Sennebogen expects to see its green machine material handlers taking a stronger position in West Virginia through the efforts of its newest distributor.
Rish Equipment Company was recently introduced by Constantino Lannes, President of Sennebogen LLC, as the manufacturer’s authorized dealer for West Virginia. According to Rish CEO Myron Jones, the territory holds ample opportunity for his new line of purpose-built material handlers.
“About 65% of our current business is in the coal and energy industries,” Jones explains. “Coal is a key commodity at regional river terminals, so we see our river ports as our #1 potential for Sennebogen. Our experience here will definitely be able to help Sennebogen make its mark in our coal mining sector. But representing Sennebogen will also help to lead our sales into some new types of customers, too.”
Rish Equipment began operations as Bluefield Supply in 1934, led by Lon Rish. Building on its record as a top distributor for International Harvester, Rish became the regional Komatsu dealer in 1983 and recently celebrated 30 years of service to the mining and construction industries. The firm now operates 12 service locations throughout the region.
“We took on Sennebogen to diversify our offering to current and potential customers,” Jones continues. “I had spoken often with many Sennebogen distributors through our participation in various dealer councils, and I’ve heard nothing but good comments about the organization here.”
Before his appointment as Rish CEO earlier this year, Jones served for 15 years as the dealership’s Vice President of Mining Sales, capping a 30 year history in the heavy equipment industry. He and his executive staff are leading a revamped business model focused on customer support. “We are fully engaged with solving problems for customers; every Rish employee at every level is about customer support.” Jones notes that, as a family-owned company, Sennebogen like Rish has earned a reputation for flexibility in meeting customer needs. “From my conversations with other dealers, I have been told that they are really fantastic about configuring custom machines for special applications. That’s what I wanted to hear.”
Jones says that, while his sales groups’ experience in selected sectors provide a strong base, they will have “no preconceived notions” of where their Sennebogen machines can be part of a customer’s solution. Jones forecasts increasing activity in scrap and recycling business, as well as opportunities in the area’s many logging yards. He recently invited Sennebogen’s Regional Manager to his Bluefield location to assist with a 2-day training session for Rish sales staff. Technicians from the Rish service departments are scheduled for courses at the Sennebogen training facility in Stanley, NC. Rish is now expecting a stock order of several machines to arrive in time to demonstrate them at upcoming conferences and customers.