Heavy Hitters - Built to Last: Strategic Insights from the Trenches of Big Industry

What does it take to go from an Iowa farm to building a trench safety business from scratch?In this episode of Heavy Hitters, host Jay Lucas sits down with Stacy Irons, a heavy equipment and trench safety leader with nearly two decades of experience across sales, operations, national accounts, and executive leadership.Stacy shares how she got started in equipment rental, why trench safety requires a consultative approach to sales, and how getting into the field helped her become a stronger leader. She also talks about turning around an underperforming branch, developing sales teams, and the leadership programs that shaped her career.The conversation also covers CRM adoption, Salesforce, using technology to help sales reps stay organized, and the difference between setting goals and simply tracking metrics.Stacy opens up about leaving the corporate environment, taking an executive opportunity with Able Equipment, and eventually moving into an entrepreneurial role in the trench shoring and safety space. Throughout the conversation, she shares practical lessons on leadership, culture, sales, mentorship, vendor relationships, and making career decisions that fit the person you want to become.Key TakeawaysTrench safety is a consultative, engineered sale focused on saving lives and building partnerships.Great operational leaders lead by example, get in the field, and stay naturally curious.Branch turnarounds require sales drive, knowledge, coaching, and hands-on leadership.CRM and technology only work when reps see personal value and efficiency.Use metrics to guide management, but give sales reps goals, not just activity quotas.Culture, mentorship, and vendor trust can be decisive in starting a new division.After corporate acquisitions, professionals must weigh loyalty against personal growth.Relationships still matter, but technology can make relationship-builders more valuable.In This Episode:[00:00:00] Welcome to Heavy Hitters[00:01:12] Stacy’s career path from Iowa to rental[00:03:33] Moving into trench safety[00:08:12] Consulting, OSHA, and saving lives[00:13:04] Changing old-school safety mindsets[00:21:58] From outside sales to branch manager[00:27:55] Doubling revenue at an underperforming branch[00:29:10] Leadership lessons: lead by example[00:39:36] National accounts and the LIFT program[00:53:16] CRM, Salesforce, and metrics vs. goals[00:48:49] Joining Able Equipment and “just do it”[00:57:23] Technology efficiency in the field[01:05:08] Acquisition, non-compete, and next move[01:11:00] Starting a trench safety division[01:16:23] Connecting with Stacy Notable Quotes[08:47] “It’s not just relationships we’re building, it’s partnerships we’re building.” — Stacy Irons[11:55] "The average cave-in is 3.5 to 5 cubic yards, and the weight of that is 15,000 pounds." — Stacy Irons[14:19] “If I know more than they know, maybe they’ll listen to me.” — Stacy Irons[27:24] “You can have a lot of revenue, but if you have a lot of expenses, what is the point of the revenue?” — Stacy Irons[29:16] “Lead by example. Don't be afraid to go out and help or show them.” — Stacy Irons[1:01:43] “It should be goals for sales reps... not metrics.” — Stacy IronsOur GuestStacy Irons runs the trench shoring and safety division for a third-generation family-owned rental company in Ohio. She spent 12 years at United Rentals in outside sales, branch management, national accounts, and district sales leadership. She also served as VP of operations and sales at Able Equipment. She is a college softball alum and Ironman finisher.Resources and LinksHeavy Hitters PodcastLink: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/heavy-hitters-built-to-last-strategic-insights-from/id1847968841Jay LucasWebsite: https://reputablerecruiting.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaylucas/Stacy IronsVandalia Rental: https://vandaliarental.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacy-irons-2871426/

How can the heavy equipment industry close the gap between what sales reps learn in the field and what actually makes it into dealership systems?

In this episode of Heavy Hitters, host Jay Lucas sits down with Martin Roth, co-founder of Filmore, to explore how AI agents are helping solve that “air gap” in equipment sales.

Martin shares his journey from building and scaling B2B software companies to helping grow Level Set into a half-billion-dollar acquisition, then returning to his roots in the construction equipment industry. He explains why sales reps are still underserved by technology and why driving more revenue isn’t necessarily about adding another dashboard. It’s about taking the administrative work off their plates so they can spend more time selling and building relationships in the field.

The conversation also digs into what the “air gap” really looks like. Martin explains how Filmore combines public data, including permits and UCC filings, with a dealer’s internal data to help identify who is likely to need equipment, rentals, or service.

Jay and Martin also talk about the reality of messy data, why relationships will always matter in this industry, and why dealers should judge new technology by the return it delivers, not the hype surrounding it.

Listen to the full episode to hear Martin’s take on where AI, data, and field sales are taking the heavy equipment industry, and how dealers can turn better intelligence into real revenue.

In This Episode:

• [00:00] Welcome to Heavy Hitters

• [03:00] Martin's journey from Level Set to heavy equipment

• [05:41] Using data to predict equipment demand

• [07:52] Why sales reps need better technology

• [14:26] Finding missed equipment opportunities

• [16:03] Relationships, competition, and market transparency

• [22:07] Building Filmore around data and outcomes

• [23:11] What makes dealer data "messy"

• [27:37] From data to insights to action

• [33:15] Understanding the "air gap"

• [35:22] Capturing lost knowledge from sales teams

• [38:34] Sales enablement and onboarding

• [41:12] The data that doesn't exist

• [45:29] Reducing administrative work for sales reps

• [48:51] Why UCC data alone misses the market

• [52:40] How Filmore works without another CRM

• [57:41] Connecting rental activity to equipment sales

• [01:03:49] The future of voice and AI in the field

• [01:07:50] Who Filmore serves

• [01:12:09] Three opportunities for dealers and rental companies

Notable Quotes

• [07:50] "It's not really about automation. It's about making sure that you as a salesperson are spending time doing what you do best." — Martin Roth

• [09:47] "Every dealer and equipment company is looking to grow... And the sales and marketing professionals in this industry, I think, are underserved by the technology that they have, and more importantly, by the data that they use day to day." — Martin Roth

• [34:57] "Your reps are already using Claude and ChatGPT all day long." — Martin Roth

• [45:16] "We can solve this problem of pulling this together to make the humans who have the relationships more valuable to their customers because they're equipped with more knowledge and more context in their conversations." — Martin Roth

  
  

Our Guest

Martin Roth is the co-founder of Filmore, a company building AI agents to close the gap between field intelligence and dealer systems in the heavy equipment industry. A seasoned go-to-market leader, Martin was the Chief Revenue Officer at Level Set, where he built the sales and marketing organization from the early days through its acquisition by Procore. Prior to Fillmore, he spent over 15 years building and scaling sales teams in B2B software. He is a New Orleans native with deep family ties to the construction equipment business.

Resources and Links

Heavy Hitters Podcast

• Link

Jay Lucas

• Website

• Linkedin

Martin Roth

• Filmore

• LinkedIn

• Email: [email protected]

What if the amount and quality of industry information you consume could become a competitive advantage?

In this episode of Heavy Hitters, host Jay Lucas sits down with Jon Rossi, founder of Digital Iron Group, to explore the growing power of media, data, and industry intelligence in heavy equipment.

Jon shares his journey from dealership IT to entrepreneurship, including how he built a SaaS company that solved a practical communication problem for equipment dealers before eventually being acquired. After the acquisition, he returned to the industry with a new mission: make heavy equipment information easier to find, consume, and understand.

The conversation explores why industry information remains fragmented and why Jon believes a centralized, searchable platform can help dealers, OEMs, investors, and technology companies make better decisions. They also discuss looking beyond your own brand, building reach through LinkedIn, and understanding buying decisions.

The episode closes with AI. Jon explains why companies should not adopt AI simply because it is available, but should first understand the problem, build a business case, define ROI, and establish what success looks like.

Key Takeaways

• Why media and data consumption can become a competitive differentiator

• How Jon's dealership IT experience shaped his entrepreneurial journey

• The customer problem that inspired his first SaaS company

• What founders can experience after a successful acquisition

• Why heavy equipment remains relationship-driven

• Why industry information is still fragmented

• How Digital Iron Group brings media and data together

• Why dealers and OEMs should look beyond their own brands

• How better information supports investors and technology companies

• Why AI should be evaluated through business cases and ROI

In This Episode:

• [00:00] Welcome to Heavy Hitters

• [01:42] Jon's path into heavy equipment

• [02:31] From dealership IT to entrepreneurship

• [06:06] Building a successful SaaS company

• [14:02] The impact of an acquisition

• [21:18] The industry's information gap

• [22:50] The case for centralized intelligence

• [34:04] Media vs. data

• [36:40] Helping investors and startups

• [44:31] Building an audience on LinkedIn

• [54:00] Understanding customers and decision-makers

• [01:02:52] The right conversation about AI

Notable Quotes

• [11:21] "The average service call took 8 minutes... that's 80 minutes in just phone time. That's really, it's a loss of productivity." — Jon Rossi

• [21:16] "Your word is your bond, so to speak." — Jon Rossi

• [26:19] "Every other industry that there's consolidation happening, people want a single channel. They don't want to go to all these different websites to try and figure out what's going on." — Jon Rossi

• [28:13] "I do believe that there is a need for a central solution to get your data from." — Jon Rossi

• [01:03:09] "You can't hold AI accountable. You hold people accountable." — Jon Rossi

• [01:04:19] "You're a bit of an industry lubricant. What you're providing should make the ease of transacting business in heavy equipment easier, with less friction, with less headwind." — Jay Lucas

Our Guest

Jon Rossi is the founder of Digital Iron Group, a new media and data platform on a mission to become the definitive source of information for the heavy equipment industry. Jon is a serial entrepreneur with deep experience at the intersection of equipment and technology. He spent a decade at a Komatsu dealership, where he rose from IT admin to Director of IT & Operations. He then founded a SaaS company designed to improve dealership-customer communication which was later acquired by a Fortune 100 OEM. Now, Jon is building Dig to aggregate industry news, data, and insights, providing a "Bloomberg-like" resource for dealers, OEMs, investors, and entrepreneurs.

Resources and Links:

Heavy Hitters Podcast

• Link

Jay Lucas

• Website

• Linkedin

Jon Rossi

• Digital Iron Group

• LinkedIn

What separates the companies that survive from the ones that dominate their markets?

According to Andrew Ryan, it isn't bigger budgets or bigger brands. It's the willingness to see opportunities that everyone else overlooks.

In this episode of Heavy Hitters, host Jay Lucas sits down with Andrew Ryan, President of LiuGong North America and a veteran leader whose career has taken him from nearly 25 years at Caterpillar to executive leadership across Asia, South America, and North America. Having worked in more than 70 countries and lived on three continents, Andrew brings a truly global perspective to an industry that often assumes North America has all the answers.

Andrew explains why emerging markets frequently produce some of the industry's most innovative business practices, how dealers overseas build stronger partnerships with OEMs, and why customer-focused organizations consistently outperform companies that organize themselves around internal processes. Drawing on decades of leadership experience, he shares lessons from transforming dealer networks, designing customer-first sales models, and helping organizations embrace continuous improvement instead of becoming comfortable with past success.

The conversation also tackles one of the industry's most talked-about topics: China's rise as a global manufacturing powerhouse. Andrew discusses how Chinese OEMs have evolved from low-cost competitors into world-class innovators, why electrification is advancing faster than many realize, and what North American dealers should understand as global competition continues to reshape the construction equipment market.

Beyond strategy, Andrew offers a deeply personal look at leadership. From the books that shaped his management philosophy to the importance of self-awareness, feedback, and empowering people, this episode is packed with practical wisdom for anyone leading teams, building organizations, or preparing for the future of heavy equipment.

If you're interested in dealer strategy, leadership, innovation, customer experience, or the future of construction equipment, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Let's dive in.

In This Episode:

• [00:00:19] Welcome to Heavy Hitters

• [00:00:36] Meet Andrew Ryan

• [00:02:20] Building a global career across three continents

• [00:04:42] What emerging markets teach about efficiency and capital deployment

• [00:13:45] How international experience changes your perspective on business

• [00:17:29] What North American dealers can learn from overseas organizations

• [00:19:56] Continuous improvement and dealer-OEM collaboration

• [00:25:20] What separates average dealerships from exceptional ones

• [00:27:14] Why customer-focused organizations outperform internally focused businesses

• [00:31:03] Lessons from David and Goliath

• [00:33:42] Building LiuGong North America differently

• [00:39:10] Customer-first sales models and organizational design

• [00:59:19] The evolution of Chinese manufacturing

• [01:03:10] Innovation, electrification, and the future of equipment

• [01:11:07] Advice for dealers considering Chinese equipment brands

Our Guest

Andrew Ryan is the President of LiuGong North America and a globally respected executive with more than three decades of leadership experience in the heavy equipment industry. Before joining LiuGong, Andrew spent nearly 25 years with Caterpillar, serving in leadership roles across North America, Asia, and South America.

Having worked in more than 70 countries and lived on three continents, Andrew brings a rare global perspective to dealer development, customer experience, product strategy, and organizational leadership. Today he leads LiuGong's growth across North America while helping redefine how a global challenger brand competes through innovation, customer support, and long-term partnerships.

Resources and Links

Heavy Hitters Podcast

• Link

Jay Lucas

• Website

• Linkedin

Andrew Ryan

• LiuGong North America Website

• LinkedIn
  

How do you rebrand one of the most respected names in heavy equipment without losing the trust of a generation of customers? For Simon Wilson and the Hitachi team, the answer wasn't a quick fix. It was a two-year journey, a new philosophy, and a whole lot of honest conversations

In this episode, host Jay Lucas sits down with Simon Wilson, Chief Operations Officer of Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas, to get the inside story on the company’s historic transition to LANDCROS.

Simon takes us behind the curtain of a rebrand that has been years in the making. He shares what it felt like to build a team from scratch after the amicable “divorce” from the John Deere joint venture, why the new name “LANDCROS” was chosen, and how the company is navigating the emotional weight of changing a brand that customers have trusted for generations. But this isn’t just a story about a new decal. Simon explains how this rebrand is a reflection of a much bigger philosophical shift, moving from being a hardware company to a solutions provider that embraces technology, data, and partnerships.

They discuss the challenges of growing a team from 40 to over 200 people in just a few years, the importance of giving dealers and customers time to process the change, and the surprising reception the rebrand has received from the industry. Simon also offers a masterclass in leadership, sharing the lessons he’s learned about empowering people, keeping the team’s eyes on a horizon that’s “just out of sight,” and why the heavy equipment industry is more exciting now than ever before.

If you’re interested in brand strategy, organizational transformation, or what it takes to lead through massive change, this episode is for you. Let’s dive in!

In This Episode:

• [00:00:00] Introduction and show welcome

• [00:00:46] Meet Simon Wilson

• [00:01:26] LANDCROS rebrand and why it matters

• [00:04:31] Simon Wilson’s career journey in heavy equipment

• [00:11:32] How he joined the Hitachi rebuild effort

• [00:15:58] Building the business from a small team

• [00:22:06] The history of the John Deere and Hitachi partnership

• [00:24:48] Itochu’s role in the company’s future

• [00:30:18] The emotional side of a brand change

• [00:45:33] Shift from machinery company to solutions provider

• [00:54:05] What “LANDCROS” stands for

• [01:02:09] What the rebrand means for customers and dealers

• [01:10:56] LANDCROS Connect and fleet management

• [01:15:20] Intelligent machines and automation

• [01:20:16] Leadership lessons from building the company

• [01:23:38] What excites Simon about the industry’s future 

Our Guest

Simon Wilson is the Chief Operations Officer of Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas. With nearly 30 years in the heavy equipment industry, Simon has held leadership roles across OEMs (CNH) and major dealer groups (Titan Machinery), giving him a unique, 360-degree perspective on the business. He now leads the charge in transforming Hitachi’s North American operations and guiding the organization through its historic rebrand to LANDCROS.

Resources and Links

Heavy Hitters Podcast

• https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/heavy-hitters-built-to-last-strategic-insights-from/id1847968841

Jay Lucas

• Website: https://reputablerecruiting.com/

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaylucas/

Simon Wilson

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-wilson-45339820/

Money matters. Everyone knows that. But after a certain point, it's not what keeps good people around. In this episode, host Jay Lucas talks with his partner Wade Massey, a recruiter who has interviewed thousands of candidates across the heavy equipment industry. Together, they walk through what really drives job satisfaction and why most hiring managers are looking in the wrong places.

Wade shares stories you don't usually hear. Candidates who turned down higher pay for a better fit. People who left great jobs not because of money, but because they were bored, or burned out, or working for a boss who never asked how they were doing. One candidate took a job for less money, then watched his earnings grow over time because he landed somewhere that actually invested in him.

The conversation gets into the practical stuff too. Why do so many managers talk 90 percent of the time in an interview and then wonder why the hire didn't work out? What does it signal to a top performer when a company takes three weeks to get back to them? And how does a disorganized hiring process end up costing you more than just the open role?

Wade also tells a memorable story about a CEO who walked the plant floor and knew every employee by name, their spouse, their kids, what sports their family was into. That kind of leadership doesn't show up on a balance sheet, but it's exactly what keeps people from leaving.

They talk about toxic culture too. Micromanagement. Sacred cows who get promoted past their ability. Leaders who have no idea what their own people think because they never ask. And they offer a simple diagnostic: ask someone to rate their job satisfaction on a scale of one to ten. Most people will say six. That's a D. And most people don't leave over a six. They leave when they realize it's never going to get better.

If you are hiring, managing, or leading in heavy equipment or any industry where relationships actually matter, this episode gives you a straightforward look at what works, what doesn't, and why getting this right pays off in ways that go way beyond a paycheck. Let’s dive in!

In This Episode:

• [00:00:00] Introduction

• [00:00:28] Meet  Wade Massey

• [00:00:56] Opening prayer and topic introduction

• [00:01:26] Discussion on job satisfaction and compensation

• [00:02:24] Early career experiences and job satisfaction

• [00:04:45] Non-monetary compensation and work-life balance

• [00:06:12] Challenges in rapidly growing companies

• [00:07:38] Importance of leadership and culture

• [00:08:08] Identifying top-tier candidates

• [00:10:06] Importance of storytelling in resumes

• [00:12:27] What makes a company attractive to top performers

• [00:13:52] Personal connections in leadership

• [00:15:12] Communication between management and employees

• [00:16:41] What candidates don't tell hiring managers

• [00:19:29] Advice for HR and CEOs on hiring

• [00:25:46] Aligning organizational strategy with talent strategy

• [00:29:27] Power shift in candidate evaluation

• [00:34:42] Cost of vacancy and its impact

• [00:37:06] Employment brand and interview experience

• [00:38:58] Questions to ask when a position is hard to fill

• [00:43:43] Developing vs. deploying people

• [00:46:01] Determining real motivators for candidates

• [00:57:45] Toxic workplace culture and its effects

• [01:02:06] Mission and purpose in the industry

• [01:11:10] Advice for companies wanting to retain employees

• [01:12:38] Closing remarks and resources 

Our Guest

Wade Massey is a veteran recruiter and partner at Jay Lucas & Associates, specializing in heavy equipment dealerships and dealer groups. With thousands of candidate interviews under his belt, Wade brings an insider’s perspective on what actually drives job satisfaction, retention, and high-performance hiring. He works alongside Jay Lucas daily, helping organizations align talent strategy with business strategy.

Resources and Links

Heavy Hitters Podcast

• Link

Jay Lucas

• Website

• Linkedin

Wade Massey

LinkedIn: ⁠Wade Massey

What if your service department became your most profitable asset? How much revenue is lost to non-billable work? And what if 210% growth came down to tracking every hour?

In this episode of Heavy Hitters, host Jay Lucas sits down with John Dowling, Marine Corps veteran, former director of product support, and founder of Service by the Boxes. John shares his remarkable journey from turning wrenches in the Corps to helping a dealer group with 10 stores explode from $44 million to $127 million in just six years, with product support revenue soaring over 200 percent.

The conversation dives deep into the hard lessons of leadership: why promoting a technician to service manager often fails without proper off site mentoring, how treating technician hours as your most valuable asset changes everything, and why most service managers have no idea how to read a profit and loss statement. John pulls no punches on the critical need for clean data, departmentalized financials, and daily accountability systems. He also reveals why owners must cast a long term vision, and why what you celebrate and tolerate is your culture.

Packed with actionable insights on work in progress reports, parts management, and avoiding the insanity of doing the same thing and expecting different results, this episode is a powerful guide for any dealer ready to stop chasing sales and start building a profitable, scalable service operation.

If you are looking to tighten up operations, improve profitability, and build a service department that actually drives growth, this episode offers a straightforward look at what works and what does not.

Key Takeaways

• Why service and parts, not equipment sales, drive long-term profitability

• How inaccurate data makes effective decision-making impossible

• The importance of structuring your P&L as a true management tool

• Why every technician hour must be tracked and accounted for

• How poor parts management creates ripple effects across the business

• Why customers care more about uptime than brand, price, or features

• The danger of solving problems at the surface instead of the root cause

• How process discipline outperforms talent in the long run

• Why technician time is the most valuable asset in a dealership

• The leadership mindset required to scale operations effectively

In This Episode:

• [00:00] Introduction to John Dowling and his journey

• [02:36] From Marine Corps to product support leadership

• [05:25] The importance of mentorship and coaching

• [15:20] Building structure in a dysfunctional environment

• [30:43] Achieving remarkable growth at Washington County Tractor

• [34:47] The importance of leadership and long-term vision

• [39:09] Creating effective scorecards for visibility

• [44:44] Understanding P&L and its impact on business

• [49:04] Financial acumen in service management

• [54:46] The role of accurate data in profitability

• [01:07:00] Cultivating a culture of continuous improvement

• [01:09:55] Understanding profitability in service departments

• [01:12:50] Mission and vision of service by the boxes

• [01:14:46] The importance of accountability in business

• [01:22:47] Maximizing technician hours for profit

• [01:27:04] Cultural shifts in service departments

• [01:36:51] How to connect with John Dowling and Service by the Boxes

Our Guest

John Dowling is a Marine Corps veteran, product support leader, and founder of Service by the Boxes. With over two decades of experience across heavy equipment dealerships and OEMs, he has built and led high-performing service and parts operations that drive real profitability. Today, he works with organizations to bring clarity, discipline, and structure to their operations—helping them move from reactive problem-solving to scalable, repeatable success.

Resources and Links

Heavy Hitters Podcast

• Link

Jay Lucas

• Website

• Linkedin

John Dowling

• Phone: +1 979-337-4339

• Email: [email protected]

• Website: servicebytheboxes.com

• LinkedIn: John Dowling

• YouTube: Service by the Boxes channel

What does it take to untangle a decades-long joint venture, build a dealer network from scratch, and re-establish a global brand’s independent presence in North America, all in under two years? In this episode of Heavy Hitters, host Jay Lucas sits down with Alan Quinn, a senior executive who was at the center of one of the most complex business transitions the heavy equipment industry has ever seen: the dissolution of the Deere-Hitachi joint venture and Hitachi’s bold move to go independent.

Alan’s career spans leadership roles at Timberjack, John Deere, Nortrax, Volvo, and finally Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas. He brings a rare combination of engineering precision, field-level experience, and strategic patience, qualities that proved essential when Hitachi decided to reclaim its excavator business in North America.

Alan and Jay discuss the intense operational challenges of that transition: setting up a 300,000-square-foot warehouse, stocking $100 million in parts in six months, and scaling from 50 to 250 employees in a matter of years. But beyond the logistics, Alan shares hard-won lessons on leadership, the importance of simplifying before automating, and why the best leaders are the ones who listen, steal good ideas, and are not afraid to admit they do not know everything.

The conversation also explores the deeper principles that guided Alan through the chaos: the power of long-term thinking, the danger of chasing short-term results, and the importance of staying true to your values when the pressure is on. Whether you are navigating a major transition or simply looking to lead with more humility and effectiveness, Alan’s insights offer a masterclass in strategic patience and operational excellence.

Ready to hear how Hitachi pulled off one of the industry’s most ambitious resets? Let’s dive in.

In This Episode:

• [[00:00] Introduction to Heavy Hitters

• [00:30] Meet Alan Quinn

• [02:27] Alan’s beginnings

• [05:58] Finding the areas nobody else wants to focus on

• [06:50] Mentors who shaped Alan’s career

• [09:18] What keeps Alan in the heavy equipment industry

• [10:20] A brief history of the Deere-Hitachi joint venture

• [14:10] The recruiter call that changed everything

• [16:04] Working with Japanese culture and the shift to non-exclusive distribution

• [20:05] The day the announcement came

• [23:00] Building a team: From 50 to 250 people in two years

• [25:32] Challenges for Deere vs. challenges for Hitachi

• [28:50] Simplifying before automating: A lesson from HP

• [33:50] Listening to dealers and building relationships

• [41:12] Leadership lessons: When to dictate and when to let go

• [43:32] The biggest mistake leaders make in major transitions

• [46:14] The power of listening, even when you disagree

• [47:34] “I don’t know what’s wrong, but make it better.”

• [59:12] What Alan would tell his 30-year-old self

• [01:01:35] How to connect with Alan Quinn

Our Guest

Alan Quinn is the CEO of Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas, a 30-plus-year veteran of the heavy equipment industry with leadership experience spanning manufacturing, distribution, and dealer operations. His career includes senior roles at Timberjack, John Deere, Nortrax, Volvo, Kawasaki, and Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas. As a key executive at Hitachi, Alan played a central role in the dissolution of the decades-long Deere-Hitachi joint venture and the reestablishment of Hitachi’s independent dealer network across North America. Trained as a mechanical engineer and a student of leadership by practice, he is known for his focus on simplification, listening, and building teams that execute under pressure.

Resources and LinksHeavy Hitters Podcast⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heavy-hitters-built-to-last-strategic-insights-from/id1847968841

Jay Lucas

⁠Website⁠: http://www.reputablerecruiting.com/⁠

Linkedin⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaylucas/

Alan Quinn

Website: https://www.hitachicm.com/us/en/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-quinn-344a1b14/

Taking over as CEO is never easy. But imagine walking into a public company that’s been struggling in a tough global market for years. The backlog is massive, supply chains are a mess, and the team hasn’t seen a bonus in over a decade. Where do you even start?

In this episode of Heavy Hitters, host Jay Lucas sits down with Michael Coffey, former CEO of Manitex, board member, advisor, and author of the upcoming book Gale Force: Navigating Strategy, Culture, and Value Creation in Modern M&A.

Michael shares what it was like stepping into the CEO role at Manitex during a turbulent period marked by post COVID supply chain disruptions, an unhealthy backlog, and a business that had been operating in what he describes as “survival mode.” He explains how the acquisition of Rayburn Rentals fit into the company’s broader strategy and why he used the diligence process as a “long interview format” to understand the organization before fully stepping into leadership.

Throughout the conversation, Michael breaks down the leadership principles that guided the turnaround. He discusses why strategy is the one thing he centralizes as a CEO while execution must remain decentralized, how transparency builds trust across global teams, and why honoring a company’s past is essential before driving change.

In an industry known for tight margins and tough conditions, Michael’s message is clear. Companies succeed because of their people.

Curious how great leaders turn struggling companies into thriving ones? Listen to the episode and discover the strategies that made it happen.

In This Episode:

• [00:00:00] Introduction to Heavy Hitters

• [00:00:21] Meet Michael Coffey

• [00:02:27] How the Manitex and Rayburn acquisition came together

• [00:06:23] Why OEMs rarely operate rental businesses

• [00:08:13] Walking into Manitex: backlog, supply chain chaos, and opportunity

• [00:11:53] Strategy vs execution: where leaders must focus

• [00:12:02] Honouring a company’s past before changing its future

• [00:15:04] From survival mode to a plan for thriving

• [00:22:03] The “Elevating Excellence” strategy framework

• [00:24:45] Turning around margins and production capacity

• [00:26:57] Breaking down silos across global operations

• [00:28:17] Product rationalization and manufacturing efficiency

• [00:29:47] Why focusing on the right markets matters

• [00:32:32] The role of dealers and why manufacturers shouldn’t compete with them

• [00:49:19] Leadership lessons from Rayburn founder Steve Berner

• [00:53:26] Why transparency builds trust in leadership

• [00:54:58] The most important skill for modern CEOs

• [00:58:38] The story behind Michael’s book Gale Force

• [01:04:07] Career advice for future leaders in heavy equipment

• [01:08:19] How to connect with Michael Coffey

Our Guest

Michael Coffey is a seasoned executive, advisor, and former CEO of Manitex International. Over the course of his career, he has led global industrial organizations through complex transformations, mergers, and operational turnarounds.

Previously, he helped grow HE Parts from a startup into a global enterprise generating hundreds of millions in revenue. As CEO of Manitex, he drove significant operational improvements and revenue growth before the company’s acquisition by Tadano.

Michael now advises companies across the heavy equipment and industrial sectors through his firm, Resurgence Advisory, helping leaders navigate strategy, culture, and value creation in mergers and acquisitions.

He is also the author of the upcoming book Gale Force: Navigating Strategy, Culture, and Value Creation in Modern M&A.

Resources and Links

Heavy Hitters Podcast

• https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heavy-hitters-built-to-last-strategic-insights-from/id1847968841

Michael Coffey

• Website: resurgenceadvisory.com

• Resurgence Advisory

• Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/jmichaelcoffey/

• Upcoming BooK: Gale Force

Jay Lucas

• Website:⁠reputablerecruiting.com⁠

• Linkedin: ⁠linkedin.com/in/jaylucas

Heavy Hitters - Ep. 5Why do nearly 50 percent of equipment dealerships disappear every 20 years? And what separates the ones that survive from those that struggle to keep up?

In this episode of Heavy Hitters, host Jay Lucas sits down with Ron Slee, a globally recognized consultant, educator, and industry pioneer with more than five decades of experience in dealer operations, training, and business development. From his early days as a data processing manager at a Caterpillar dealership to advising dealers around the world, Ron has spent his career studying what makes equipment businesses succeed or fail.

Ron shares lessons from more than 50 years in the industry and reflects on how things have changed. He talks about the shift from instinct-driven decisions to today’s data-heavy environment, while pointing out that many dealerships still struggle to turn data into better decisions. He also discusses the decline of mentorship in dealerships, the leadership gap created by delayed generational transitions, and why employees are often told what to do but rarely encouraged to ask why.

The conversation also takes a closer look at some of the “sacred cows” that still shape the industry. Ron explains why outdated sales habits, weak operational training, and confusion around parts and service profitability continue to hold many dealerships back.

He also talks about Learning Without Scars, the training platform he founded to help equipment professionals strengthen their skills in parts, service, sales, marketing, and customer support while building a culture that encourages critical thinking.

More than a conversation about dealerships, this episode explores leadership, curiosity, and the importance of questioning the status quo. Ron’s message is simple. People often have far more potential than they realize if organizations give them the chance to grow.

Ready to hear Ron’s insights? Let’s dive in.

In This Episode:

• [00:00] Introduction to Heavy Hitters

• [00:30] Meet Ron Slee

• [08:47] How the industry has changed since 1969

• [10:08] Why dealer software often misses operational reality

• [14:00] The “What, How, Why” leadership test

• [17:01] The transition delay

• [18:27] The role of AI and change

• [22:10] The education gap and its impact on the workforce

• [24:33] The lost art of critical thinking and learning from mistakes

• [27:05] Sacred cows in dealership operations

• [30:50] The art of handling objections

• [35:56] Why parts and service drive dealership profits

• [37:11] Mentorship and the leaders who shaped Ron’s career

• [52:54] Ron’s daily routine connecting with dealers

• [56:43] The story behind Learning Without Scars

• [01:03:17] Why employees misunderstand their real job

• [01:06:41] Competing with aftermarket parts

• [01:15:19] The importance of communication in leadership

• [01:18:07] The three signs of a miserable job

• [01:22:55] How to connect with Ron Slee

  
  

Our Guest

Ron Slee is a 56-year veteran of the capital goods industry and the founder of Learning Without Scars, an internationally accredited online school dedicated to the professional development of equipment dealership personnel. Starting in 1969 at a Caterpillar dealer in Montreal, Ron has served as a consultant, trainer, and thought leader for dealers and manufacturers around the globe. He is a pioneer in product support sales, dealer management metrics, and the application of critical thinking to the heavy equipment industry. His work focuses on anyone who "touches customers, leads people, or manages assets." Ron is a prolific writer, speaker, and the curator of a vast library of resources dedicated to lifting the performance of the industry he loves.

Resources and Links

Heavy Hitters Podcast

• https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heavy-hitters-built-to-last-strategic-insights-from/id1847968841

Jay Lucas

• Website:reputablerecruiting.com

• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/jaylucas

Ron Slee

• Website

  learningwithoutscars.com

  
  

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronsleedesertgroup/