Southeastern Equipment Co., Cambridge, Ohio, has been a preferred equipment dealer in Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan and Indiana for the past 64 years, beginning when founder and current CEO William Baker sold motor grader blades to townships and counties. While rental always has been part of the mix, it recently took on an even more prominent role during the past two years as the company has made rental its own division, led by David Stimpert, rental director, who has worked in the industry for more than 25 years.
“We’ve had rental for quite a few years at Southeastern Equipment Co., but we never had a true rent-to-rent division. We are just expanding and growing that market and making it a direct rental division so we can better help our customers,” he says.
Stimpert says the deep dive into rental is a natural extension of the company’s roots. “We’re a family business. It was started by husband-and-wife team William and Nancy Baker in the 1950s. We want to keep it
that way, be the hometown team, so to speak. We want to keep that customer service — be able to have that relationship with and take care of our customers, help them grow and fulfill their expanding needs. That is how the rental division is coming about. Our expansion is to help our customers grow. We cover the full gamut — from equipment for the homeowner all the way up to small, medium and large entities, whether that be a contractor and/or industrial business. If our customers have an equipment need, we have it covered,” he says.
The goal is to be a one-stop shop for customers. “We’re a dealer for Case Construction, Kobelco, BOMAG and many other brands. We have diversified by adding Skyjack aerial to our fleet and a lot of smaller, DIY items. Our Dublin location has a very big landscaping need as there are a lot of golf courses there, so we have a lot of that equipment at that location. We are giving our customers the ability to get the latest and greatest product in their hands, rent it and test it out before they buy it. It is just another avenue and there is a need for that in the market. We are filling that need. You can come in to get a drain snake or a 350 excavator. You can go from one extreme to the other. We have a full shop. Our showrooms have retail items, too, from safety gear to Southeastern and manufacturers’ items,” he says.
While rental divisions are operating at all 18 of Southeastern Equipment’s locations throughout the four-state region, “it is a work in progress,” Stimpert says. “We have started the full rollout in our Dublin and Cambridge, Ohio, locations. We have rental at all our locations, and we’re growing our fleet in those locations, too.”
A strength for moving in this direction is the company’s long history of serving the communities in which they are located. “This company has been here 64 years. Everyone knows us. We are not recreating the wheel; we are just adding another spoke to the wheel — creating that service — to take us to the next level. I am just happy to be part of the team that will take us to the next level,” Stimpert says.
He gives tremendous credit to his rental team for making this expansion proceed so smoothly. “We are building a top-notch team that is working as one unit. The people who work here care and like the excitement of the customers coming in and renting equipment. Our core values center around the people who work here and the customers we work with as well as the service we offer to those in our communities. Giving that quality product and good service to all the people in our communities is what is important and, in turn, is providing good quality jobs here at Southeastern,” he says.
It all derives from the company’s mission and its core values, Stimpert says. “Our mission is to provide groundbreaking service to each and every customer. To provide that groundbreaking service, we believe in being:
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“HELPFUL — We act selflessly and without personal gain. We go the extra mile to make sure our customers and team members have the answers and solutions they need because it’s the right thing to do.
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“LOYAL — We know what it means to have your back. We don’t cut corners, and we don’t treat you like a number. When you need products, service and support, we’re your partner through it all.
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“CAPABLE — We bring our knowledge and experience to the table. We openly share what we know and continually seek new information because the more we know, the more we grow.
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“THOUGHTFUL — We treat our customers like family because we know you’re working to support yours. We celebrate life’s big moments — and the small ones — because your success is our success.”
“We try to live what our mission statement says — how we look at and view our business as a whole,” Stimpert says. “It is a lifestyle, not just a career or a job. Working in the rental industry is a very heavy customer service. We get the job done. That is our culture. Everyone here is willing to jump in without having to be asked and help you achieve the goals you need to do.” It is the reason Stimpert foresees a bright future in the rental realm.