W hen Ed Hutson bought Johnson Creek Rentals eight years ago, the yard owned just two skid steers and one excavator. In the years since, Ed has built the fleet into eight skid steers and 22 excavators. He has also developed his own expertise in the field: “I consider myself a mini-excavator specialist.” He has learned the value of buying top quality equipment and attachments: “I won’t put on cheap thumbs or buckets, and because of that, I get eight years out of them.”
Hutson built the inventory with Takeuchi machines primarily, but has recently switched his emphasis to Case. He likes the Case 420 skid steer because it’s bigger, stronger, more rental tough. Because it is more compact, he said it looks less intimidating to residential customers, and the smoother controls help less experienced operators. With added horsepower and greater lifting capability, the Case is a more stable, smoother operating machine, Hutson maintains. And, he sees a fundamental shift in skid steers: “I’ve gone from rubber tire skid steers to rubber track
because they cause less fatigue.”
Other factors which influenced his decision to switch include what Hutson calls “true zero percent financing” which doesn’t include a mark up on the sales price, and better trade-in value. In addition, updating inventory makes good economic sense: “In the rental business, depreciation is a real number.” The quality of Case also won him over: “Bill Hunsinger of Western Power told me five or six years ago that Case was not up to snuff on mini excavators. Now, he tells me they are in
the top 2%.”
Hunsinger described another factor: “I sold them Takeuchi, and Takeuchi made a very good product. I think that the product support capabilities of Case led to the switch as well.” Steve Runyan of Case is especially high on the new Series 3 compact track loader: “It has a larger,
more spacious cab, more power. The product has been selling really well.” The B Series is engineered using the latest technology, is Tier III compliant, and comes with a “phenomenal warranty. “
Hutson is quick to point out that he isn’t completely disowning Takeuchi: “Half of my excavators are still Takeuchi. They make a fine product.” Using this blend of equipment, his staff of ten operates the yard seven days a week. They provide service 24 hours a day using a service
truck with a hose machine for on-site repairs. If there is a problem, the Johnson Creek staff can generally get a customer up and running again in a couple of hours.
Hutson enjoys the challenge of keeping customers happy. As an independent, he has an advantage
over some larger firms: “If you have a problem, you can talk to the owner-me. I resolve things quickly” Besides he thinks it is a “fun business,” you know, boys with toys.
Recent Comments