2

The equipment dealership founded in 1962 by James “Jumbo”Elliott and Harry Frantz was predicated on a philosophy of cus-tomer service. Fifty years later, many things about the equipmentand the construction industry have changed, but a couple thingshaven’t: Elliott & Frantz Inc. continues to provide quality prod-ucts and exemplary service.

“It has always been about the customers,” said James M.Elliott, CEO of Elliott & Frantz. “My father [James“Jumbo” Elliott ] and Harry Frantz started with that phi-

losophy and we’ve stayed true to their foundingprinciples.

“There is no way a company can remain suc-cessful and continue to be in business, especiallyfor 50 years, if the customer isn’t always right.Here, the customer is always right and that willcontinue for the next 50 years of Elliott & Frantz.”

Many Elliott & Frantz customers have beenwith the company since the start because of thatphilosophy. As Vice President of MarketingCatherine Elliott said, while the way in whichtechnicians do their jobs has changed since the1960s, with computers and software playing crit-ical roles today, the way Elliott & Frantz doesbusiness hasn’t.

“It’s about relationships,” she said. “Peoplevalue honesty and integrity in our industry. I thinkit’s traditional in the sense that people care aboutfriendship and honest conversations in our workmore than in other industries.”

“The success or failure of any business is itsemployees and its leadership from the upper man-agement,” said James Elliott. “This starts from themoment someone comes in to interview for aposition at Elliott & Frantz. If we see any hesitan-cy from a prospective employee about adhering toour business philosophy, they don’t work here;it’s as simple as that.”

Honest conversations are the foundation ofdeveloping long-lasting relationships with cus-tomers, but those relationships begin with firstimpressions.

“You have a shot at someone and you eithermake the right impression or the wrong one,” said

Sally Englehardt, service manager. “We try to make the rightimpression and hold on to customers. That’s basically what cus-tomer service is: not letting them go. That’s the most importantpart, because once they’re gone, it is so hard to get them back.This is a tough industry because competition is fierce. Each cus-tomer has different needs, so it’s about meeting those needs andkeeping them happy.”

Keeping customers happy requires service with apersonal touch.

Elliott & Frantz Celebrates 50 Years in Business

(L-R): Bob Schaeffer, president; Jim Elliott, CEO; and Bill McLoughlin, vicepresident, all of Elliott & Frantz, have been leading the company for many ofits 50 years in business.

3

“We go the extra step and make service more personal than big-ger companies can,” said Joe McGlinchey, parts manager ofElliott & Frantz for 25 years He believes that, as a company, theyare personable. It may be that working for a “small” family-owned company creates a relaxed atmosphere that engenders anambiance of approachability, or it might be that the genuine inter-est and selfless concern of Elliott & Frantz employees contributesto sincere relationships with their customers. “We develop relationships with the people we serve,”

McGlinchey added. The tone may be affable, but he’s quick to note that their num-

ber one goal is to provide service as quickly as possible, with thehighest quality of professionalism. They’re not only customers, explained Pete Schaeffer, sales

manager at Elliott & Frantz’s Jessup, Md., branch, they’re friends. “I go to their houses for dinner. I know their wives and kids. I

go to their little league games. Sometimes it feels like they’re more than friends. “Most of our customers say we treat them like family,” said Ted

Kushner, parts manager at the Jessup, Md., branch. “We like tojoke around with our customers. We keep it light.” “It’s real easy to say you’re in the customer service business,

but it’s not nearly as easy to prove it,” added James Elliott. “Fiftyyears in business proves it. Hard work, long hours and mostimportant, listening is what gets a company to a half-century inbusiness. Not enough do people listen well. We do; in fact, it’s a

job requirement at Elliott & Frantz.”Serving customers quickly starts with the

phone, which is always answered by a person,not an automated system. “All of our branches have someone there to

pick up the phone,” said Bob Schaeffer, presi-dent of Elliott & Frantz. “No ‘press one’ or‘press two.’ We are dead set against automatedphone systems. We have never had one and wenever will. It’s one of the things we do that is dif-ferent from a lot of businesses today.” Another difference between Elliott & Frantz

and its competition is accessibility. As BobSchaeffer explained, there aren’t a lot of levelsof management to go through to get answers.

The father and daughter team of Elliott &Frantz are Jim Elliott, CEO, and CatherineElliott, vice president of marketing.

Father and son — Bob Schaeffer is the president of Elliott & Frantz, and PeteSchaeffer is sales manager of the company’s Jessup,Md., branch. continued on page 6

4

Congratulations to Elliott & Frantz, Inc., a valuable equipment source for 50 years

For information, demos, parts and service, contact your nearest Elliott & Frantz location:

King of Prussia, PA 19406 450 E. Church Rd.(610) 279-5200

Delmar, DE 19940 38420 Sussex Highway 302) 846-3306

Jessup, MD 20794 10421 Guilford Rd.(301) 725-7394

Gradall Industries, Inc., congratulates Elliott & Frantz, Inc., for its half-century of dedication to contractors and governments that require productive, versatile construction equipment in Maryland,

Delaware and eastern Pennsylvania.

Elliott & Frantz is your authorized source for versatile Gradall excavators including the new Series IV highway speed models that deliver greater productivity and

versatility along with new mobility benefits. You’ll appreciate faster, easier travel up to 60 mph with a new Tier 4i engine and an automatic transmission. From the upper cab, mobility is also improved with a new transfer case and other features. See Elliott & Frantz for details about Gradall excavators with the power and versatility to handle the work of many different machines, and undercarriages to handle virtually any terrain.

5

hitachiconstruction.com

What happens when you don’t build all equipment for all jobs, but

specialize in excavators? You build them better. You don’t cut corners.

You make them more reliable and productive. THAT’S ALL.

B Y N O T B U I L D I N G

W E C O M P R O M I S E O N

6

“You can get to the right person quickly. Other compa-nies don’t do that. If you have a problem and you need toget to the top guy, one call does it. You can get a hold ofme 24/7. You can get a hold of your salesman. If you wantto talk to the owner of the company, you can call and askfor him. The receptionist won’t ask what you want or ifyou have an appointment. He picks up the phone. Thatdoesn’t happen in other businesses.”That accessibility is part of Elliott & Frantz’s service and

support. Bob Schaeffer believes support is more importantto contractors than the price or brand of equipment. “The customer has to trust you. They have to trust that

you are going to stand behind this thing you’re selling.That’s more important than price or brand. Are you goingto stand behind me? Are you going to be around? Are yougoing to be able to fix it? Are you going to sell me parts forit? It’s their bread and butter; it’s what makes them money.It has to run.” Schaeffer, like everyone else at Elliott & Frantz, knows

that if you don’t take care of a customer, you will never sellanything. “The customer is the most important thing in the world,”

he said. “And the most important thing to a customer isloyalty from the person they buy from. If you want cus-

tomers, you have to take care of them. Do whatyou say you’ll do and make sure the factory doeswhat they say they are going to do. Customers canchoose anyone to spend their money with. Youhave to be different.”The difference at Elliott & Frantz is a balance of

service, integrity and loyalty — a loyalty that isreciprocated by satisfied customers.

Leading by Example The sense of loyalty shared by employees and

customers is a direct result of the allegianceformed between the company’s founding partners.Jumbo Elliott, a famous and successful track coachat Villanova, also worked as a salesman for FrantzEquipment Company in Philadelphia. When thecompany went out of business in 1962, he formeda new partnership with Harry Frantz, based on theprinciples of commitment, dedication and hardwork.

The equipment dealership founded in 1962 by James “Jumbo” Elliott(L) and Harry Frantz was predicated on a philosophyof customer service.

James “Jumbo” Elliott (L) founded Elliott & Frantz in 1962. The initiallines included Allis Chalmer, Buffalo Springfield, and Northwest

Engineering. Today, James M. Elliott (R), is thecompany’s CEO.

from page 3

7

Even after forming the business partnership, Jumbo Elliott con-tinued coaching track until his death in 1981. His son, James, whois today CEO of Elliott & Frantz, remembers his father’s partnerHarry Frantz as funny, honest and hard-working. “He was a terrific guy, well-respected by everyone in the indus-

try. The two men were equal partners.” The hard-working, loyal pair brought a lot of the old Frantz

employees along to the new company. These days, Elliott &Frantz employs more than 50 parts and servicepersonnel at five branches located in King ofPrussia, Pa.; Harrisburg, Pa.; Jessup, Md.; Delmar,Del.; and Manassas, Va. Of their 16 territorialmanagers, 12 of them have more than 20 years ofexperience in the industry and the remaining fourhave more than 10 years of experience.Having survived some difficult times in the

industry, James Elliott credits those loyal employ-ees with the company’s success. “It’s all about relationships and friendships. All

your friends come in and you either try to sell themsomething or try to hire them. That makes thisbusiness a lot of fun to work in; it’s a reason to bein this business. Most people who get into thisindustry never leave.” His career began at age 16, when he worked as

a mechanic during summers and holidays throughcollege. After graduating, he began working fulltime, first as a salesman and then as sales manag-er.It’s a familiar story. Another sales manager start-

ed working at the company one summer after highschool 34 years ago. Steve White joined his uncle,

Tommy, who was the parts manager, at Elliott & Frantz in 1977. “It’s been a great career. I started out working in the warehouse,

gradually taking on more responsibility with other roles. I’ve beena parts driver, parts counterman and a salesman. It’s still a greatcareer. There’s no reason to leave. It’s a good company,” Whitesaid.

Steve White, vice president of sales and marketing, stand in front of aGradall excavator in King of Prussia, Pa. Elliott & Frantz is consistently a top

U.S. dealer for Gradall.

The Elliott & Frantz service department lines up for a photo in front of several of the company’s service trucks at its headquartersin King of Prussia, Pa.

continued on page 10

8

We Have An Attachment For That...Doesn’t matter if you need to dig, move, scrape, compact, sweep, rake or drill, Paladin has a performance-driven attachment to help you get the job done right the first time, every time.

9

2140 Barrett Park DriveSuite 101Kennesaw, Georgia 30144770-499-7000www.kawasakiloaders.com

>

>

>

FPO

KAWASAKI CONGRATULATES ELLIOTT & FRANTZ

Suite 101ett P 2140 Barr

www.kawasak770-499-7000

, GeKennesaw

CUS. OONE F

.elliottfrantz.comhttp://www

AKing of Prussia, P PA

MPLETE COCUS.

Manassas, V, DEDelmar

Jessup, MD

.elliottfrantz.com

800-220-3025

NS.OLUTISO

800-220-3015As, V VA800-220-3015, DE800-220-3752Jessup, MD

10

Another long-time employee who worked his way up throughthe parts department, Joe McGlinchey started with the company33 years ago. For the past 25, he has served as the parts manager,but he first began delivering parts. He moved up to the warehousefor a year or two before working at the parts counter. A few yearslater, he became parts manager at the King of Prussia branch.Now he works as general parts manager for allbranches. Not only has Vice President Bill McLoughlin

been with the company for more than 30 years,but as a former Villanova cross-country runneron scholarship, he had an early personal rela-tionship with Jumbo Elliott. “He was a very charismatic person — one of

those larger-than-life type of guys. He had a bigpersonality.” McLoughlin remembers James Elliott from

his school days, although he was a few yearsahead of Elliott in class. Now the younger manis Bill’s boss. “Jimmy was really running things when I

started; Mr. Elliott was semi-retired in 1979, sothere were only a few years I worked with him.Jimmy [James] is extremely knowledgeableabout the business and the equipment and he isvery good at what he does. He never asks me or

anyone else to do anything he doesn’t do.”Despite having been the vice president for 12 years,

McLoughlin also is still a sales representative, just as hewas when he started with the company in 1979. Everymorning from about 6:45 to about 9 a.m., he works inthe Philadelphia office with the sales team. “It’s what we do. We sell,” he said.Another long-time employee who rose through the

ranks to management is Bob Schaeffer. “I started out as branch manager in Maryland 31

years ago. I opened the Jessup and Delmar branches forthe company. Then Jim decided he wanted me involvedin everything, so he made me president in 2000.”Schaeffer, a former punter for the Baltimore Colts in

the early 1970s, epitomizes the company philosophy ofhard work and customer support. This philosophyderives from Jumbo Elliott, who spent much of his timewith customers. Son James followed suit and nowSchaeffer does as well. “We are not a big company. We try to hire people who

are pros, so I don’t have to look over every single thingor micromanage every department,” he said. “It frees up

my time, so I can do things that are more important, like take careof our customers. You can’t grow without customers. In order togrow and keep your customers, you have to take care of them.”Taking care of customers during the recent economic downturn

hasn’t always been easy, but Schaeffer credits the company’s vastrental fleet and flexibility in helping proven customers continue tooperate.

Ed Russell is a former Navy Seabee and currently Elliott & Frantz’s gener-al service manager in Jessup, Md.

Elliott & Frantz’s Manassas, Va., branch.

from page 7

11

“Our customers have the ability to weatherthe storm. They will stay in business and theystill need equipment, whether we can provide iton a short-term rental basis or a long-term leaseor sale.”

As president, Schaeffer’s primary duties areto handle the company’s manufacturers and tospend time with customers.

“I spend 75 percent of my time with cus-tomers,” he estimated. “I want them to know Icare about their business.”

He proves how much he cares by going totheir job sites and demonstrations, following upwith them to ensure they receive service.

“It’s essential because it provides value tothem. It makes them feel that they are gettingvalue by me going on the demo or meeting thecustomer. It gives them a direct line to us, pro-viding a comfort level so they know that ifsomething happens, they will be taken care of. Itsets us apart from the others. That’s important,because a customer can spend money any-where.”

Relative newcomer Sally Englehardt alsounderstands how important it is to focus on tak-ing care of customers. As service manager at theKing of Prussia branch for the past year — arole she shares with Sean McMenamin, the pre-vious service manager — she is responsible foroverseeing the seven technicians in the servicedepartment and for making sure the customers’warranty issues are dealt with.

Responding quickly and directly to customersgives Elliott & Frantz an edge, she said.

“We try to have a very quick response time.Because we have a long-standing rapport withmost of our customers, if they have an issue,they can go through three different avenues toresolve it: calling the service department, thesales person or our mechanics. They have adirect line to our mechanics. That is rare, butwe’re comfortable letting customers we’ve hadfor a long time go directly to the mechanic.”

Englehardt believes Elliott & Frantz hassome of the best mechanics in the industry.

“We’ve been told that by the manufacturers,”she said. The majority of the senior techs havebeen with the company 20 years or more; onehas been at Elliott & Frantz for 28 years.

continued on page 14

Joe McGlinchey has been the parts manager at Elliott & Frantz’s King of Prussia,Pa., headquarters for 25 years.

Sally Englehardt is the service manager at Elliott & Frantz’s headquarters in Kingof Prussia, Pa.

12

www.wirtgen-group.com

THE STREN FOUR CORE BRANDS

ROAD AND MINERAL TECHNOLOGIES

ROAD AND MINERAL TECHNOLOGIES

13

.com

H OF F RANDS

www.wirtgenamerica.com

THE STRENGTH OF FOUR CORE BRANDS

The Wirtgen Group congratulates Elliott & Frantz, Inc. on their 50th anniversary.

R

14

“It makes my job easier,” said Ed Russell, service manager atthe company’s Jessup, Md., branch, and former Navy Seabee.“All I need to do is say, ‘here, go fix this.’ I trust them. They knowwhat they’re doing.”Part of the reason they’re tops in their field can be ascribed to

ongoing training. “These machines are highly complicated. None of them are

simple anymore and there are always updates. Mechanics have tobe constantly trained because things are always changing, so weput them in every available class we can,” he said.Because Elliott & Frantz carries equipment from numerous

manufacturers, it can be difficult to keep up on training. “It’s always a challenge,” Russell said, “because they all have

different needs. It takes different training requirements to keep theguys up to speed. A lot of the bigger contractors have their own

mechanics, but we get called in when thecustomer can’t figure out what is going on.Training is a big issue, because they look tous as the dealer. They know we are able to fixthings.” The pace is changing, he added, with the

new Tier IV engines. “There’s a whole newworld of things to learn.”

Equipment Sales and ServiceJust as Elliott & Frantz has evolved, so too

has the machinery it carries. Back in 1962the company started with simpler yet high-quality lines such as Allis Chalmer, BuffaloSpringfield and Northwest Engineering.Today, the company offers a much moreextensive line, including Gradall, Hitachi,Kawasaki, Terex haul trucks, Wirtgen,

Elliott & Frantz is an authorized Morbark dealer.

from page 11

Hitachi and Kawasaki iron is lined up and ready for customers insoutheastern Pa.

15

Hamm, Vogele, Morbark, Atlas Copco, JRB and Geith.Steve White recounted the journey as the company expanded its

inventory. “At the start of my career, we were probably the number one Fiat

dealer for 10 years. We were big in Euclid trucks back then.Lines changed to Link-Belt and then Hitachi. “We sold Hitachi for about 20 to 25 years,” White recalled. “We

replaced the Fiat line with Kawasaki and sold that for 20-someyears. We’ve had Terex [trucks] for about 10 years now. We hadIngersoll Rand rollers, milling machines and pavers. They also haveoff-road, artic and quarry trucks. The T1 and TA series were the pri-mary ones.”Elliott & Frantz carries an extensive inventory and is always

looking for new product lines, Pete Schaeffer, sales manager inMaryland, said. Not only does the company invest in equipment, but he said it

also puts money into parts. McGlinchey estimated that the partsinventory company-wide is in the $5 to $7 million range, with “off-the-shelf availability at about 95 percent.”“Our parts and service are second to none,” Pete

Schaeffer insisted. “That keeps people coming back. You can sellanybody one tractor, but when you sell them five and 10 and 15 and20, it’s because of something: parts and service and relationships.” Elliott & Frantz has been ranked “Top Ten Dealer” with every

major account in its product line. According to Pete Schaeffer, in2011, it was in the Top 5 for Kawasaki, number one in the UnitedStates for Hitachi and number one worldwide for Gradall.“We have been tops for Gradall for 10 years in a row. Our mar-

ket shares exceed those of other companies. We are getting a high-er portion of the business in the product lines we handle than theaverage dealer.” While he attributed that to their philosophy and sound financial

position, it says just as much about its service as its sales record. No matter how financially sound a company may be, “you still

have to get the business, and that is what is important.” Keeping business is as important as getting it. Pete Schaeffer

pointed out that “80 percent of your business comes from 20 per-cent of your customers” and of that, 75 percent is repeat business.

That’s why Joe McGlinchey makes himself available 24

Elliott & Frantz has provided various equipment to contractors working on natural gas projects in northern Pennsylvania.

continued on page 16

16

hours a day, although he said he rarely gets anearly-morning call. When he does, he takes careof the problem.

“A few years back when we had about threefeet of snow, a customer needed a part for aKawasaki wheel loader. The call came in at 6 or7 in the morning on the weekend. We had the partin stock, so we drove in and got it to them. I livedfive minutes away, so it took about a half hour to45 minutes until we got it to the customer. Thecustomer was thrilled, because while that loaderwas down, it wasn’t making money for them.”

Everyone at Elliott & Frantz understands thethreat of downtime, no matter if it’s a big job likethe shale pits in northern Pennsylvania where oneof the major contractors purchased and rentedmore than 50 Hitachi excavators and supportequipment including trucks and compactionequipment, or a single contractor doing a sewagejob.

“To him, it’s just as valuable,” Bob Schaeffersaid. “Every hour they’re down, it costs themmoney. We try to handle each customer’s situa-tion as critical.”

Some jobs are time-sensitive. If a paving cus-tomer has a problem at 3 a.m. and the office isn’topen, what is he supposed to do?

“His sales representative has his phone by hisbedside and he will pick it up,” Bob Schaefferpledged. “It doesn’t happen that often, but it doeshappen.” Explaining that they’re usually notifiedin advance about critical after-hours operations,he said they put in place a mechanism to handlethe situation should it arise.

There also are plans for parts delivery. Hitachiparts are typically received next day. Other man-ufacturers are about two days away, McGlincheyestimated, although anything can be overnightedor drop-shipped directly to the customer.

“That way, they don’t have to lose a day orsend someone in to pick it up. Some customersfix their own machines.”

“Parts availability at the Jessup location isoften the same day. Occasionally we drop shipparts direct to the customers to help reduce downtime,” said Ted Kushner, parts manager there forthe past nine years. Knowing that customers faceElliott & Frantz technicians work on a Hitachi excavator

in King of Prussia, Pa.

A technician works on equipment in Jessup, Md.

from page 15

continued on page 18

17

50 YEARS AND GROWINGTerex Congratulates Elliott & Frantz On Their 50th Anniversary

Building and maintaining a stellar business reputation isn’t easy. Your dedication to customer service and support is to be commended and is refl ected in your success. Terex is proud to be your partner and we look forward to another 50 years of success.

© 2012 Terex Corporation.Terex is a registered trademark of Terex Corporation in the United States of America and many other countries.

1-877-373-6879 sentry.com

Property and casualty coverages and safety services are underwritten, issued and/or administered by a member of the Sentry Insurance Group, Stevens Point, WI. For a complete listing of companies, visit sentry.com. Policies, coverages, benefits and discounts are not available in all states. See policy for complete coverage details.

73-25 439162 12/6/10® Captain John Parker photo

Selling and Servicing Equipment is Your Business.

Insuring Equipment Dealerships is Sentry’s Business.

18

downtime when they can’t get parts through their normal chan-nels, he said his staff of six will research and sell parts beyondtheir usual product lines.

“We look for things out of the norm if our customers can’t findit locally because they don’t have vendors or contacts. We try tohelp them out if we can. They call us because they know we’vehelped in the past. When they can’t get something and they needit right away, they come to us. We go out of our way to get it forthem.”

There would be no need for parts or service if there were nosales. Although dealing primarily with heavy highway contrac-tors, Bob Schaeffer said Elliott & Frantz works with “all kinds ofcontractors.” He believes it’s their persistence and their ability toprovide equipment that gets them jobs — including big jobs likethe shale pits.

“Our sales rep did a terrific job putting that deal together. Wewent to them for it. There’s another 10 years of major construc-tion, so it’s going to be busy.”

Other areas also are busy. With several milling busi-

nesses in Jessup, there’s a lot ofroad work in Maryland. ButKushner also praised his branch’ssales team.

“They sold a lot of equipmentin this area over the past years.The more equipment they pushout, the better our parts businessgets.”

Jessup Service Manager EdRussell joked, “They say there’s arecession, but I don’t see one, notwith how busy I am.”

Hiring the Right People —Now and for the FutureHiring the right sales staff leads

to deals like the shale pit job. “I look for a sales rep who is

really hungry,” Bob Schaeffersaid. “Someone who can buildrelationships and work hard. Onething that is never going tochange is that this is a numbersgame. The more calls you make,the more opportunities you have.

Get up early, work hard and make a lot of calls. If you do that,you’ll be successful.”

Similarly, when McGlinchey interviews potential parts people,he makes sure the candidate is a “people person.”

“You have to have the right personality. You have to want toanswer the phone. You have to want to talk to the customer.”

Appearance is important. “You want someone that’s profes-sional because occasionally you will have to send him out to seethe customer,” McGlinchey continued. “It’s important to maintaina good rapport with the customer. We work with them to get themwhat they need. All the time. Definitely all the time.”

In a competitive industry that has seen the number of contrac-tors, suppliers and vendors multiply in the 50 years since Elliott &Frantz was founded, Bob Schaeffer believes business comesdown to relationships.

“It is always going to be a relationship business.”The customers are all unique, Bill McLoughlin said. “They are all successful people and interesting characters.

Everybody has different needs. Meeting them is achallenge.”

The parts department in Jessup, Md., tracks down parts for customers.

from page 16

19

That’s why Elliott & Frantz hires newemployees with the same attitude and philoso-phy they have established. Some even have thesame surname.

Pete Schaeffer started right after high schoolin 1994, first working in the parts departmentand the shop.

“I’m following in my dad’s footsteps,” hesaid. “My dad is my idol. Everyone likes him,he’s fun to be around and he has a good rela-tionship with all of his customers. I look up tohim.”

“He [Pete] has been coming to work withme since he was 10 years old,” Bob Schaefferreflected. “He understands what it takes to geta customer and keep a customer. He is one ofthe next generation. Catherine [Elliott] is thesame way. She is going out and meeting cus-tomers and learning the business. She seeswhat makes us successful.”

Success is not an exact science and the busi-ness isn’t static: there are changes everyday.Nevertheless, Bob Schaeffer says it’s essential-ly an easy business.

“It isn’t any different than any other busi-ness: if you take care of your customers, theycome back. If you don’t, they will find some-where else to spend their money. Knowinghow to keep customers will ensure this compa-ny will still be in business 50 years from now.”

“I have no doubt at all that the company isgoing to move forward very well,” addedMcLoughlin, who credits Jim Elliott’s patiencein working with the younger generation in set-ting them up for success.

“He is a very patient guy – patient, helpful,and hard working. When you have young peo-ple, you have to teach them from example,” hesaid. “It takes communication because therecan be a lot of emotional ups and downs in thisbusiness.”

James Elliott expressed confidence in thenext generation.

“They’ll take the business to an even higher level.” Catherine Elliott echoed his sentiments: “New people have a

way of incorporating fresh and creative ideas, as well as utilizinginnovative technology.”

Although technology already plays a key role, BobSchaeffer envisions telematics as the future.

“It’s the buzz word today,” he said. “The GPS-based systemsthat we put on equipment today allow you to monitor your ironfrom the office. You can get codes without going to the equip-ment. You know where the equipment is, when it’s being used, if

The parts department at Elliott & Frantz’s headquarters in King of Prussia, Pa., ishard at work locating parts for the company’s customers.

Brenda Newberry (L), receptionist, and Jeannie Snyder, accounts receivable workout of Elliott & Frantz’s Jessup, Md., branch.

continued on page 20

20

Atlas Copco SalutesElliott & Frantz, Inc.

50 Years of Industry LeadershipWe congratulate Elliott & Frantz, Inc., on an impressive half-century of service to the Tri-State area and the rest of their growing sales and service region, and we wish them continued success in the next half-century.

Elliott & Frantz is a full-line Atlas Copco hydraulic attachment dealer, featuring the complete range of small, mid-size and heavy breakers, as well as compactors, grapples, pulverizers, and cutters. And you can trust their trained technicians to maintain and service your Atlas Copco hydraulic attachment after the sale.

www.atlascopco.us

it has been serviced. That is where technology is going.”But technology requires investment. Bob Schaeffer said Elliott

& Frantz recognizes that and is prepared to invest in the future. “I think that to stay in this business for the next 50 years, you

have to evolve with new technology. You have to invest in the tool-ing necessary to do it, and that is constantly changing. You alsohave to invest in the training to keep up with new technology.”

He said the company is embracing new technology and a newway of doing things.

“There is always room for improvement. What we have done sofar has worked, but we will try to do it better so we can stay ahead.”

Elliott & Frantz’s parts department is always well stocked withmyriad parts for its customers.

from page 19

21

Respect and ReminiscencesAlthough Elliott & Frantz is evolving with the times in areas

such as technology and equipment, it continues to incorporateold-fashioned values like hard work, respect, customer serviceand teamwork.“I think we’re helpful and we solve issues together,” Kushner

said. “If we have issues withbackorders, the president willcome and we’ll talk about howwe can get it solved for the cus-tomer. He might authorize it tobe pulled off a machine or try toget it from other sources I don’tknow about. We all work togeth-er to accomplish the same goal:to get the customers taken careof.” Englehardt appreciates being

empowered to make decisionslike that. “Instead of going through 18

million layers of management toget approval, it’s nice to be ableto run with ideas.”The main idea never changes:

doing the right thing for the cus-

tomer — which is what Jeff Cooper, sales representative/branchmanager in Manassas, Va., tries to do. The former rental compa-ny employee started with the dealer in 2005 as a sales representa-tive for northern Virginia, working out of his house. “I like working for Elliott & Frantz because of the people.”

A Hitachi mini-excavator is on its way to a customer inMaryland.

Wirtgen milling machines awaiting customers at Elliott & Frantz’s Jessup, Md., facility.

continued on page 22

22

Others echoed his sentiments. Russell, a former NavySeabee, has been with Elliott & Frantz for 10 years.

“When I retired, everyone said I’d go through three to fivejobs before I found one I like, but this is my first job since Iretired from the Navy. There’s something about this place I like.It’s a good company to work for.”

Pete Schaeffer thinks people stay because it’s fun. “It’s different everyday: one day you’re selling an Hitachi

excavator, the next a Morbark chipper and the next a Wirtgenmilling machine.”

But he knows the real reason for the widespread longevity. “We are close to our people here. We are good about main-

taining relationships. Once they are in the family, it’s hard toget them out.”

“It has been a fabulous experience for me,” Bill McLoughlinconcluded, looking back over his tenure with the company. “It’sbeen a lot of fun — and still is. I still enjoy getting out every-day, chasing down deals. It has been a very interesting and funbusiness. The company has been great to me and I’m glad Ijoined them 32 years ago.”

“My father loved what he did,” said James Elliott. “That’samong my most important business-related memories that Ihave of him. There is no way to be successful if you don’t lovewhat you do. You can fake it for while, but people will see thetruth, eventually, and so will you.”

And the future for Elliott & Frantz is bright.“I have no concerns about where this company is

headed in the future,” said James Elliott. “We have talented,loyal, hard-working and passionate people who work here, andI know because of the way we’ve groomed them that this busi-ness will survive and thrive for many years to come.Remember, it’s always about doing right by the customers andeveryone from top to bottom lives by this here.”

While Elliott & Frantz’s business philosophy will neverchange, businesses evolve as their industry demands. ButJames Elliott provided a caveat about this type of change.

“Elliott & Frantz will continue to look for new growthopportunities, whether they be through equipment line acquisi-tions, new hires or facility expansion,” said James Elliott. “Butwe will never grow just because we can. We will grow onlywhen the customers demand it. Building a new facility willonly happen if we can ensure that that new location will be asfocused on customer service as all of our others. Again, the cus-tomer is always right and if they tell us they need another Elliott& Frantz facility or equipment line, that’s when we’ll grow.Growing for the sake of growth alone is a poor businessmodel.”

The story of Elliott & Frantz exists for one dominant reason— customers. And it’s a reality not lost on James Elliott.

“I want to thank each and every one of our customers forthese past 50 years,” said James Elliott. “We love what we dobecause of them. We’ve very lucky because our customers areour friends, as well. Business and friendship are earned. I prom-

ise we’ll continue to earn both as we enter the next 50years of business.” CEG

Hitachi excavators are showcased in front of Elliott & Frantz’s branch in Jessup, Md.

from page 21

23