping manager, he moved to sales, quickly finding his niche in building and maintaining relationships. Farris has served in his current role as VP of sales and marketing since 2002.
“Rick has years of outstanding service providing strategic leadership and valuable counsel to the board and our staff,” said Joe Kolb, President of Trail King. “I want to publicly thank Rick for his service and dedication to serving our customers. We wish him the very best in his retirement.”
