All the market research, planning, focus groups, design meetings, etc., cannot ensure that a product will live up to its full potential. In most cases, that is determined only by the eventual acceptance or rejection by its intended users. With that in mind, there can be no doubt about the success of the Genie GS-4390 scissor lift among work crews in the Reno, Nevada area.
In an environment of near-historic growth currently taking place, the units have easily won the day, providing the right mix of ease-of-use, functionality, reliability and access demanded by onsite personnel. As a result, the Reno branch of H&E Equipment Services (H&E) has proven to be a trusted partner for the popular lift with the potential for additional rentals, sales, parts and service, as they work hard to serve the many contractors caught up in the boom.
Biggest little boom
After successfully overcoming the economic downturn which hit the area as hard as (if not harder than) most parts of the country, H&E’s Reno branch is seeing a truly amazing resurgence. Fueled by construction of Tesla Motors' massive (and appropriately nicknamed) “gigafactory,” industry has been pouring into Reno and surrounding areas at an incredible pace. As a result, manufacturing sites, data centers, and distribution warehouses with floor spaces regularly pushing the million square foot mark are popping up in almost every part of the city and surrounding areas. While meeting the equipment needs of the construction firms and support trades involved in this growth would tax most equipment operations, H&E Reno is not "most equipment operations."
“We’ve been keeping an eye on things and seeing this coming for some time now,” says Tony Lucero, H&E Reno territory sales representative. “Wal-Mart built a huge distribution center a number of years ago, PetSmart followed with one of their own, and Apple Computers recently built a data center just east of town which seemed to quicken the pace of area development. When Reno won the bid to be the site for Tesla’s 5,000,000 square foot gigafactory, however, it was a game changer.”
TRIC’s a treat
The epicenter of all this unbridled growth is an area called the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center (TRIC). Many of the new structures currently being erected feature ceilings with peaks at 48 feet, literally a perfect fit for the Genie GS-4390 scissor lift, manufactured by Terex Aerial Work Platforms (AWP).
“On many of these jobs, crews from almost every trade have shown their preference for the Genie GS-4390 scissor lift,” says Lucero. “They like the extended working area of the deck, the non-marking tires - a prerequisite on many of these jobs — and the availability of AC power to the platform. Since this boom took hold in the area, this has been the machine of choice, and should continue to be so.”
Great on the flats
Technically listed as a rough-terrain machine, the Genie GS-4390 scissor lift pulls equally impressive duty on paved surfaces. With 49 ft of working height, this lift is proving ideal for the high ceilings in the tilt-wall structures popping up seemingly everywhere in and around Reno.
“Customers like the deck, which, with both platforms extended, offers more than 21 ft of length,” says Lucero. “That feature alone is popular with trades needing both work area and payload capacity.”
All about communication
Being able to anticipate change rather than just respond to it, is the sign of a successful company. “To do that, H&E turns to its most trusted resource,” says Lucero. “We maintain a constant line of communication with our customers so that we can know what they need, not just tomorrow but next month, the month after that, and so on.”
Because roughly 85-90 percent of their aerial fleet is “blue” equipment, Lucero says Genie products play a key role in meeting growth demands as they move forward.
“The Genie team has been outstanding in every regard, not just in supply but in support as well,” he says. “They are huge proponents of training, often sending their techs to help our techs when new machines are introduced. That speaks volumes about their commitment to this relationship. Meeting the demand is going to be a combination of the Genie team being able to keep the supply line open — which they’ve really done thus far — and H&E being able to move fleet here from locations in which equipment might be underused. It’s a balancing act, but it’s one that our corporate team in Baton Rouge, LA, does very well.”
Advantage in service
With all the activity taking place and forthcoming, competition for that rental business in the Reno area is understandably fierce. Lucero feels, however, they have a distinct advantage over the others — including all the bigger names in rental — vying for those same customers.
“We have a service team that we feel is the best in this market,” he says. “My competitors may have two or three service technicians; we have nine. So we are able to respond quickly to get a customer up and running. We even work on customer-owned machines. While the volume of work going on now is impressive, projects are being bid tight and the margins are relatively slim. Everyone understands that down time is lost time and a drain on the bottom line — I feel we do a better job than anyone else at providing the best product and the support of a first-class service team.”
H&E currently has about 70 locations nationwide but Lucero says still they go to great lengths to personalize their business and place customer satisfaction over all else.
“If we have a customer come to us asking for something we don’t supply, we’ll help them find it,” he says. “Then the customer, we truly feel, will remember our effort and eventually become an H&E customer. Our company mission is to be the safest and most responsive, solutions-oriented provider of rentals, sales, parts and service in the equipment industry. We accomplish this by focusing on quality, rapid response, and appreciation for those we serve. By surrounding ourselves with the best people, aligning ourselves with the best equipment manufacturers, and providing the best tools for the job, we know there is no one better poised to meet the changes happening here in Reno. It’s an exciting time for sure.”
