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© 2014 CNH Industrial America LLC. All rights reserved. New Holland Agriculture is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates. New Holland Construction is a trademark in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates.

Learn more at www.iltruck.com

New Holland is proud to support Illinois Truck & Equipment as they celebrate their 25th anniversary.

SMARTGETS IT DONE

FOR 25 YEARS!Illinois Truck & Equipment and New Holland give you a tough, productive edge on your

jobsite. You’ll work faster, stronger, more comfortably all day long. And that adds up whereit counts. For hardworking professionals, New Holland is the SMART way to work.

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KOBELCO is dedicated to producing a full range of crawler

excavators in the 3,000 – 184,000 lb. classes for the rental, landscape, construction,

aggregate, roadbuilding, material handling, site preparation, recycling and ancillary markets, including zero tail swing, standard, long-reach and compact models. KOBELCO excavators are setting

new industry standards and are engineered to do more work in less time. Learn more at www.iltruck.com

or call 800-941-2133.

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AN E.P.I.C. GENERATION

KAWASAKI CONGRATULATES ILLINOIS TRUCK & EQUIPMENT

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#1 Selling Crawler Carrier in the World!MorookaCarriers.com

Congratulations Illinois Truck & Equipment on your 25thAnniversary!

o one will dispute any of that, butmembers of his management team

respond differently when asked why the compa-ny has succeeded. Their answer: Rolf Helland.“The more I worked with Rolf,” said Jeff

Mackiewicz, service manager, who was the firstemployee Helland hired, “the more I saw that hehad a feel for turning rough equipment into rich-es. He has a nose for that. He made money 85 to90 percent of the time, when otherscouldn’t, and then he put themoney back into the compa-ny.”“I think our growth is

from good decisions byRolf,” said StephanieRobinson, the company’saccountant for the last 13years. “He is an expert in purchas-ing equipment. I don’t know anyone whocan correctly value equipment like he can. Heknows what you can do with it, how much rentyou can get from it, and all the rest.”To be sure, Illinois Truck & Equipment isn’t a

one-man show — but it was 25 years ago.Helland’s first sales lot — opened in 1989 with$8,000 of capital — was a farm barnyard in rural

northern Illinois. From there, Helland sold usedInternational trucks and portable air compressors.Eventually, he added a used Caterpillar 955Hcrawler loader to his inventory and began tofocus on heavy equipment.In the mid-1990s, Helland moved operations

to 10 acres near Interstate 80 in Morris. In 1999,Illinois Truck & Equipment became a NewHolland dealer and in just two years became one

of the top five New Holland dealers inNorth America. In 2002, Kobelcocame aboard and the companyalso entered the equipment

rental field. Three yearsafter that, Helland added15 contiguous acres ofproperty to give his expand-

ing business room to grow.Today, the dealership’s 25 acres

are marked by long rows of yellow ironlined up in equipment yards, including 125hydraulic excavators weighing from 3,000 to110,000 lbs. (1,360 to 49,895 kg). The dealershipboasts a new equipment repair and service facili-ty that Mackiewicz calls “the best workshop inthe United States.” Helland is still on the job, ofcourse, but working with him are 45 full-time

Rolf Helland, president of Illinois Truck & Equipment.

Ask Rolf Helland,

president of Illinois

Truck & Equipment,

why the company has

steadily grown over

the last 25 years and

he will credit several

factors, including the

company’s good

reputation, its large

and diverse inventory,

great service and

manufacturers, and a

convenient location.

NBy Giles Lambertson CEG CORRESPONDENT

Illinois Truck & Equipment:

employees.The dealership has grown into a global

resource for customers wanting general and spe-cialty equipment from such manufacturers asKawasaki, Kobelco, New Holland, LaBounty,Morooka, JLG, and SkyTrak. U.S. customersrange from northern Illinois utility companies toNorth Dakota oilfield contractors and NorthCarolina general contractors. The company’sinternet sales have hopscotched from Russia toIraq to the Philippines, touching the continents ofSouth America, Africa and Australia along theway. No longer is this a rural Illinois operation. In

fact, said Jay Reardon, inside sales manager, 30percent of new and used equipment sales aretransacted on the worldwide web, with overseassales constituting a significant portion. Reardon,along with assistant David Walter and severalfield representatives, generate equipment salesthat account for a large share of the company’s$46 million in annual revenue.

The Rental GambleWhen the recession began to hollow out the

construction industry in 2008-09, Helland steeredhis company against the tide. “We were aggres-

Celebrating a Quarter Century of Success

Helland’s first sales lot — opened in 1989 with $8,000 of capital — was a farm barnyard in rural northern Illinois.

Illinois Truck & Equipment isn’t a one-man show now — but it was 25 years ago.

sive. When they were selling, we were purchasing. We were veryaggressive in ramping up our inventory. So when things turned aroundand there was sort of a shortage of equipment, we were in a fortunateposition,” he said of his risk-taking, adding softly, “It could have swungthe other way.”The gamble paid off because, in the face of economic uncertainty,

contractors opted for short-term investments in equipment. When theychose to rent equipment on a project-by-project basis, there sat IllinoisTruck & Equipment with all that rental inventory. It is not entirely sur-prising that the last several years have been among the best in companyhistory. “Very few people in the equipment industry can say that,” Helland

said, “and a lot of it was due to rental. We had the equipment to rent.”

The numbers tell the story: Some $19 million of the company’s annualrevenue is from equipment rental, with more than a thousand pieces ofequipment in its rental fleet. Adam Salinas, Illinois Truck’s rental manager for nine years, said it

has been “impressive to see the shift from sales to rental. When I start-ed, we might have had 40 to 50 pieces of equipment that we activelyrented. Today, we have 250 to 300 units on active rental contracts.”Pipeline contractors are some of the biggest customers, including frack-ing operators and contractors working on such cross-country projects asa pipeline running 600 mi. (965 km) from Illinois to Oklahoma. Thecompany’s rented units are scattered from Wyoming to North Carolina.A leased 20-ton (18 t) excavator can’t be driven home, of course, so

90 percent of rented equipment exits the Morris yard on one of four com-

David Welter (L) and Jay Reardon are both inside sales representatives.

In 1991, the company built a state-of-the-art facility; the 120-ft. (36.5 m)-long structure contains nine work bays.

Jay Reardon, inside sales manager, said the company’s salesgrowth can be attributed to several factors, including keepingthe company’s equipment in “very good working order.”

pany-owned lowboys or smaller trucks. Kenworth tractors — includinga pair of WL900L units — can haul equipment weighing up to 55 tons(50 t), “which covers virtually everything in our rental fleet,” Salinassaid. “There are very few pieces we can’t move. We feel that having thetrucks gives us the ability to provide a higher level of service.”It also lets the company answer emergency calls. An atypical one

occurred in late April when a freight train buffeted by stormy windsderailed near Galesburg. Illinois Truck & Equipment was contacted byrailroad officials at 9:30 p.m., said Salinas, “and within an hour and ahalf we had our trucks en route, carrying four light towers and aKawasaki 65G wheel loader.”Equipment theft from the yard or from a job site has not been a prob-

lem for the company, according to Salinas. Rather than just knock on

wood at their good fortune, company yards recently were fenced.

Service, Then and NowMackiewicz considers the early years working with Helland as a fun

time. “There was a point after I came in with Rolf when I said to him,‘You need to go buy me something to work on.’ What we had at thatpoint I had fixed already.” Helland did go out and buy, eventuallyswelling the company’s inventory of equipment from $30,000 to today’s$65 million. The ole-buddy atmosphere of the fledgling company necessarily

yielded somewhat to the all-business mindset that characterizes success-ful businesses — though some employees in the company still comparetheir fellow employees to family. “Back then it was probably more fun,”

An Illinois Truck & Equipment works along Lake Michigan with Chicago in the background.

Today, the dealership’s 25 acres are marked by long rows of yellow iron linedup in equipment yards, including 125 hydraulic excavators weighing from3,000 to 110,000 lbs. (1,360 to 49,895 kg).

The large volume of parts reflects the numerous companybrands as well as the various generations of equipment in therental yard.

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CONGRATULATIONS TO ILLINOIS TRUCK & EQUIPMENT ON THEIR 25TH ANNIVERSARY! We’d like to thank Illinois Truck & Equipment for their support of JLG® products and we wish them continued success. JLG Industries, Inc. is the world’s leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of access equipment — aerial work platforms and telehandlers.

www.jlg.com

ALWAYS UP TO THE CHALLENGE

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Mackiewicz said, half-seriously. “You could go to lunch and, you know,actually go to lunch — I haven’t been to lunch yet today!” But he probably would not trade the barnyard where he worked on

machinery in 1991 for the company’s state-of-the-art facility he calls“the best workshop I’ve ever seen.” The 120-ft. (36.5 m)-long structurecontains nine work bays. Its 27-ft. (8.2 m)-high ceilings let Mackiewiczwork inside on virtually any machine. What’s more, he said, in the win-ter months, the building’s insulation and heated floor make the workalmost pleasant.He believes the investment in upgrading the shop accrues to the cus-

tomers’ benefit. Not only are the repairs and service more efficientlyaccomplished under such conditions, Mackiewicz said the quality of thework is subtly enhanced because technicians doing the work feel morevalued. Pride, in a word, can be productive.The company employs 17 field and shop mechanics who are on call

24/7, with offsite calls answered in four service trucks. Mackiewicz saidquick responses are a hallmark of the company. “If a customer breaksdown, we can be out there in an hour and a half to repair the machine. Ifdowntime is an issue, our service department can get a rental unit outthere on one of our own trucks. It’s all integrated into our systems.”

Stephanie Robinson, accountant; Rebecca Kovash, secretary; Whitney Valdivia, accounts receivable; Jessica Hansen, receptionist; Scott Tully,advertising

The company employs 17 field and shop mechanics who are on call24/7, with offsite calls answered in four service trucks.

Jeff Mackiewicz (L), service manager, and Rolf Helland, president.

Of course, a customer has to be within an hour and a half’s drive fromMorris to be visited that quickly. Service also is provided to customersas much as five hours away, sometimes farther, and coordinating repairswith nearer dealers sometimes is the only recourse.Parts are either on the shelves — untold thousands of them, though

parts manager Jeff Goebel has never actually counted them — or aredelivered as soon as the next day. The large volume of parts reflects thenumerous company brands as well as the various generations of equip-ment in the rental yard. Consequently, keeping parts in stock is a chal-lenge, even for a veteran like Goebel, who came to Illinois Truck after

17 years at NAPA Auto Parts.“What I find is that older machines are more predictable. They just

wear out and go bad mechanically,” he said. “But with all the electron-ics in the new machines, it is really a guessing game to know what tohave in stock to meet a customer’s needs. Once a month, we look at oursales history and try to keep our parts inventory as relevant as possible.”Added Goebel: “In the grand scheme of things, the part most com-

monly needed always comes back to being a filter. You have to have thefilters.”

(L-R): Dave Marcotte, transportation manager, and truck drivers Jake Friestad, Jerry Olsen, Bill Myre Jr. and Pete Baker.

The ole-buddy atmosphere of the fledgling company necessarilyyielded somewhat to the all-business mindset that characterizes suc-cessful businesses — though some employees in the company stillcompare their fellow employees to family.

Brandon Myre (L), parts representative, and Jeff Goebel, parts manag-er.

Still GrowingHelland, now 54, looks back at the past quarter century and said he is

“more than satisfied. It has grown far past my wildest expectations ordreams. People told me 25 years ago that they doubted my work wouldbear fruit. So we’ve come a long ways, starting with very few resources,and have reached a point where we are constantly improving our facili-ty, adding inventory and personnel, expanding our business.”Reardon said the company’s sales growth can be attributed to several

factors, including keeping the company’s equipment in “very goodworking order.” He believes building up the rental business to comple-

ment sales was key, because when one division seasonally slackens, theother generally picks up steam and the company remains busy yearround.The latest facility improvement is the expansion of a service bay into

new executive offices. One of them will house a base station for the GPSunits on the company’s rented and sold equipment. One person will bealmost solely delegated to tracking service schedules on the machines,something the company does now but will be able to do more efficient-ly in the new work space.Another new office will be turned over to company accountant

Jeff Mackiewicz (L), service manager, and Brian Anderson, servicewriter.

(L-R): The rental department’s Dan Long and Mike Riotte, both rental coordinators; Adam Salinas, rental manager; and Michele Mackiewicz, rentaladministrator.

The company’s Internet sales have hopscotched from Russia to Iraq tothe Philippines, touching the continents of South America, Africa andAustralia along the way.

Stephanie Robinson, whose task it is to track all the paper trails generat-ed by rental, sales, and service activity. “The workload has definitelyincreased. Job security is not a problem,” she said with a laugh.Her workload grew heavier largely because of the growth of the rental

portion of the business. “When you have a purchase or a sale, there isjust the one transaction. But with rental, there is constant invoicing —and we have a high utilization of our rental equipment.”So Illinois Truck & Equipment is a busy place, and apparently a con-

genial place, according to Reardon. “There is a very good group of peo-

ple here, from front to back, from those cleaning the equipment and inthe yard to those in the service department and the shop. They all areworking hard and diligently,” he said. “We have built a very good group,a fine group, and I am proud to be here. It has been one heck of a ride.A fun ride.”That people do hang around for the ride at Illinois Truck is significant,

Mackiewicz said. “I have been here going on 25 years and there is a rea-son people stay with a company. There is a lot of heart and soul that goesinto running this company, and that’s one of the company strengths.” CEG

(L-R): Field Rental & Sales Representatives Denny Bennett, Kurt Kaeppel, Nick Stipanovich, Steve Bernhard

An Illinois Truck & Equipment Kobelco 500 is hard at work on a cus-tomer’s job site.

The dealership has grown into a global source for customers wantinggeneral and specialty equipment from such manufacturers asKawasaki, Kobelco, New Holland, LaBounty, Morooka, JLG, andSkyTrak.

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Congratulations Illinois Truck

and Equipment for ensuring 25

years of customersatisfaction

114 W. North St. • Morris, IL 60450Phone: (815) 942-0017 • Fax: (815) 942-9035

´ LARGEST SELECTION OF EQUIPMENT IN THE MIDWEST!

´ OVER 1000 UNITS AVAILABLE FOR RENT OR SALE!

´ KNOWLEDGEABLE PARTS DEPARTMENT

´ FULL SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND SHOP

´ LARGE LOT WITH ON SITE TESTING AREAS

´ LOCATED IN MORRIS, ILLINOIS, JUST OFF INTERSTATE 80

´ FOUNDED IN 1989 — CELEBRATING OUR 25TH YEAR!

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Personal Business

Congratulations on 25 years of service!

on 25 year

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ARAMARK UNIFORM SERVICES

• Accurate and reliable deliveries• Consistent and hassle-free service• Decisions made on the spot• Our success is based on our customers’ successes

1-800-272-6275

Congratulations Illinois Truck and Equipment

for 25 years of exceptional service!

3478 5th Ave. S. ¥ Fort Dodge, IA 50501 ¥ (515)

574-2302

4734 Sergeant Rd. ¥ Waterloo, IA 50701 ¥ (319)

Mid Country Machinery(800) 206-5936

www.midcountrymachinery.com

Congratulations Illinois Truck and Equipment

on Your 25th Anniversary.

We Look Forward toWorking with You forthe Next 25 Years.

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Connect with Paladin: www.paladinattachments.com

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320 Briscoe Drive Morris, Illinois 60450

• Largest Independent Rental Fleet in the Midwest!• Over 1000 Units Available for Rent!

320 Briscoe Drive Morris, Illinois 60450

320 Briscoe Drive Morris, Illinois 60450

320 Briscoe Drive Morris, Illinois 60450

320 Briscoe Drive Morris, Illinois 60450

320 Briscoe Drive Morris, Illinois 60450