Driving past S&I Equipment in Battle Ground,a person might do a double take. The whole fleet and yard has a fresh new look, reflecting the changes put in place by Rod Hackney.
Inside the store Rod has placed an emphasis on service: “Customer service is a giant priority. It may sound corny, but I want people to feel at ease when they walk in.” He takes pride in the friendly, knowledgeable staff. They know the equipment and are ready to answer questions.
Perhaps as important to Hackney, if they don’t know the answer to a question they will say so and then find the answer.
To keep all the machinery in top shape Nick Batchelder runs the shop, putting to good use the 10 years experience he had with United Rentals before moving to S&I.
S&I stocks a wide range of equipment: John Deere tractors,loaders, Bobcat excavators from 3000 lbs. to 18,000 lbs.,Genie scissors and man lifts, Komatsu dozers, implements and attachments for farm work.
Because the Battle Ground area has dozens of five acre farms, Hackney carries a full line of weed sprayers, plows, and discs. He also rents Rock Hound attachments which hardly anyone else carries.
Hackney has had some connection with S&I since he went to work for his then father-in-law in 1985. He worked there until 2000 when he went to work for the Bobcat dealership as their rental manager. During that time, he added industrial rental experience to his resume.
Later he decided to branch off on his own, buying and selling used equipment.
When S&I came on the market in March of 2007, Hackney saw an opportunity and bought the business with a partner. At that point the fleet needed a major update. He replaced about 75% of the fleet with new equipment, repainted more than 20 trailers, and spruced up the office.
The changes have paid off for S&I. In spite of the economy, 2008 was a record year. In the future, Hackney hopes to expand the commercial side of the business and envisions a Woodland branch in the long term plan.
Driving those plans is the simple philosophy posted on the wall of the show room: Your success is our success.
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