The Importance of Expanding Facilities and Talent
Progress on STEC Equipment Expansion
The 10,000 square foot expansion that began in late 2020 is showing some promising progress after concrete has been poured and the buildings steel frame has been assembled. This new expansion to the existing facility is set to house an overhead crane system, a new welding and fabrication center, as well as four additional service bays for maintenance and assembly of KIOTI tractors and innovative, specialized turf equipment machines. This additional space opens a window of opportunity to meet the ever growing demand for our specialized equipment, as well as maintenance and service for the increased number of tractors and machines sold this year.
While new buildings are popping up, STEC Equipment isn’t just expanding physically, but we are also expanding our team. In the past month STEC has added three new team members with expertise in sales and marketing. With the Turf and tractor industry booming following the 2020 Covid-19 world wide changes, STEC had no choice but to rise to the demand! Expanding the sales force all along the south and northeast, allows our team to provide more demos, and grow our relationships with our customers.
David Taylor, President of STEC Equipment, gives his thoughts on the importance of expanding facilities and your team.
How did you know it was time to expand the STEC Facility?
“As we introduced several new products in 2020 and saw the demand, I knew growth was inevitable and we needed to be prepared for this growth in the coming years. With new machines, comes new parts, and we were already busting at the seems with the wide product offering that we sustain in our warehouse. Expansion was our only option if we wanted to continue to provide the best customer support that we can.”
What is the importance of expanding facilities as well as your workforce?
“In order to provide the best customer service, you have to always have someone to answer the phone when a customer calls. Adding members to our team not only gives our customers peace of mind that we can take care of their needs, but it also helps us build a lasting relationship with them for the future.”
“It is so important to grow a team with a vast and exceptional knowledge of the industry. This knowledge of real problems that our customers face, also gives us the opportunity to offer innovative solutions. Additional team members give us a farther reach than just our backdoor. While we serve our customers all over the country, it is always rewarding to have a support person close to our customers. “
“While expanding your team is important, it is also important to give your team the best work environment that you can. When your team has a great space to do their job, they feel empowered, and in my experience, take more pride in the job they do and the product they send out the door. At the end of the day it all comes back to customer service. We give our guys the best so that they can give our customers their best.”
STEC is growing, do you see the industry growing as well?
“The golf industry has been good to us this year. Throughout the pandemic, we never really saw a pause in the golf industry and we are starting to see more of our sports turf customers opening back up and inquiring about updating their machinery. We have seen a steady increase in the demand for our product offering over the last year and I don’t see it slowing down. The only road block that I see is the world wide shipping and parts shortage, not just in the machine industry, but across the board. This is one of the driving forces behind expanding a portion of our warehouse to store more parts for our customers to reduce downtime and stay equipped no matter what is thrown at us.”
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New Hires at STEC
STEC Equipment’s expansion isn’t just limited to the new building. STEC is proud to welcome 3 additions to the team.
John White
STEC Equipment is proud to introduce Mr. John White as the newest addition to the STEC Sales Team. John’s primary focus will be direct sales and dealer network development across the Southeast.
John brings with him over 20 years of experience in the Golf Industry after receiving his degree in Plant Biology from the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Before coming to STEC Equipment, John worked as a salesman of industrial equipment before transferring into the turfgrass industry. He enjoys that every day brings new challanges and opportunities to learn and grow in his field of expertise. When he’s not selling, John enjoys spending time hunting and fishing in his free time with his family.
Rich Valentine
Rich Valentine joins our team as our Mid-Atlantic Sales Representative. Rich will be representing STEC across Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Rich brings over 35 years of sales and management experience to the team.
Previously, Rich served as the owner and operator of “The Green Valentine,” a boutique lawn re-establishment company after an extensive 35-year in the turfgrass industry. We are thrilled to add yet another highly-experienced and passionate member to the STEC team!
Justin McAcy
Justin McAcy to the STEC team as our Marketing Manager. Justin will be handling our marketing efforts moving forward and is bringing a lot of fresh ideas to the table to bolster STEC’s presence in the digital space.
Justin brings with him over 7 years of experience in marketing with a focus in email and social media marketing. Previously, Justin worked in the power tools industry and will use his expertise in that sector to help grow STEC’s marketing presence to reflect the industry-leading talent and products STEC Equipment is known for.