KSM 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 Kawasaki and then 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 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 plat- forms, 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 with them than used to be necessary. Their wants and desires are not the same.”

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

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.)