Kirby-Smith Machinery 2023

A Supplement to Construction Equipment Guide®

Celebrating 40 Years of Growth

Ed Kirby, Chairman of the Board and Founder

Ed Kirby remembers the early 1980s. Lots of people do, with a shake of their heads.

The United States was in the throes of a deep recession at that time. Interest rates were double digits and bankruptcies were soaring. Oil-producing states like Oklahoma were given a double whammy because the oil industry went on the skids at the same time agriculture exports declined.

But when the national economy rebounded in 1983, Oklahoma’s business activity didn’t, lagging far behind and only growing that year at a rate less than one percent. It was a bad time to be in business in the Sooner State.

“The economy in Oklahoma and, specifically, Oklahoma City was as bad as it could be,” Kirby recalled.

When the company he worked for in 1983

was about to close its doors, it was decision time.

“I really had no choice but to go out on my own,” Kirby said.

The young businessman might have been forced into it by circumstances, yet starting his own machinery outlet proved to be a good decision. Forty years later, Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc. is a thriving, multistate equipment dealership that Kirby – as founder and chairman of the board – is able to look back upon proudly.

The fledgling machinery outlet in 1983 sold used equipment, with the few pieces of machinery displayed in the yard of a friend and customer, Jack Hodges. Another friend, Thornton Wright, let Kirby work rent-free from an office. The company was, as Kirby described it, “underfunded.”

Yet, it was a start, and a year later, with the economy picking up, the company took on representation of a major manufacturer, Link-Belt. Then, a mere four Kirby-Smith Machinery’s Lubbock, Texas, location.

years after its founding, Kirby-Smith Machinery, Inc. bought out another machinery company and acquired several new accounts in the process. One of them was Komatsu.

“That changed everything,” said Kirby.

“We had started with very little financing and there was little money available at the time. Komatsu gave us a major line of credit and it really helped us.”

Whatever Komatsu executives saw in the young company, the business relationship between manufacturer and dealer grew and matured. In 2009, Kirby-Smith purchased the rights to represent Komatsu in northern Texas. The Texas market now represents 70 percent of company sales.

“Moving into the Texas market changed the business forever,” Kirby said.

While the types of machines parked on the Kirby-Smith Machinery lot has varied through the years, almost from the beginning there has been a crane in the mix, beginning with Link-Belt models in 1984.

“Cranes always have been important to our business,” said Kirby, “especially the Manitowoc Company.”

Grove and Manitowoc were separate companies when Kirby-Smith began selling Grove all-terrain cranes in Oklahoma in 1991. In 2002, the dealership also was awarded the Manitowoc franchise for Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and southern Illinois. National Crane products came to Kirby-Smith about the same time. Today, the dealer offers lattice-boom crawler cranes, all-terrain cranes, rough-terrain cranes, truck-mounted

From 1988: KSM celebrates five years of growth.

cranes, telecrawlers, boom trucks and Broderson industrial cranes. They are a mainstay of the company.

Rickey Bailey, the Vice President of Kirby-Smith Machinery’s Crane Division, noted the growth of the distributor’s crane product support capabilities as well.

“We provide inspections, preventative maintenance programs, and our Crane Rapid Response Team provides customers with 24/7 emergency support,” said Bailey.

Cranes remain an important market focus for the heavy equipment distributor, but one of the biggest drivers for growth in the last 15 years has been the addition of WIRTGEN GROUP in 2009, with high profile machines like the versatile KLEEMANN MR 130i EVO2 mobile impact crusher or the two-tracked WIRTGEN SP 102i slipform paver added— both industry leading machines – becoming available to KirbySmith’s customers.

Kirby counts the arrival of WIRTGEN GROUP, which includes the WIRTGEN, VÖGELE, HAMM and KLEEMANN lines, as a pivotal event.

“The Wirtgen acquisition gave an amazing boost to the company,” he said.

Matt White, General Manager of Road & Mineral Products, discussed how Kirby-Smith Machinery has also expanded its support capabilities for WIRTGEN GROUP, with a support team dedicated to ensuring customers get the most out their machine investments.

Matt White, General Manager, Road Construction & Mineral Products.

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“We have product specialists for asphalt paving and compaction, for road rehabilitation and concrete paving, and for crushing and screening. “ said White. “Our team provides best practices, training, and handle product start-ups to ensure that the customer starts off on the right foot.”

The lineup of KirbySmith equipment is staggering. Besides the obligatory dozers, dump trucks, Gavin Cole, Vice President, Sales excavators, graders, wheel loaders and track loaders, there are sweepers and water trucks, material handlers and compactors, aggregate conveyors and aerial work platforms, generators and trench rollers and on and on.

One of the latest additions to the product offerings are Magni telescoping handlers. Magni equipment ended up at Kirby-Smith after some customers — and some employees — asked for it, according to Gavin Cole, the company’s Vice President of Sales.

“Magni equipment is manufactured in Italy,” he said.

“These are quality machines and highly innovative, featuring a full line of rotating telescopic boom telehandlers that fit well within our rental and sales strategies.”

The list of brands offered by Kirby-Smith is extensive. In addition to the other lines mentioned, the heavy equipment distributor includes Takeuchi, LeeBoy/Rosco, Gradall, Vacall, SkyTrak/JLG, Terramac, Fecon, Sullair, Falcon, Trail King, Atlas, NPK and many more.

And sitting among them all is Komatsu construction machinery, which accounts for a majority of the business revenue at KirbySmith, according to John Arapidis, President and CEO. Arapidis came to Kirby-Smith six years ago from Komatsu, where he worked for 30 years in a variety of roles.

“I had the opportunity to travel to all the North American dealers, to get to know them, and I created a lot of friends along the way,” he said. “When I moved from the wholesale to the retail side, I couldn’t have made a better choice than to come to Kirby-Smith. It was an honor.”

He takes pride in the Komatsu lineup of equipment that he helped steward for three decades but declines to offer an opinion about which of the machines is the premier product.

“I’ve seen the products evolve,” he said. “It might have been excava-

tors years ago. Today, Komatsu wheel loaders are second to none, dozers second to none, the haul trucks, whether articulated or rigid frame, are the same. We’ve had a lot of success with the motor grader line as well.

Cole agreed and cited Komatsu shifting production of the HM400-5 to their Chattanooga, Tenn. manufacturing facility as a recent example of their commitment to supporting growing demand.

“Komatsu produces both the HM400-5 articulated truck and their mid-size and intelligent excavator line in Tennessee,” said Cole. “They also have manufacturing facilities in Illinois, South Carolina, and Texas.

Close attention is being paid to the North American market.”

Besides overall quality of design and machining, Cole said Komatsu’s Intelligent Machine Controls are the difference between good machines and great ones. Komatsu’s D155AXI-8 dozer, for example, is a 45-ton, 354-hp brute of a machine with Intelligent Machine features that fully integrate 3D design data and let the machine adapt to the skills of an individual operator. In short, it’s heavy, powerful and sweet to operate.

While Komatsu is the company’s largest brand, all of the manufacturers represented by the company are fully supported in their space, Cole said.

“We sit down with each Kirby-Smith manufacturer and put Machinery is well together a marketing plan positioned with and support plans,” Cole mulitiple facilites said. “We right-size our in the region. inventory and evaluate changes in the marketplace with OEM help.

Each OEM has been good to work with. We have wonderful relationships.”

The construction group general manager said an indicator of those relationships is that Kirby-Smith has been approached about helping to develop new machines.

“We have tested prototype machines for manufacturers, something that only three or four dealers in the U.S. get to do,” Cole said. ** What does growth look like? For Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc., it is a map of the five states in which the company meets the needs of customers — Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Illinois. It is the listing of seven cities in North, Central and West Texas where Kirby-Smith dealerships operate today. From A to W, they are Abilene, Amarillo, Dallas, Ft. Worth, Lubbock, Odessa and Waco.

The headquarters city where it all began, Oklahoma City, has been joined by two other Oklahoma cities with Kirby-Smith outlets, McAlester and Tulsa. A Kansas City office serves customers in Kansas and western Missouri and a St. Louis location serves eastern Missouri and southern Illinois.

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Congratulations on 40 years

It takes hard work and dedication to provide customers with exceptional service for 40 years.

Komatsu recognizes Kirby-Smith Machinery for this achievement. We are honored and grateful to be your trusted partner. Working together, we can continue to create lasting value for generations to come.

© 2023 Komatsu Ltd. or one of its subsidiaries. All rights reserved.

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Is the company eyeing other states and markets?

“We always are looking for opportunities,” said Arapidis. “Today, either a company grows or it dies.

If opportunities to grow come, you have to look at them. When that happens, if growth is an option, we are ready, willing and able.”

“Ed continues to reinvest profitability back into the company for the benefit of our customers,” added JD Young, Vice John Arapidis, President, President and Chief CEO Financial Officer of KirbySmith, who has been with the company since 2015 and earlier in his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. “This allows us to maintain a very strong balance sheet, providing the ability to have significant inventory and rental fleet levels that help us better meet the needs of our customers, along with creating a competitive advantage. Additionally, this solid foundation gives us the ability to better serve our customers’ needs through investments in real estate, facilities, technicians, service trucks and so many other ways. In fact, since 2016, we have more than doubled our field service capabilities. We also continue to invest in technology to enhance our own efficiency, but also to create an ever-improving experience for our customers.”

Industries served by the company constitute another growing list. It is lead, of course, by heavy construction and the whole highway-andbridge industry. Others include the quarry, aggregate and mining industry, utilities, agribusiness, oil and gas pipeline work, wind and solar energy industries, power line construction and maintenance, demolition, material handling, waste, landscaping and governmental equipment.

Growth also can be tracked in the addition of new brands year after year. Some additions after 2021 include but are not limited to: • 2021 Became authorized dealer for Atlas Material Handlers in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Southern Illinois; • 2022 Became authorized dealer for Thompson Pump in Oklahoma, West Texas, and North Texas; • 2023 Became authorized dealer for Magni rotary and telescopic telehandlers in Oklahoma and West Texas; • 2023 Became authorized dealer for Vacall products in Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, and Southern Illinois; • 2023 Became authorized dealer for Spaleck products in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, and southern Illinois.

• 2023 Became authorized dealer for Morbark products in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and southern Illinois.

Still, another indicator of growth is a drumbeat of new showrooms and locations. Recent examples include major renovations of facilities in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Amarillo (2018), new facilities in McAlester and Lubbock (2019) and a new location in Waco (2020).

The aggressive growth is both expansive and infilling, as Arapidis noted.

“We have the opportunity to expand within our current footprint but also outside the footprint and are doing so,” he said. “We have a strategic plan for the future. We have our ear to the ground and are looking forward to new opportunities.”

Added Kirby, “We are doing everything right now to grow within our boundaries, but at the same time we are growing our boundaries geographically.” ** Managing today so that a company has a tomorrow always is job one.

Dreams of future marketplace triumphs evaporate if fundamentals and best practices are not utilized in real time — the nitty-gritty of moving equipment off the rentals and sales lots, hiring talented team members and satisfying customers.

Cole, for instance, talked about the importance to Kirby-Smith of renting equipment.

“The driving force behind selling construction equipment is our rental offices,” Cole said. “Kirby-Smith has always been known as a rental operation, but in the last few years with shortages of equipment, supporting customers with rentals is just as important as that first sale.”

He cited the national housing market crash in 2008-09, when equipment dealers were severely crimped by the falloff of construction activity.

“That pushed a lot of people into the rental business,” Cole said.

“Those dealers that embraced rentals have grown.” ** While a strong rental fleet is certainly a competitive advantage, the organization’s most important advantage remains having a strong team of employees that are all in on stated initiatives to support both customers and each other. Kirby-Smith has worked hard to foster an environment where its employees can grow and develop their own careers within the company. That type of culture has made it a place people in the industry want to work for, leading some of the best minds in the industry to come on board. The distributor’s management structure reflects these changes, and the chairman of the board likes what he sees.

“I’m extremely proud of the team that we have put together,” Kirby said. “My former team was mostly my age and many have retired. The new leadership team is tremendously talented. They are young, knowledgeable and very hard-working.”

David Kellerstrass, Vice President of Product Support, is one of the new team members, coming to Kirby-Smith four years ago. He credits the quality of people in the organizaJD Young, CFO, Vice tion for its winning culture.

President “It’s why I came here,” he said.

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International wheel loader sold by Kirby-Smith Machinery in the early days.

Ed Kirby (L), shakes hands with John Arapidis, who has been named newest president and CEO of Kirby-Smith Machinery in Oklahoma City.

Kirby-Smith Machinery service tech intern works with a veteran technician in DFW. Internships with accredited programs are an example of how Kirby-Smith is growing its technician base.

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“We have a fantastic group of leaders that I trust. We also have some incredibly hard-working people on the front line. They make things happen every day — opening the branches, making sure the shelves are stocked and customers are taken care of.”

Jeff Weller, the company’s Chief Operating Officer, also cited employees for the company’s ongoing success.

“It all comes from the culture we have tried to create,” he said. “We try to do the right thing for our people regardless of what that might be and they, in turn, do the right thing for our customers. In the end, it always is about taking care of our people and our customers.”

But attracting good people to the construction and equipment industry is a struggle across the country. Weller said Kirby-Smith has a little advantage in overcoming that problem.

“We are fortunate to be in the Midwest, from Illinois to Texas,” he said. “We attract a lot of people that understand hard work. Hopefully, we can continue to attract such people to work and take care of our customers.”

The company CEO noted that it is an industry-wide problem — with companies all vying for technicians from a limited resource pool of skilled labor.

“I grew up working on cars and we still need people in the field getting their hands dirty,” he said. “We’re working with accredited schools and creating different programs to address our needs. There is a world of opportunity available for potential service technicians and we want to get the message out.”

Arapidis added that attracting good people is a challenge at all levels.

“If people at the management level are worthy of having a discussion with, I ask our team to bring them in and talk with them,” he said. “If they want to come, but we don’t have an opportunity, let’s talk to them, anyway. Maybe we will have something in 90 days or can create a new opportunity. We always need good people.”

Weller is responsible for introducing a KirbySmith feature that contributes to the company’s one mission-one team culture — a challenge coin. Weller’s father was a U.S. Marine who served in the Korean conflict. Weller found among his things a Marine challenge coin and brought the idea to the company.

The small Kirby-Smith medallions are carried by employees who, without warning, sometimes are challenged to produce Jeff Weller, Chief them.

Operating Officer “If you are called out and you don’t have it, it costs you $20 bucks, which is put in a kitty,” he said. “We have distributed 10 or 12 thousand dollars in the last six years to people who have a lost a spouse or suffered something else.”

He added the coin is another way to instill a sense of unity in the company from top to bottom. ** Forty years in business is a significant achievement. Yet, a company’s longevity is no guarantee of continued success. Some iconic companies have come and gone. Kirby-Smith Machinery leaders believe the company is up to meeting challenges of the future.

A Komatsu PC650LC-11 excavator and HM400-5 articulated dump truck on a project in West Texas.

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For your succe ess.

The Wirtgen Group congratulates Kirby-Smith Machinery, Inc. on their 40th anniversary.

CLOSE TO OUR CUSTOMERS

RO OA AD AND MINER AL TECHNOLOGIES. The WIRTGEN GROUP owes it s s trength to the excellence of it s produc t brands – WIRTGEN, VÖGELE, HAMM and KLEEMANN – with their unique wealth of experience. Put your trus t in the WIRTGEN GROUP team.

Find out more: www.wirtgen-group.com

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Komatsu provides Kirby-Smith Machinery telematics data on machines that are equipped with it, so in many cases, the contractor can make a diagnosis before arriving at the site.

Rickey Bailey, Vice President, Crane Division

“I’m an eternal optimist,” said Arapidis. “But I keep reality in play. I think the industry will change in the next 40 years and we have to adapt to those changes, so we can continue to thrive as an industry leader. It is a wonderful dream, to be at this level for 40 more years and pass on the torch for yet another 40 years.

That would be an amazing thing.”

He added that continued success will only come if the company holds on to a basic understanding of its role in the industry.

“I remember long ago meeting a customer on the West Coast,” he said, “It stays in my memory. He told me that manufacturers, dealers and customers are like a three-legged stool. Every leg has to survive for the stool to stay upright. It is not about gouging anyone or making or losing money. It is about everyone

Members of Digby Construction speak with Kirby-Smith Machinery’s Jerrod Ellison (center).

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being happy at the end of the day.”

Cole put it succinctly, “I think the best people will keep Kirby-Smith in business. We bring expertise to the table and expertise is what everyone is looking for.”

The company founder also alluded to people, rather than machines, as the deciding factor on the future success of the company.

“We see so many foreign entities showing up with brands that, frankly, we’ve never heard of,” Kirby said. “There will continue to be lots of sales competition. Success will be all about service.”

Weller said he and others in management are looking ahead at the same time they are remembering how the company came to be.

“I hope the company reaches 40 more years,” said the COO. “We work on that kind of succession planning. Ed Kirby is a tremendous entrepreneur, and we want to protect his legacy.” 

Kirby-Smith Machinery has nearly 400 employees dedicated to product support.

Product Support Doing “the next right thing” has become ingrained as part of the Kirby-Smith culture and nowhere does that philosophy manifest itself more than in its Product Support Team.

With nearly 400 product support employees working from 12 locations, a central parts warehouse and dispatch centers, Kirby-Smith supports thousands of customers across five states and Division Vice President Kirby-Smith Machinery’s David Kellerstrass isn’t David Kellerstrass, who exaggerating when he was recently promoted to explains that product supVice President of Product port at the dealership Support. “encompasses a lot.”

“There are a lot of moving parts in what we do,” Kellerstrass said, “and doing what’s right for the customer in every aspect is how we set ourselves apart, whether that’s in a repair situation, a parts transaction or just routine preventive maintenance on a piece of equipment.”

There are a lot of manufacturers today and many make comparable products, he added.

“So, customer service becomes the way to stand out,” he said. “Our goal is for our customers to know that they can rely on us for a rapid solution to their problem, and at a fair price.”

The Kellerstrass team supports customers from Pecos, Texas, to St. Louis, Mo., a distance of more than 1,000 mi. Still, he said, service

requests receive a “first touch” within 24 hours in nearly every case.

There are 260 technicians — some in the shop, others in mobile service units — who answer parts questions and fill service needs for a range of products from skid steers to milling machines to all-terrain cranes.

While that all might seem daunting, technology makes their task more manageable than it would have been in the past.

“Technology is constantly evolving,” Kellerstrass said. “Komatsu provides us telematics data on machines that are equipped with it, so in many cases, we can make a diagnosis before arriving at the site.”

In other instances, he said, that same technology allows for a complete diagnosis over the phone.

Mapping technology makes coordinating the efforts of all those field reps and service trucks more manageable, according to Kellerstrass.

“Knowing the exact location of every tech and every truck allows us to dispatch them much more efficiently and that ultimately gives our customer a quicker response,” he said.

The latest in equipment and technology requires significant training and continuing education and Kirby-Smith is staffed with a highly prepared workforce. The company works closely with Oklahoma State University’s Institute of Technology in a new fast-track program that puts entry-level techs through an eight-week program to prepare them for the shop. The company also has a longer-term internship program for technicians, while also taking advantage of all training offered by their manufacturer partners.

Kirby-Smith’s “do the next right thing” culture, combined with its well trained and equipped personnel, leads directly to satisfied customers.

“The dedication of our team is impressive,” Kellerstrass said. “They work in difficult conditions — cold, wet, hot, rainy, muddy — and yet maintain a great customer-first attitude. They are dedicated to both the customer and to each other. They know we are about building relationships and that keeps bringing customers back to invest in the Kirby-Smith brands.”  (All photos courtesy of Kirby-Smith Machinery.)

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Congratulations to Kirby-Smith for 40 years of innovation!

Maximizing growth through valued partnerships.

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CONGRAT ATULA LATIONNS!

LeeBoy salutes our friends and partners at Kirby-Smith K b S hM Machinery h in celebrating this historical milestone.

AS DEPENDABLE AS YOUR DAY AY IS LONG.

www.LeeBoy.com

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Equipment Sales When an equipment dealership represents a wide variety of industryleading brands, selling the machinery might seem an easy task — to the extent that brand performance and reliability sell themselves. Yet, there always are underlying market currents that can weaken foundational assumptions about who is going to buy how many of what type of equipment.

As Vice President of Sales at Kirby-Smith Gavin Cole, Vice Machinery Inc., Gavin Cole is President, Sales tasked with managing the direction of the company’s sales strategy, which means he needs to be able to interpret what he is seeing in the market and to anticipate what he can’t see so that the growth of the company is not slowed. That is a big job.

Cole called 2023 a “transitional year” for contractors after surviving the various challenges of the pandemic, followed by the accelerated growth and supply chain issues of 2022 — disrupted projects, unanticipated labor shortages and availability issues on machinery, parts and labor. Now, equipment owners face even more change as finance rates increase, the lending environment tightens and residential development patterns shift.

“A lot of contractors are looking at the services they’ve historically provided and then taking inventory of how to expand and remain

Owners face even more change as finance rates increase, the lending environment tightens and residential development patterns shift.

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Komatsu WA320-8 wheel loader on a Texas jobsite.

It is superior products that are the foundation of any dealership, but it is the people who keep them moving off the lot and onto jobsites.

flexible with market demands,” Cole said. “For example, if they were doing utility work or residential site work, they might be thinking about taking on some highway projects as an alternative. Our contractors who had been affected by a decline in oil and gas activity may now be finding themselves moving back into the Permian Basin to pursue new opportunities.”

Kirby-Smith is in many equipment markets, of course, so contractors moving to where they see opportunity doesn’t necessarily mean they will cease being Kirby-Smith customers. Yet, the sales force must per-

Cole called 2023 a “transitional year” for contractors after surviving the various challenges of the pandemic, followed by the accelerated growth and supply chain issues of 2022 — disrupted projects, unanticipated labor shortages and availability issues on machinery, parts and labor.

ceive the customer’s change in focus and to be there with equipment solutions.

“We move with the industry,” Cole said.

Cole is both a veteran of heavy equipment sales in the region served

by Kirby-Smith and a relative newcomer at the company, coming aboard just two years ago. For a 40-year-old organization to have pairs of new eyes in key positions generally is a plus.

Another example of the benefits of fresh thinking is Sam Schneider, the company’s general manager of industrial equipment. He just joined Kirby-Smith in August of last year. This spring, the dealership began to represent the Vacall vacuum truck line, a leading brand in the vacuum excavation and sewer cleaning industry.

“Sam’s strong relationship with Gradall [which now owns Vacall] was an important factor in Kirby-Smith now representing the product line,” Cole said.

So, yes, it is superior products that are the foundation of any dealership, but it is the people who keep them moving off the lot and onto job-

Sam Schnieder, General Manager of Industrial Equipment, was hired in August 2022.

sites. Cole said the company has a sterling lineup of salespeople — some of whom are specialists with a particular type of equipment, others are generalists who can cross over to help any customers with machinery needs.

“It is our people who really make it all happen,” Cole said, “our boots-on-the-ground people who are building relationships with customers. We have a tremendous, very valuable and well-trained sales force.”  19

Why Kirby-Smith For 40 years, Kirby-Smith Machinery, Inc. has been serving our customers with best-in-class equipment for sale, lease, and rent, and dedicated product support that both maximizes product performance through product training and minimizes downtime through responsive parts availability and service. We are an industry leading, full-service dealer offering equipment sales, rentals, parts and service for heavy equipment and cranes to the construction, earth-moving, mining, energy, paving, road building, lifting, material handling, compaction, demolition, and governmental markets. All of our equipment is selected for its performance and dependability and backed by manufacturer and dealer support.

Established in 1983 in Oklahoma City, Kirby-Smith has grown into a major regional distributor with 12 branch locations in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Missouri. Supporting these efforts is a team of nearly 700 employees who unified in creating lifetime customers, delivering consistent results, and being an indispensable resource to the markets we serve.

Major Product Lines: Kirby-Smith Machinery is an authorized dealer for Komatsu excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders, dump trucks, and motor graders, Manitowoc, Grove and National Crane cranes & boom trucks, WIRTGEN recyclers/stabilizers, milling machines, and slipform pavers, VÖGELE pavers, HAMM compactors, KLEEMANN crushers and screens, Terramac crawler carriers, Takeuchi compact equipment, Gradall excavators, Sullair air compressors, Masaba mining equipment, Magni, JLG and SkyTrak lifting equipment, Atlas and Mantsinen material handlers, Trail King trailers, NPK hammer, ESCO attachments, and many other leading equipment manufacturers.

Crane Inspections and Preventative Maintenance Service

Rentals:

Parts:

We are proud to maintain one of the largest rental fleets in the region, and we are continuously recognized in the industry for the quality and size of our rental fleet.

Comprehensive new and used parts inventory to keep your up-time at a maximum and down-time to a minimum.

MyKomatsu makes parts ordering easy! Order new or used parts online 24/7 for most makes and models. We offer many attachments and parts so you can rely on one source for all your parts needs. Order remanufactured OEM Parts that meet the highest standards.

• Large fleet of current model equipment • Rentals available by the week, month or longer • Low weekly and monthly rates • Variety of options: rent, rent to purchase, buy or lease.

Kirby-Smith Machinery is one of the largest crane dealers in North America. With that distinction, we offer a variety of services from customized service programs to annual crane inspections. Kirby-Smith Machinery has met the highest service support standards set by Manitowoc cranes and is certified as an “Elite” Manitowoc dealer. Kirby-Smith offers crane inspections that satisfy all OSHA and ANSI requirements.

Periodic crane inspections help you avoid unplanned downtime, unexpected breakdowns, and injuries. We are certified to conduct annual crane and truck inspections.

Crane Inspections • Preventative Maintenance Programs • Modernization Upgrades • Online Crane Parts and Accessories Extensive Rental Fleet • New and Used Sales • Trade-ins Welcome • Emergency Repairs 24/7

Pipeline and Energy Construction Support: We have years of experience serving the various energy construction markets such as pipeline construction, large scale transmission projects, and renewable energy, including wind and solar farm projects. We are one of the largest fullservice equipment distributors in North America and fully scalable to meet all your equipment needs, such as on-site parts & service support.

As one of the largest sources of used Komatsu, Manitowoc, and Wirtgen Group equipment in North America, we have a highly successful used equipment business operating both domestically and internationally. Whatever machine you are looking for, start your search today at KirbyUsed.com!

Our Equipment

Material Handling:

Service and Maintenance:

With a large inventory of new and used equipment for sale, we have the ability and versatility to meet any application requirement that you might have. KirbySmith Machinery has consistently ranked in the top 5% in Komatsu’s service providers in North America and is certified as an “Elite” Manitowoc servicing crane dealer.

In all areas of construction, our products offer the flexibility and performance you need to take your business to the next level and allow you to easily handle any type of job site requirements. We offer customized equipment purchase options: Buy, Finance, Lease, Rent, or Rent-to-Own • Kirby-Smith works closely with the manufacturers we represent to develop programs that use the latest technology to monitor your equipment’s condition and performance • Low finance rates are available with Komatsu Financial.

Kirby-Smith Machinery supports the scrap, recycling, demolition, ports & terminals, and other industries operating in the material handling space as an authorized dealer for Atlas and Mantsinen material handlers, Spaleck screening equipment, HKD Blue dust suppression cannons, and a full range of attachments from Genesis, Rotobec, Bateman, Winkle, and more. Sales, rentals, parts and service available. Not all product lines are available at all locations.

Each of our locations offers superior service, maintenance and inspection services. See how Kirby-Smith can benefit your construction equipment needs. Manufacturer certified technicians for all brands we service. Our service technicians go through rigorous training requirements to be certified to service your equipment. Customized inspections and training programs to fit the needs of your worksite. Field Service trucks equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostics. Our trucks deliver 24-hours a day, 365- days a year. Turnkey maintenance to take the hassle and worry out of maintaining your equipment. Oil Sampling and Analysis Programs to help with scheduled repairs and prevent unexpected failures. Product Support Representatives (PSSR) work personally with your company to reduce costs, reduce downtime, and maximize ROI on your equipment. We offer factory Certified Rebuilds and Hydraulic Services. We offer mobile AC and Hose repair services.

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Komatsu Smart Construction Support Komatsu technology is leading the way on creating the jobsite of the future and Kirby-Smith Machinery’s Smart Construction Support Team will help you get the most out of your intelligent machines and support you on your digital transformation with solutions, including: • Komatsu Intelligent Machine Control Equipment – Advanced proprietary machine technology.

• Smart Construction Dashboard - Visualize your data for actionable results.

• Smart Construction Design Go from rolled-up paper plans to robust 3D designs.

• Smart Construction Drone Accurately map your job site, in less time.

• Smart Construction Field - Realtime insights straight from the field.

• Smart Construction Feet - Data collection for fleet and load tracking made easy.

• Smart Construction Remote Stay connected to your machines.

• Smart Construction Retrofit Bring 3D to most Komatsu conventional excavators.

Crane Rapid Response Service- Call Toll Free for Emergency / Crane Down Services: 888-839-2410 Road Construction & Minerals Equipment Expertise Kirby-Smith Machinery’s Road Construction & Minerals Team is here to partner with you and maximize the performance of your equipment. We have product specialists for specialized equipment categories including Milling, Road Stabilization, Concrete Paving, Asphalt Paving, Crushing & Screening and more.

Best Practices for Machine Applications • Start-ups and Product Demos • Operations and Operator Training • Machine Inspection • General Q&A On Machines and Technology

When you need emergency crane parts and service or are facing a crane down situation, the Kirby-Smith Machinery Crane Rapid Response Team is ready to rapidly and efficiently respond to your needs. With Crane Rapid Response as your partner, you can expect to work with friendly, knowledgeable Crane Professionals that are equipped with the very latest training and best tools available.

How Kirby-Smith’s Crane Rapid Response Helps Our Customers: Mitigates requirements for acquisition, training, retention of qualified service personnel • Reduces investment in assets and facilities – Field Service trucks, specialized tooling, diagnostic equipment and specialized technical training and certifications, etc. • Reduces service downtime through utilization of state-of-the-art, purpose-built laptops and highly trained technicians • Reduces costly unplanned repairs and improves machine reliability through use of a proactive approach and timely follow-up • Attracts optimal resale/trade-in values for well-kept machines with detailed service records available • Mitigates administrative responsibilities – scheduling, parts ordering, record-keeping, etc. • Assures that all OEM-required tasks and activities are complied with.

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“We have a big focus on the larger end of equipment as well — heavy earthmoving machinery and aggregate and paving equipment,” Puckett said. “They are a prime focus for us. This includes the wide range of cranes offered by Kirby-Smith.

Compact equipment is popular among smaller contractors, landscapers, ranch and farm owners and heavier equipment is rented out to the larger contractors.

Rentals are a principal driver of the business, accounting for more than a quarter of the company’s overall annual revenue stream.

Equipment Rentals Twenty-five years ago, Bryce Puckett was a yard technician in a rental company office in Oklahoma City, prepping tools for customers and helping deliver machinery. He moved over to Kirby-Smith Equipment 20 years ago and worked in the rental and industrial equipment division. But he returned permanently to equipment rentals in 2009 when Kirby-Smith acquired Continental Equipment in Bryce Puckett, Dallas and Puckett was General Manager, named rental manager for Rentals the company’s Texas locations. Now, he manages all of Kirby-Smith’s rentals and just completed a three-year term as a regional director of the American Rental Association.

In short, Puckett knows the equipment rental industry. Management of the company’s 3,000-piece rental fleet is in good hands.

How important is rentals to the company? It is recognized as a principal driver of the business, accounting for more than a quarter of the company’s overall annual revenue stream. The types of equipment rented vary across the company’s five-state footprint, Puckett said. Compact equipment is popular among smaller contractors, landscapers, ranch and

farm owners and heavier equipment is rented out to the larger contractors.

“We have a big focus on the larger end of equipment as well — heavy earthmoving machinery and aggregate and paving equipment,” Puckett said. “They are a prime focus for us. This includes the wide range of cranes offered by Kirby-Smith, some of which are in the rental fleet.

They’re a special breed of machinery. It’s pretty important that we get it right when we rent one of those.”

Approximately 50 employees officially work in rentals at KirbySmith, most as support staff from rental offices in the main dealership building at each location. Rental employees rely upon and support the company’s outside sales team to land rental contracts as an alternative to buying. The end in either case is the same: though a piece of equipment on average is rented for less than 90 days, most longer-term rental contracts are converted to sales.

Thus, the huge rental fleet serves two purposes as a pool of equipment for renters and as way to move used equipment.

“Every machine in our fleet that we purchase, we purchase with an exit in mind,” Puckett said. “The rent-to-own option is one of those tools we utilize to allow customers to get familiar with a piece of equipment, to see if a specific unit will work for them. A majority of them convert over.”

Puckett notes that in Europe, 80 percent of heavy equipment is rented and he sees rental activity continuing to grow across the U.S. market as companies opt for more flexibility in their rolling stock. Kirby-Smith is prepared to supply that demand.

“The amount of attention and work that Kirby-Smith puts into making sure our rental fleet is in as good a shape as possible is because it is a core part of our business. It’s a blessing to be a part of that,” Puckett said.  (All photos courtesy of Kirby-Smith Machinery.)

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A customer receives their order from the parts counter in Dallas.

Parts When Ed Kirby formed Kirby-Smith Equipment in 1983, it wasn’t about parts. The company existed to acquire and sell used pieces of construction equipment, of which there was an abundance after a downturn in the oil and gas industry.

The character of the company quickly changed the following year, when it took on equipment fresh out of the factory, first Wade Gaines, Vice Kawasaki and then President, Parts Link-Belt cranes and excavators. Three years later, Komatsu equipment was added to the lineup of machinery. Kirby-Smith was solidly in the new equipment business then and providing parts to buyers of its machinery became a core function of the business.

Today, the dealership has a central warehouse in the DallasForth Worth area and parts departments in a dozen locations in several states. Wade Gaines rides herd on the system. The vice president of parts oversees $21 million in inventory and presides over an overnight shuttle process that each day shunts parts from location to location as needed.

“There are a lot of moving components,” Gaines said. “It really is about the team in the parts departments, the managers and

regional managers. They are talented guys. Our success is about those people.”

Gaines joined Kirby-Smith nine months ago but has worked in the construction industry for more than three decades, much of it in parts handling. He brings another pair of fresh eyes to the company at a critical position and said he sees room for improvement, particularly following the disruptions of the pandemic.

“We will be revisiting some policies and procedures and

“The company has a great group of leadership. They are building a culture that will continue to make us successful.”

streamlining some of them,” he said.

While the worst of the back-order and slowdown in parts delivery from manufacturers has receded along with alarm over COVID-19, getting parts is not yet headache-free.

“It’s gotten better,” he said. “The majority of problems have settled down, but we still have issues in certain things at certain times. Some things still are not showing up when we’re told they will.”

In keeping with their ascendant position in the hierarchy of brands represented by Kirby-Smith, Komatsu as well as the dealer’s leading brands of aggregate handing and paving equipment account for most of the parts on shelves. But cranes, aerial platforms, 26

Jose Rodriguez helps a customer with his parts order.

pumps and telehandlers and on and on break down and wear out, too. Parts are in stock for those machines, as well.

There are 85 employees working in the department and Gaines faces the same staffing challenge experienced in other departments — trying to attract young people.

“We are having to evaluate how we interact with the generations who are coming in,” he said. “We need to be more involved

Today, the dealership has a central warehouse in the Dallas-Forth Worth area and parts departments in a dozen locations in several states.

with them than used to be necessary. Their wants and desires are not the same.”

But Gaines has confidence Kirby-Smith will prevail in its attraction of another generation of employees.

“The company has a great group of leadership,” he said. “They are building a culture that will continue to make us successful.”  (All photos courtesy of KSM.)

Victor Kotulek, Parts Manager, Oklahoma City.

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National Accounts Mike Kunin, long-time employee of Komatsu America, joined Kirby-Smith in October 2021, just in time to be part of the company as it powered through the pandemic.

Did the impact of COVID-19 make him think twice about having jumped to the dealership?

“Not at all,” said the company’s Vice President of National Accounts. “Coming to Kirby-Smith was the best move I ever made. I knew it was going to be a good move and it’s even better than I thought it was going to be.”

Kunin’s 22 years of experience with the dealer’s flagship manufacturer was capped as central region business director of Komatsu’s construction and forestry products.

At Kirby-Smith, he still is surrounded by such products — including Komatsu dozers, excavators, graders, dump trucks and loaders of many sizes.

Mike Kunin, It is Kunin’s job to sustain partnerships with the dealer’s Vice President, major manufacturers — Komatsu, Wirtgen Group, National Accounts Manitowoc, Takeuchi and so on — and help build/support agreements with national accounts. “Relationships management” is what he referred to it as.

“The manufacturers generally establish the pricing and it is up to us to support the customers to the point that we continue to expand our relationships,” he said. “It’s a competitive environment, and the best thing we do is provide solutions to problems that our customers are faced with.”

With so much competition from established heavy-duty manufacturers in the region, Kunin was asked if much attention is paid to the second-tier manufacturers in the marketplace.

“The supply disruptions that impacted some of the big producers opened the door to smaller manufacturers,” he said.

What gives Kirby-Smith an edge among those manufacturers is the dealership’s customer support.

“Contractors really are dependent upon the proximity of locations and upon product support,” Kunin

It is Kunin’s job to sustain partnerships with the dealer’s major manufacturers — Komatsu, Wirtgen Group, Manitowoc, Takeuchi and so on — and help build/support agreements with national accounts. “Relationships management” is what he referred to it as. said. “The second-tier manufacturers don’t have the locations, the parts warehouse and so on that we bring to our customers.”

Kunin agrees with the description of the company as “resilient” and being well-positioned for the next economic storm.

“With our geographic footprint, management structure and all the money coming into Texas for new infrastructure, I think we’ll be able to withstand the next challenge,” he said. “I think we’ll experience less of a downturn than some parts of the country.”

Some of that infrastructure in the region is for oil and pipeline industries, which Kirby-Smith equipment heavily supports.

“We’re involved in solar and wind energy industries, too — building pads and infrastructure and clearing areas for construction — but not as much as pipeline work,” he said So, will Kirby-Smith Equipment see another 40 years in business?

“I won’t see [another] 40, of course,” he said, “but Kirby-Smith has a strong foundation built on supporting our customers. There is no doubt in my mind the same will be true 40 years from now.”  (All photos courtesy of Kirby-Smith Machinery.)

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Congratulatio ons Kirby y--Smith.

Heartfelt congratulations from the entire Thom h pson Pump family as you celebrate 40 remarkable years. Thom h psonPump.com

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Every gathering or meeting of Kirby-Smith personnel begins with what Lincoln calls a “safety share moment,” where someone relays a story demonstrating the importance of being cautious on the job.

Safety and Environmental Heavy equipment can be dangerous — heavy steel, moving parts and sharp edges all contribute to the potential for harm to the operator and those in proximity.

With 700 employees across five states, logging millions of miles annually, on and off highways and at challenging job sites, safety is a big challenge for a company like KirbySmith.

The equipment dealJames Lincoln, Safety, Environmental Director er knows it has a paramount responsibility of ensuring all these employees return home safely after a day’s work — and its outstanding safety record proves it takes that obligation seriously. The equipment mega-dealer covets the numerous safety awards amassed over the years because it has worked hard to earn them all.

“We have a great safety record because we are committed to it,” said James Lincoln, Kirby’s Safety and Environmental Director. “We do this for our people, not for any safety awards. We care and we execute because it’s the right thing to do.”

The safety-first culture is cultivated at the top of the organization, Lincoln said.

Every gathering or meeting of Kirby-Smith personnel begins with what Lincoln calls a “safety share moment,” where someone relays a

story demonstrating the importance of being cautious on the job.

“Even our executive team begins their meetings that way,” he said.

That commitment to safety is all about protecting people — both employees and customers, as well as the environment and the company’s assets.

“We have a zero-harm culture and have put policies and procedures in place to support that culture,” added Lincoln.

Safety policies and procedures are applied in every situation KirbySmith employees could face. Technicians encounter challenges working in the shop, driving to a site to support a customer and working at a remote site. Sales personnel often visit customers’ work sites to demo products.

“We expect our people to be safe wherever they are,” said Lincoln.

“We do not reduce our safety expectations just because our people may not be at a company branch.”

Site safety orientations are the norm and both employees and customers have come to expect and are grateful for them.

“Our employees appreciate that management will go above and beyond to make sure they are safe,” Lincoln said. “They see first-hand that they are supplied the equipment and tooling to get the job done safely.”

Lincoln leads a safety board that meets monthly and includes stakeholders within the organization and from the ranks of its customers. Best practices are shared and put into practice on an ongoing basis.

At Kirby-Smith, the notion of “safety” is not just some word used to help its employees and customers feel like the company cares about them; rather it is a moral value that guides all its team members, no matter what their job titles are. By working and communicating together, every one of its 700 employees can be assured that he or she will return home safely to their families and loved ones after a day’s work — and return tomorrow, ready for another safe and successful day.  (All photos courtesy of Kirby-Smith Machinery.)

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Human Resources The number of people working at Kirby-Smith has grown to more than 700 through the years and that number is only expected to increase. With all the advancements in technology and machines, people are still the company’s most valuable resource.

As Human Resources Director, Angela Brewer is charged with overseeing all functional areas of the human resources department, which includes hiring practices, onboarding, Angela Brewer, Human Resources Director employee benefits, policies, employee relations, recruiting, etc. at the giant machinery distributorship. In her seven years with Kirby-Smith, Brewer has witnessed a 100-percent growth in the number of employees.

Interestingly though, Brewer does not look at the massive size of her company as its greatest strength.

take great care of our employees,” Brewer said. “When I started, all our employee files were in folders. Every document we ever had on that employee was in that folder. We have now condensed the files [being compliant with employee retention laws] and all employee files are electronic,” she said.

“We also have our new hire onboarding that is electronic through our HRIS, as well as a Learning Management System for online training that all new hires go through as well monthly modules they are sent to complete.

“We are continuously looking at our processes, trying to improve and make them better," Brewer added.

Always looking at better ways for the company and its employees to communicate, Brewer said the company currently is working to implement a companywide communication program/app that she said will “improve internal communication at all levels of the company. It will be both faster and more accurate, giving employees choices in how they want to receive communication — desktop, app, TV screens for example.”

All of that adds up to Kirby-Smith being a great place to work, Brewer said.

“Like any company, we do occasionally have a person leave for different opportunities or situations,” she said. “One thing that has surprised me through the years is the fact that a lot of them end up coming back to Kirby-Smith. That says a lot about the company and the culture we have here.”

Brewer said the company has numerous openings at any of its 12 branches and at its home office in Oklahoma City.

To learn more about available opportunities, visit https://www.kirbysmith.com/career/work-for-us  (All photos courtesy of Kirby-Smith Machinery.)

“We are continuously looking at our processes, trying to improve and make them better.”

“I’d say one of our biggest strengths is the fact that although we may have a lot of employees, we still have the family culture,” said Brewer.

“We genuinely care about our employees and their families. It’s very exciting to work side by side with the leaders of this company that truly care about our company, our employees, and our future.”

Family atmosphere aside, there is a lot of work that goes into overseeing the HR department. It has been a busy seven years for Brewer.

“I’m very fortunate to also have a very solid HR team that together we

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Manitowoc congratulate congratulates es

on 40 years of success!

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