Taking Care Of Customers... Even On A Dark And Stormy Night

When we say Thompson offers “24/7” service, it’s not just a catchphrase – it’s a commitment to our customers. A recent stormy night in Memphis gave our Thompson Power staff the opportunity to demonstrate this commitment.

Strong thunderstorms moving through the Memphis area on Sunday, January 22 caused numerous power outages. WHBQ, the local affiliate for the Fox television network, was knocked off the air late that evening when power to the station’s facilities was lost and their backup Kohler emergency generator failed to start. WHBO’s chief engineer, Eric Neal, called Thompson’s Electric Power Generation Service Department emergency/after-hours number around 11:00 pm to report the problem. (Although the generator was not manufactured by Caterpillar, WHBQ has relied on Thompson for their emergency generator maintenance for many years.)

Brad Griffin, Thompson Power’s Commercial Engine Service Manager, received the call. Neal’s description of the situation indicated a problem with the starting batteries. Brad drove to Thompson Power’s engine shop immediately and picked up two good batteries, and arrived with them at WHBQ at around 12:30 a.m. As it turned out, Brad discovered that the batteries themselves were in working order, and it was the starter that had failed.

Brad proceeded to use his Caterpillar REMAN Products Guide to cross-reference the Delco brand starter with a Cat part number. He then offered the customer options: he could obtain the Cat part and replace the starter that night, or wait until the next morning. Neal chose to schedule the repair for the next morning, and Thompson Power completed the service job then.


Some weeks later, Eric Neal received one of the “After Service” Customer Satisfaction Surveys sent out regularly to a random sampling of Thompson customers by The Daniel Group. On the survey questions where Thompson was rated on various factors, Neal gave us all “10’s” (excellent). He went on to comment, “The technician came right on out to our station, even at close to 1:00 am – we couldn’t ask for more beyond that! It didn’t take much time to figure out the problem, and by 10:00 the next morning Thompson got things started up again.”

Asked about this job, Brad Griffin stated simply, “Great customer service – that’s what we do…period.”

Thompson Truck Centers, LLC Delivers First Cat® Vocational Trucks to Booneville, Miss., Logging Company

Thompson Truck Centers, LLC recently delivered the first two Caterpillar® CT660 Class 8 vocational trucks within its territory to Pro Logging, Inc., of Booneville, Miss.

Thompson Machinery Commerce Corporation president DeWitt Thompson, V, presented the keys to Russell Stites, president of Pro Logging, at Thompson’s Tupelo, Miss. store.

Established in 1995, Pro Logging, Inc., operates within a 100-mile radius of Booneville, providing wood for paper, cardboard and engineered wood panel manufacturers. Pro Logging already was a Thompson forestry equipment customer, operating five 525 and 535 Skidders and two 553 Feller-Bunchers, and had a good working relationship with Thompson’s sales, service and parts departments in Tupelo.

Mike Farris, Thompson Machinery forestry sales representative in north Mississippi, arranged jobsite demonstrations of the CT660 truck for Pro Logging’s drivers. Stites liked what he saw, and his drivers reported good performance getting into the woods and hauling loads out.

“It’s designed to be a real sturdy truck and hold up to the daily abuse that we have, and that’s what first piqued my interest in it,” Stites said. “The first thing I saw that I liked about it was its height off the ground. It’s designed not to get into a lot of the problems we have with highway tractors, which are bumpers and front ends dragging in the mud.” Another key feature that attracted Stites to the trucks is the fact their operating costs are lower because they do not require DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid or urea) additives.

Pro Logging’s CT660 trucks are equipped with 475 hp engines, 10-speed transmissions, 4.11 ratio rear axles, 12,000 lb. front axles and 40,000 lb. rear axles and suspension. In the logging application, the trucks will operate at a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 80,000 lb.

“We’re very proud of the fact that Mike Farris is the first Thompson prime product salesman to sell CT660 trucks to a good customer like Pro Logging, and we look for the relationship to continue to grow and be stronger,” said Allan Wainscott, general sales manager for Thompson Truck Centers. With the new CT660 trucks entering the marketplace, Wainscott said he’s excited about the opportunities for Thompson and vocational truck customers in the territory.

In addition to DeWitt Thompson, Farris and Wainscott, other Thompson representatives on hand for the key presentation were: Duncan Fort, Vice President of Product Support; Jeff Earle, Business Manager – Thompson Truck Centers; and Billy South, Service Manager – Tupelo.

About Caterpillar’s Vocational Trucks
Caterpillar introduced the vocational trucks at CON-EXPO in March 2011, and the trucks, manufactured in Garland, Texas, are sold exclusively through Cat’s North American dealer network. The specs are designed explicitly for customers' demanding applications and include a Cat CT11 engine with ratings from 330 bhp to 390 bhp, a Cat CT13 with ratings from 410 bhp to 475 bhp, and coming later this year, a Cat CT15 with ratings from 435 bhp to 550 bhp. Class 8 trucks are those with a GVWR of more than 33,000 pounds.

Available in truck or day-cab configurations, the CT660 supports a wide range of body types for the following applications (and more):

• Aggregates

• Asphalt
• Civil
• Construction

• Concrete
• Forestry

• Heavy Haul
• Manufacturing

• Mining/Quarry

• Pipeline

• Public Services

• Road Construction

• Sanitation/Refuse

• Site Construction

For more information about Caterpillar vocational trucks, visit Cat’s dedicated website at www.drivecat.com.

Thompson Truck Centers
With the introduction of the Cat vocational truck line, Thompson Machinery created a new division to serve the needs of its vocational truck customers. Thompson Truck Centers, headquartered in Memphis, is a one-stop source for sales, service, and application information about Cat's exciting new line of vocational trucks.

About Thompson Machinery
Thompson Machinery, founded in Nashville in 1944, is the exclusive distributor of Caterpillar construction and forestry equipment, Challenger and Lexion agricultural equipment, and Cat vocational trucks, marine engines and power generation equipment, for 99 counties in middle and western Tennessee and northern Mississippi. The company provides a full range of equipment sales, rental, and leasing capabilities, as well as large local parts inventories and comprehensive service facilities at twelve branch locations throughout its territory.

For more information about the company, visit its website at www.thompsonmachinery.com.

Web Resources
For more information about Pro Logging, Inc., please visit the company’s website at www.prologging.com.

About Caterpillar
For more than 85 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent. With 2010 sales and revenues of $42.588 billion, Caterpillar is the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. The company also is a leading services provider through Caterpillar Financial Services, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services, Caterpillar Logistics Services and Progress Rail Services. More information is available at www.caterpillar.com.

Social Media Concerns

By Daniel Clark

Social media has infected our business community swiftly over the last decade. Thompson Machinery’s view was initially skeptical, due to the unknown customer base, interaction capabilities and cost. In March 2010, I launched Thompson’s social media campaign: Facebook, Twitter, Blogspot and Linkedin. The campaign was originally designed during a class project for *Marketing Management 6450 at Belmont University, a management course I was taking while pursuing an MBA degree. We have received over 2,000 fans on Facebook and 107 followers on Twitter in the first eight months. Facebook & Twitter are both free, the development and management cost to the company has been $0 (provided by myself), but we have incurred an advertising cost of $1,125.95 year to date.



Future innovations in technology continue to evolve. Smartphones and social networks have created platforms for instant communication. We also hope to launch a Thompson Machinery phone application soon, which will enable our customers to order parts, schedule PM’s, review billing statements and pay their bills instantly. “Of the 6.5 billion people in the world, about 1.5 billion have Internet access, more than 300 million have broadband access to the home, and 3 billion have cell phones, a growing number of which offer Internet access” (Social Media Leads the Future of Technology, Martha Lagace, Harvard Business School).

A recent survey conducted at Thompson Machinery on our social media campaigns brought many reasonable questions to the forefront. Cost was a main concern, but hopefully the description of the media campaign has helped describe/justify the overall concept and value. Age demographics and actual customer consumption was also a point of distress. However, it is an undeniable fact that the upcoming generation is heavily using social networks to answer questions and get advice. Thompson Machinery must have a presence in these outlets to affectively reach a diversity of demographics.

I encourage each of you, customers & Thompson Machinery employees, to help me make our social media campaign a success. Your concerns, criticism, suggestions, and support are all welcomed. If you have any further questions, please contact me at 615-207-7674 or daniel.clark@thompsonmachinery.com... Or you can reach me on Facebook!



* Marketing Management. This course provides students opportunities to study and practice the managerial approach to marketing. Marketing managers are viewed as decision-makers and problem-solvers. The course includes lectures, case analysis, guest speakers, and team projects, which integrate the student's marketing background. Strategic choices of marketing mix variables are investigated in the context of industrial and consumer goods companies of various sizes.

Strategic Partnership - Old Fashioned Alliance

By Scot Warpool

“Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation for 'tis better to be alone than in bad company.” - George Washington (1732 - 1799)

Many of our readers and loyal customers know that when Thompson Machinery was founded over sixty-five years ago, it sprang from an alliance between two successful businessmen. As Mr. Thompson and Mr. Green grew their business over the years (we were originally Thompson and Green Machinery), alliances were built with employees, customers, the community, and Caterpillar. Alliances built around competition, hard work, integrity, and opportunity.

It’s strange, but it seems that the modern reality shows like “Survivor,” and “Big Brother” (not to mention partisan politics) have given a word like “alliance” a bad name. Alliance once meant cooperation, like-mindedness and partnership. But now a days the word often implies confrontation, polarization, and mean-spiritedness. At Thompson Machinery we prefer the old-fashioned definitions—they’re the ideals our company was founded upon, and still believes in.

We don’t think it’s enough just to represent the most recognized name in the heavy equipment, engine, and power generation industries. We build alliances through a network of ninety-nine counties, with over 75 dedicated sales, parts and administrative support staff to serve our customers. We take pride in our world-class parts fill rates, insuring that customers get parts from our inventory within twenty-four hours over 91% of the time. And since there are no two customers that are the same, we’ve built our strategy around being a one-stop-shop by providing solutions for a broad base of industries.

It’s old fashioned, but we know that our success is rooted in two primary facets: providing excellence and helping our customers grow their businesses. Without commitments to these two guiding principals, we wouldn’t still be ranked among the highest rated Cat dealers after sixty-five years in business. Of course, we’re only human, but we focus on these ideals as we seek to provide the best parts, sales, service, rental, and technology solutions to our customers. It’s summed up in our corporate mission statement that we strive to cultivate “Lasting Relationships. Superior Services. Intelligent Solutions.”

To find out how Thompson Machinery can build (or strengthen) an old-fashioned alliance with your company, log onto our website at www.thompsonmachinery.com, or call us at 1 (800) 228-3644.

Value

By Daniel Clark - May 25, 2010
Thompson Machinery must constantly review its customer’s needs to anticipate business growth and development, thus providing the highest quality of value. The evolving economy has dictated change in business operations and resolutions for long-term survival. Thompson’s management team has robustly reorganized its business model over the last twelve months. De Thompson V (President of Thompson Machinery) says, “"Although we provide the best in equipment with Caterpillar and complimentary brands, that is not what makes our company great. It's a combination of two other things, our personnel and our customers. We have the best of both."

Consumer’s vision of value is evolving. Return on investments (ROI) are calculated and analyzed more strategically, scrutinized by management teams, and put into action with more caution than ever before. Thompson Machinery wants to give its customers the highest value possible. As De Thompson V stated, it’s a combination of equipment, personnel, and our customers themselves. Thompson Machinery cannot become the best Cat dealer without the help and feedback of its family members (customers).

“We have built a reputation for excellence by listening to our customers, understanding their needs, and delivering products and services that help them succeed. Our customers expect the best from Caterpillar, and each of us must ensure that our individual decisions and actions contribute to a positive perception of the company, enhance our customers' satisfaction, and promote their loyalty. We aim to deliver the highest possible value in the products and services we offer to our customers and to deliver that value with a sense of urgency. Our commitment to continuous improvement in all we do makes that possible.” (Value to Consumers, Caterpillar Inc)

We invite each of you to become part of the Thompson Machinery family. Our success depends upon your business needs, how we react to those needs, and the value we provide. Our goal is to be the “Best Caterpillar Dealer, Period!” Please contact us for additional information.

Borders Without Limits

“According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, 95 percent of the world's consumers reside outside the United States.”

– Leigh Buchanan, Gone Global

By Daniel Clark - April 6, 2010
Many of the world’s leading economists believe BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India & China) countries are the foundation for our global economic recovery. Total population, technology, and infrastructure are growing rapidly in these regions, as well as, their access to untapped natural resources. Thomas L. Friedman famously stated, “The World Is Flat”. He has educated the international business community on evolving technologies and communication. Broadband connectivity has made instant global communication possible and barriers to these foreign markets have become smaller. Globalization is now only keystrokes away. According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, "95 percent of the world's consumers reside outside the United States" (Leigh Buchanan, Gone Global). Entrepreneurs who embrace globalization can see borders without limits, and are able to expand beyond existing boundaries.

Thompson Machinery recognized these evolving markets in the late 1990’s. As a Caterpillar dealer in Tennessee & Mississippi (United States), Thompson has expanded its global reach in the used equipment market and uses its leverage of Caterpillar Certified Machine Rebuild capabilities. Please contact us for more information.

Mark Elbaum

International Sales Manager

615-259-5860

Mark.Elbaum@ThompsonMachinery.com

Corporate History

Thompson Machinery traces its roots back to 1944, when DeWitt Thompson Jr. and his business partner George Green operated a GMC Truck Dealership in middle Tennessee. The dealership had gained a reputation of providing excellent service in support of sales. It was this core philosophy that awarded De Jr. a Caterpillar dealership covering 39 counties in middle Tennessee over fifteen other applicants. That summer, Thompson & Green Machinery was founded. DeWitt Thompson III joined as the company's 13th employee on October 1, 1946, after returning from WW II. The first hires were a Service manager and then a Parts manager. There were no salesmen initially, as there was nothing to sell due to wartime shortages.

April 1, 1946 the dealership moved into a 20,000 square foot building along Murfreesboro Road in Nashville, TN on five acres acquired from L & N Railroad. Following the war, inventories were scarce due to Caterpillar still recovering from wartime production. For years, sales for Thompson & Green were merely "booked" and customers were on a waiting list to get their new machines. It was common for a customer to stop by the office and check to see where they stood in line. Due to the shortages, Thompson & Green looked for other ways to procure machines to sell. Badly worn machines from the war were purchased and completely rebuilt, as parts were much easier to obtain than machines. Thompson's first venture with Taylor Machinery, in Memphis, TN, included the purchase of a bulk of abandoned D6s that were rebuilt and sold.

Prospering from excellent service, great sales reputation, and helpful parts coverage; the dealership was offered the northern part of the Alabama territory, based in Birmingham. Thompson & Green formed a subsidiary named Thompson Tractor to oversee the new area. DeWitt III's younger brother Hall was sent as the dealer principal. With help from the Nashville offices, it wasn't long before Thompson Tractor was doing fine without any assistance. Upon De Jr.'s death in 1963, Hall expressed a desire from Thompson Tractor to become a separate, independent dealership. In 1965, Thompson Tractor was spun off into an independent dealership in Alabama.

In 1973, DeWitt Thompson IV joined the company fulltime. He took the helm of Thompson Machinery in 1981. In 1987, the dealership expanded its operations with the acquisition of Taylor Machinery, based in Memphis, TN, and Stribling-Clements, based in Greenwood, Mississippi. This gave Thompson Machinery the territory it has today. In 1988, the company was renamed Thompson Machinery Commerce Corporation and split into two divisions - Thompson Machinery and Thompson Power.

Dewitt Thompson V became Thompson Machinery's fourth president in 2003. DeWitt Thompson III, DeWitt Thompson IV and DeWitt Thompson V celebrated Thompson Machinery's 60th Anniversary in 2004 by hosting open houses and customer appreciation days at its branch locations. Their leadership and commitment to the market territory in two states today consists of 11 facilities and over 500 employees. De Thompson V says that, "Although we provide the best in equipment with Caterpillar and complimentary brands, that is not what makes our company great. It's a combination of two other things, our personnel and our customers. We have the best of both."