10 minute read
ECCO EQUIPMENT CORPORATION – A NAME WORTH REPEATING
A NAME WORTH REPEATING
6 2 Y E A R S O F S U C C E S S, G RO W T H A N D E X PA N S I O N IN THE HEAVY EQUIPMENT RENTAL INDUSTRY
By Brian Hoover, Editor
n echo is a sound that goes forth, bouncing and repeating itself over and over again. Although it may be spelled differently, ECCO Equipment has long been echoing their core mission of being the industry leader in the heavy equipment rental business. ECCO has worked 6 decades to establish itself as the premier provider of high-quality, late-model earthmoving equipment that continually exceeds the expectations of its loyal customers. Their growth and success over that time are a byproduct and testament to the company’s leadership and dedicated employees. Integrity, efficiency, skill, service, value, and innovation are just a few of the attributes that have served this company so well since the company was founded by Don Schmid and Les Haug in 1958. A
THE BEGINNING
After returning home from serving in the Navy in 1954, Don Schmid went to work for the Los Angeles County Sanitation District as a civil engineer. Don’s immediate supervisor was Les Haug, who began working for the county of Los Angeles after serving in the Army Corps of Engineers in World War II. The two men worked together as a team and accomplished much during their time with the County. In 1958, Schmid wanted to go out on his own and he convinced Haug to be his silent partner in a general engineering construction business venture. With an initial investment of $5,000, the two men formed ECCO which stood for Engineered Construction Co.
David Schmid, President, ECCO Equipment.
The newly formed company specialized in reservoir, flood control and bridge projects. They enjoyed solid growth and success in Orange and Los Angeles counties, but there were still many challenges along the way, including periods of inactivity that left operators and equipment idle. One of the operators was Harry Proctor and in 1962 he asked permission to rent himself and his crane to another construction firm. It turns out Harry was just as good renting equipment as he was operating. Soon, the crane was being rented regularly to the point where it was not available to ECCO when they needed it. Solution: Buy another crane. This process repeated itself to the point where ECCO had established a sizable fleet and Harry’s full-time job was keeping it rented. In reality, ECCO had two businesses: contracting and rental.
CHANGING TIMES
So in 1972, Don and Les decided to divide the company into Ecco Contractors, Inc., and ECCO Equipment Corporation. Soon after, Ecco Contractors, Inc. was sold to Browning-Ferris Industries and rebranded as BFI Constructors. Schmid stayed on with BFI and ran operations until 2001, while Harry Proctor was named
Left: Southern California Dispatcher, Nick Hernandez.
Right: Dave Novak, Corporate Fleet Manager.
general manager of ECCO, and Haug remained on as a partner. ECCO’s bread and butter in the 70s and 80s was primarily in the mass grading housing market. They maintained more than 40 operators during these years who traveled from job to job, grading sites with their John Deere 450 dozers, among other machines like Gradalls and Cat 225 or 235 excavators. The focus was on operated and maintained rentals, but things were about to change.
In the mid-80s, ECCO began its initial expansion into the Central Valley, opening up its first satellite location in Visalia. From there, they gradually continued their growth onto Stockton, Riverside, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Sacramento, Bull Head City and over to Phoenix, Boise, and even Alberta, Canada where the oil field business was booming. Their modus operandi was to move into the burgeoning markets while always maintaining their discipline and foresight to exit when opportunities or economic conditions began to fade.
PASSING THE TORCH
In 2006, after 48 years of leadership, Don Schmid stepped down as President and was succeeded by his son, David, who joined the company in 1993, and was now tasked with continuing the legacy of his dad and Les Haug. Within the next 18 months, however, the company was reeling from the triple tragedies of Les’ passing, then Don’s passing, then the start of the Great Recession. Being heavily reliant on residential construction, ECCO suffered a 60% reduction in revenue in a matter of two years. Many of its customers went bankrupt. Very few needed equipment. The “shovel ready” projects that the
{ Continued on page 10 }
ECCO EQUIPMENT Heavy Equipment Rentals & Sales 800.490.3226
QUALITY EQUIPMENT FOR RENT
OFF-HIGHWAY TRUCKS / DOZERS / SCRAPERS / LOADERS / MOTOR GRADERS COMPACTORS / EXCAVATORS / WATER EQUIPMENT CARB Compliant
GREEN FLEET CERTIFIED www.ECCOEquipment.com
CALIFORNIA • ARIZONA • NEVADA • IDAHO • UTAH • NORTH DAKOTA
federal government fast tracked didn’t actually need any big shovels. “It was a tough time,” David recalled. “If it weren’t for our loyal
employees and the solid foundation my dad and Les had set, we might not have made
it. We stuck to our core competencies and our values. Our customers recognized they could rely on us and when they
needed equipment again, they called.
It was a slow process, but now we are more profitable than ever.” ECCO is
now in seven states with 12 physical service locations and several
additional holding yards. With a current inventory of more than 600 pieces of construction machinery, ECCO has the largest dedicated rental
fleet of heavy earthmoving equipment in the country. { Continued from page 8 }
VISION, PHILOSOPHY AND COMMITMENT
Below: Technicians, Brad Clayton and Miles Prusha completing check valve repair.
“Our value proposition is
simple,” David continues. “ECCO will save a customer money by shouldering the ownership, maintenance, logistical, and regulatory costs of their fleet. The uptime will be greater. The selection will be wider. The technology will be
newer. It’s all we do, so we can do it faster and cheaper.”
Dave Novak has been working for ECCO for nearly 20 years and currently serves as the company’s fleet manager, safety officer, and Southern California regional manager. He concurs: “We have been at this a long time, and we know that our customers have lots of options when it comes to rental equipment. We also know that everyone is happy and dancing around the bonfire when things are going well. What matters is the way a rental equipment company responds when things aren’t so great,” says Novak. “This is what separates ECCO from the pack as far as I am concerned. Next to safety, we have no greater priority than keeping the equipment running and our customer on schedule. These machines work in extremely harsh environments and we have the capability and drive to immediately fix whatever might go wrong. Our employees do an excellent job of handling every situation with integrity, respect, expertise, and the desire to solve problems.” In addition to the unmatched inventory of machine types, sizes, and attachments, ECCO’s fleet complies with all CARB requirements. Novak elaborates “Not only that, we have over 150 pieces of Tier 4 equipment to meet whatever emissions standards a job might require. I’m talking D8T’s, D10T’s, 45-ton artic trucks, 150- ton excavators, zero swing excavators, 623K’s, 815F’s, motorgraders, and loaders of all sizes. We have units equipped with telematics to assist customers maximize usage and prevent problems from arising. Units are also available with Trimble and Topcon grade control systems. We are committed to providing the very best and are continually upgrading our fleet to meet all aspects of our customer’s needs.”
Above: Technician, Ryan Weed, replacing grease line on a Cat 740B articulated dump truck.
THE FUTURE
Having reached a plateau of sorts under the original ownership, last year ECCO sought new partners to help it expand further. At the same time, Acme Lift was looking to acquire a company to complement its wholesale aerial lift rental business. As a result of the partnership, ECCO is even better positioned to provide for its customers with more fleet in more locations.
“I am very excited about this new chapter in ECCO’s long history,” Schmid remarked. “Acme is a first-class organization that shares our values. We will help each other get better by sharing resources and expertise. Our customers will be the primary beneficiaries.”
ECCO Equipment is a full-service rental company offering late model, well maintained, heavy equipment for the construction and mining industries. For more information on ECCO Equipment or to view their list of heavy equipment rentals or used equipment for sale, please visit www.eccoequipment.com or call their Santa Ana headquarters at (714) 554-4851. Cc
Join the BID to WIN!
PUBLIC NOTICE: ACCESS TO CALTRANS UPCOMING CONSTRUCTION AND ARCHITECTURAL & ENGINEERING PROJECTS
California Senate Bill 1 (SB1) will provide $54 billionover the next 10 years for state and local transportation projects. This creates additionalopportunities for all small businesses, including businesses owned by women, minorities, disabled veterans, LGBT, and other disadvantaged groups, to participate on public works projects with local and state transportation agencies.
Now is the time to get involved. Visit Caltrans’ SB1 web site, www.rebuildingca.ca.gov, and learn more about planned improvements. Review Caltrans’ online “look ahead” reports of upcoming construction and architectural and engineering contracts to identify potential opportunities for your business. Attend contract-specific outreach events, that include pre-bid meetings and pre-proposal conferences, and meet with prospective bidders/proposers. Learn about Caltrans contracting requirements at a free training or workshop.
Caltrans needs your help to repair and rebuild California’s transportation system. We are looking for qualified contractors, consultants, suppliers, truckers, and service providers to help fix our roads, freeways, and bridges.
Bare and Operated Heavy Equipment for the Southern California Construction Industry
• Track excavators • Mini excavators • Loaders • Dozers - GPS ready • Scrapers • Water trucks • Rollers/Compactors • Backhoes • Blades - GPS ready • Skiploaders EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE
Y E A R S
16402 Construction Circle East, Irvine, CA 92606 | 26340 Lester Circle, Corona, CA 92883 Serving: Los Angeles, Ventura, San Diego, Orange, San Bernardino, & Riverside Counties 24 Hour Emergency Service 800.672.8252 | 949.552.1859 SAVALA.COM CARB Compliant DBE – WBE
