The foundation of the original EDCO concrete grinder, developed by Ed Harding and Leo Swan when they worked for Rental Tools & Equipment, Silver Springs, Md., in the 1950s, works as well in today’s environment as it did decades ago.
The machine, like EDCO as a manufacturing company, also has evolved to meet the needs of its rental store clients, helping them serve their customers in ways to safely complete their concrete grinding projects and more.
For example, in the 1970s, a dust shroud was added to the grinder with available top-line vacuum systems to take microscopic particles and silica dust out of the air as long-term exposure can cause health problems.
In addition, the company over the years has added tools and accessories for surface preparation as well as concrete saws, floor strippers, chisel scalers, scarifiers and more.
Now, to meet the needs of its equipment rental industry customers, EDCO, led by Swan’s grandson, Jason Stanczyk, as president, is adding additional tools to its product line including an engine hoist, a
new EDCO Dirt line of post-hole diggers and additional table saws.
Engine hoists, once a popular and in-demand rental item, became somewhat obsolete as fewer people were able to work on their own vehicles with advanced electronics. As fewer people rented the item, fewer rental stores bought them, and manufacturers discontinued the product.
Since EDCO customers were unable to find engine hoists available, they asked the company if they could provide them.
“We started to make them for one of our customers and have sold many of them already, but now we are ready to offer them to the rest of world and they will debut at The ARA Show™ 2023 in Orlando,” Stanczyk says.
As customers have become frustrated by supply chain problems and delays from suppliers, they also are turning to EDCO as a trusted partner to meet their needs. As a result, EDCO has developed a two-person post-hole digger to debut at The ARA Show with plans to bring a one-person unit to market as well.
The decision to branch out into other equipment segments is due, in part, to the company’s history and dedication to solving the problems of its rental store customers and providing the type of after-sales support and training that helps end users safely and efficiently complete their projects.
“We aim to provide products that solve the problems of rental store customers so that rental stores can make money. To do that, we also provide the right training to rental stores so that they know what problems our equipment can solve,” Stanczyk says.
EDCO has a long history of providing training materials, most recently through EDCOED.com with a core curriculum to provide instant online education with training videos and certifications.
“We have researched what rental stores struggle with the most and we are addressing those gaps. We also will offer training sessions before and during The ARA Show. Give us 10 minutes and we will get you trained on a piece of the core curriculum. Then you can schedule an EDCO representative to visit after the show to bring the whole education package to you,” Stanczyk says.