Ring Power Corporation News

Several dozen customers gathered in a tent on the back lot of Ring Power’s corporate headquarters in St. Augustine May 24. They had just attended a series of interactive presentations on the features and benefits of the Next Generation Cat Excavators, and were eager to see the groundbreaking machines in action. 

As AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” began blasting on the speakers, the attendees eagerly turned their attention to the mound of dirt in front of them. Suddenly, a Cat 730C Articulated Truck made a swift loop around the edge of the dirt mound, and three Next Generation Cat Excavators began to emerge in unison from behind the mound as they ascended to the top. (Checkout the video at the bottom of this post) 

The dramatic entrance and ensuing presentation was carefully choreographed and performed by Ring Power’s elite team of Machine Demo Specialists.

Comprised of Blake Conwell, Bryce McGuire, Mike Oster and — until recently — led by Curt Loucks (now retired), the machine demo team plays a vital role in supporting our business.  

“We really have the best team in the country — guys who are dedicated and work hard every day,” said Field Operations Manager Blake Conwell.

As demo operators, each team member wears many hats.  

They support our sales team by introducing customers to new products and technologies, and communicating the benefits of Cat machines over competitive offerings.  Sometimes, they do this at branch demo days and open houses; other times, they take the machine directly to a customer’s jobsite to demonstrate its capabilities in a real world environment.

When a customer takes delivery of a new piece of equipment, the machine demo specialists train the personnel that will be operating the equipment on a daily basis. They instruct customer operators on new features, demonstrate how those features work and ensure that operators know how to use the machine safely and efficiently.

Machine demo specialists also support our customers by performing on-site production studies to improve jobsite operations. A scale truck and/or onboard weighing systems are utilized to measure payloads and study cycle times. Any operation that involves digging, loading or hauling weight or volume over a measured distance can be analyzed to ensure maximum productivity.

The skills and technique of on-site equipment operators also can be examined to gauge their efficiency. If the demo operator specialist sees anything that could cut a few seconds off cycle times, that information is shared with the customer and/or operator. Whether it be adjusting tire pressure on a wheel loader in different underfoot conditions, or changing the spacing of on-site trucks, the demo operator specialist is able to make informed recommendations that save customers time and money. 

This ability requires extensive knowledge and continuous education in the quickly evolving field of machine technology. Each demo operator specialist attends the annual Certified Dealer Instructor Conference to stay abreast of the latest technology, and get an overview of machines that will soon hit the market. The conference is also an opportunity to share equipment successes and concerns directly with Caterpillar.

“There is a lot coming out and it is important for us to stay ahead of the game,” Blake said. “The more we know the more successful each demo will be.”

Kudos to the entire Machine Demo Specialists team. Your knowledge and expertise are instrumental to the success of our customers’ businesses … and ours!

 Check out the Demo Day entrance below. 

Ring Power’s largest group to ever complete the ThinkBIG Technician Scholarship program walked across the stage to claim their diplomas, May 8 at South Georgia Technical College in Americus, Ga. 

Keeping with tradition, a dinner in honor of the graduates was hosted by Ring Power and other sponsoring Cat® dealers prior to the commencement ceremony. In attendance were: Pat O’Brien (SVP, Director of Product Support), Chris Tomkinson (VP, PSD Service Operations Manager), Ken Potts (PSD General Service Manager), Rick Howard (St. Augustine PSD Branch Service Manager), Jason Bickerstaff (St. Augustine HE Main Shop Service Manager), Hector Feliciano (Tallahassee HE Branch Service Manager), Mark Dunlap (Tallahassee PSD Branch Service Manager), and Teri Brown (St. Augustine Customer Training/ThinkBig Manager). Families and friends of the graduating students also attended the dinner to share in their accomplishments.

With 10 students, this was Ring Power’s largest ThinkBIG group to date. This was also the first group to have students graduate from the Electric Power Generation (EPG) track, since it was launched as part of the ThinkBIG program two years ago.

Two of Ring Power’s graduating students, Logan Boyd and Jason Dillard, were recognized for highest overall marks in the entire program!

The 2018 ThinkBIG graduates are: 

Blair Revels - St. Augustine – Heavy Equipment

Jason Amador - St. Augustine - Electric Power Generation

Logan Lauk - Palm Bay - Electric Power Generation

Logan Boyd -Tallahassee – Electric Power Generation

Ricky Long - St. Augustine - Heavy Equipment

Jason Dillard - St. Augustine - Heavy Equipment

Sean Evans - Tallahassee Heavy Equipment

Chad Lower - Tampa - Heavy Equipment

John Arp - St. Augustine - Heavy Equipment

Garrett Wells - Ocala - Heavy Equipment 

Congratulations to all of the 2018 ThinkBIG graduates! Kudos on all of your hard-work and dedication! We wish you much success in your Ring Power careers!

For more information on Ring Power's Technician Scholarship program, visit www.ringpower.com/thinkbig

Ring Power, one of two dedicated regional dragline dealers, has been awarded the extended territory for dragline product support coverage that includes all of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. 

The extended coverage was awarded to Ring Power because of its high level of industry expertise with Marion, Bucyrus and Caterpillar draglines. Ring Power will continue to build its capabilities by recruiting additional specialists in the newly acquired territories. This will establish a workforce in those areas that will deliver aftermarket solutions to U.S. dragline customers consistent with the level of service Ring Power customers have come to know and love. 

Combined with Ring Power’s original coverage area in Central and North Florida, the expanded territories will operate in four states as a newly-formed division of Ring Power under the name Dragline Mining Specialists.

Current openings at Ring Power for these newly acquired territories include:

Technical Sales Representative (TSR)

Job Foreman/Service Advisor

Certified Boom Welder

Certified Structural Welder

Mechanical Technician

Assistant Parts Manager

** Apply at: http://ringpower.com//careers.aspx

Ring Power® Corporation is an equal employment opportunity employer. We are dedicated to equal opportunity in employment without regard to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, veteran or disabled status, or any other protected class. Reasonable accommodation will be made as appropriate to enable any employee or applicant for employment to safely and properly perform the job applied for as requested and as appropriate.

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE: If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please call 1-855-266-8325. Reasonable accommodation requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Ring Power Lift Trucks, Florida's premier forklift and material handling equipment dealer, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded the MCFA & Promatch® Parts Dealer of the Year award for 2017, awarded by Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America Inc.

This annual award recognizes Ring Power Lift Trucks for overall accomplishment and exceptional forklift parts performance.

“We’re honored to be one of only ten dealerships in the country to receive this prestigious award. It solidifies our reputation as Florida’s premier material handling and forklift dealer, and our commitment to customers before, during and after the sale,” said Ring Power Lift Truck’s Vice President & General Manager Robert Burkhead.

Ring Power Lift Trucks is the forklift and material handling division of Ring Power Corporation, headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. Additional offices service Pompano Beach, Miami, Daytona Beach, Melbourne, Orlando, Tampa, Sarasota, Ocala and Tallahassee. For more information on Ring Power Lift Trucks, visit our forklift website. 

In the 1960s, Caterpillar initiated a unique service program, Custom Track Service. The specialists who provided this service, originally known as track men, were trained to measure undercarriage wear periodically and keep track of the data in order to substantiate service recommendations to equipment owners.

Over the years, the role of the track man has evolved and expanded significantly into that of Heavy Equipment Product Support Sales Representative (HE PSSR). Today’s PSSRs  do much more than monitor and evaluate the condition of the undercarriage on track machines―they also monitor and make recommendations for all manner of equipment, components, systems and maintenance products we sell, including hydraulics; machine work, powertrain and component rebuilds; preventative maintenance programs; customer support agreements; telematics and more.

 “The differentiator in our world today is product support,” said Randy Harper, VP Product Support Sales Manager – North.  “It is the deciding factor in the majority of equipment purchases and it’s what sets us apart from the competition.”

Currently there are 14 heavy equipment PSSRs serving customers throughout Ring Power’s Florida territory, each responsible for approximately 70 customers. Those customers depend on their PSSRs to minimize machine downtime and maximize their profits.

“We want our customers to feel like their PSSR is their very own fleet manager, working for them as a consultant, providing them repair options that best meet their needs,” Randy said.

To achieve this, our PSSRs serve as the first line of contact for their customers. They work as a “go-between” with the parts, service and condition monitoring departments to help customers achieve the maximum value for their equipment by increasing productivity and lowering operating costs.

In addition to PSSRs, Ring Power has two HE ISRs (inside sales reps) who are, essentially, PSSRs without a truck. They are responsible for helping customers with smaller equipment fleets achieve the same goal of maximizing profits and lowering operating costs.

Perhaps the most exciting heavy equipment industry development over the past several years has been the rapidly expanding field of telematics. To assist PSSRs in selling the benefits of having connected equipment, a technology sales rep (TSR) has been added to the product support team. The TSR often accompanies PSSRs on customer calls to provide onsite demos of this rapidly expanding and evolving technology.

Telematics technology such as Product Link and VisionLink enhances the PSSRs’ ability to manage their customers’ fleets and make informed maintenance and service recommendations. For example, if a machine relays a code indicating that a part needs replacing, the PSSR can coordinate with the parts department to make sure the field service tech has the part when he goes to the customer’s job site the first time; reducing machine downtime and field service callouts.

The role of the track men may have expanded and transformed over the years, but the goal remains the same―partnering with customers to provide them with the knowledge and support that will help ensure their success.

At its January meeting, Ring Power Corporation’s Board of Directors appointed Hubert Norris to the Board and promoted him to Senior Vice President, Director of Parts Operations.

Norris began his career with Ring Power in 1995 as a manager trainee at the Tallahassee branch and accepted the position of Tallahassee Branch Parts Manager in 1996. He was then promoted to Heavy Equipment Parts Manager and transferred to the main offices in Jacksonville in 1999, where he was named Parts Operations Manager in 2001 and subsequently, General Parts Manager in 2004 and Vice President of Parts Operations in 2006. When RPC, Inc. acquired the assets of SITECH North & Central Florida in 2015, Norris assumed oversight for that company’s operations as well.

“We welcome Hubert to the Board,” said Ring Power Chairman and President Randal L Ringhaver. “His proven leadership within our organization and the experience and guidance he has to offer will be valuable to our Board and customers.”

About Ring Power Corporation

Ring Power Corporation, North and Central Florida’s Cat® dealer, is headquartered in St. Augustine, Florida. Ring Power is comprised of eight divisions and has more than 55 years of experience servicing and supporting Cat® products and allied equipment. For more information, visit www.ringpower.com

Florida Governor Rick Scott has announced the reappointment of Ring Power VP Wayne Veitch, Transportation and Vehicle Procurement, to the state’s Commercial Motor Vehicle Review Board (CMBRV) for a term that began Nov. 17, 2017 and will end Sept. 30, 2019.

The CMVRB is a panel comprised of the Secretary of Transportation, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Transportation, Commissioner of Agriculture, and four additional members: one representing the road construction industry, one representing the trucking industry and one with a business or legal background. The Secretary of Agriculture appoints one to represent the agriculture industry.

The panel meets once a month to review appeals and grant or deny relief to those who are fined for vehicle violations relating to weights, vehicle/trailer axles, special fuel, fuel tax compliance, vehicle registrations or DOT safety regulations.

“I am honored that Governor Scott has elected me to serve another term on the Commercial Motor Vehicle Review Board,” Wayne said.

Wayne has served in a variety of management roles during his 27-year Ring Power career, overseeing purchasing and facility operations, environmental protection compliance and security. In 2010, he was promoted to Vice President and Transportation Division General Manager and earlier this year was put in charge of transportation and vehicle procurement operations. He served his first term on the CMVRB from August 5, 2016 to September 30, 2017.

You’ve probably heard that undercarriage typically accounts for 20 percent of the purchase price of a track machine. But did you also know that it accounts for 75 percent or more of the machine’s lifetime repair tab?

Because it both supports and propels track-type machines, the undercarriage is subjected continuously to the relentless forces of wear and tear, day in and day out. Everything, from the conditions of the work environment to the way a machine is operated and the surface on which it is driven, affects the longevity and performance of these components.

Performing routine maintenance and timely service on undercarriage helps not only to maximize a machine’s power, stability, and safety, but also to minimize operating costs over the course of its life.

Ring Power is fortunate to have four, full service undercarriage (U/C) shops ― in St. Augustine, Tampa, Orlando and Ocala ― equipped and staffed to keep up with customer demand and strategically located to serve customers throughout North and Central Florida. All promise 12-hour turnaround and are prepared to do whatever it takes to deliver on that promise.

Undercarriage work is physically demanding, requiring a level of cooperation and teamwork unmatched by our other service departments. Whether a machine needs new pins and bushings installed or old ones turned; idlers and rollers replaced or reconditioned; track shoes replaced or rail repaired ― it all starts on the wash rack. There, compacted dirt must first be dislodged (sometimes with air-powered needle chippers!) and washed away so that the track groups can be removed and taken to the track press. Once exposed, the individual components can also be removed and either reconditioned or replaced, before the reassembly process begins.

So, how do our U/C shops manage to turn every undercarriage job around, day after day, in 12 hours? U/C shop foremen, Matt Harden (Tampa), Daryl Gandy (WCC), Brian Phelps (Orlando) and Jody Peavy (Ocala) agree. “Communication is the key,” they maintain.

Internally, each foreman meets at least once a month (and, depending on the workload, as often as once a week) with his branch service manager and holds toolbox meetings twice a month with his techs and service advisors to discuss best practices, review procedures and recommend ways to improve safety.

Our product support sales reps also play a huge role. By continuously monitoring the condition of the undercarriage on their customers’ track machines, they know when service will be needed and can even prepare work orders in advance. This allows the foremen to pre-order the necessary parts so that work can begin as soon as the machine arrives.

St. Augustine FL; January 12, 2018 – Greg Hasty has been named President of SITECH North and Central Florida, LLC, the authorized dealer for Trimble® construction technology located in Riverview, Fla. Hasty’s appointment became effective Jan. 1.

Hasty’s industry experience includes five years with the Caterpillar Mining and Earthmoving Technology group in Peoria, Ill., before he joined Ring Power Corporation’s Riverview location in 2004 as an assistant sales manager in their Governmental division. Hasty played a key role in establishing machine technology business under Heavy Equipment Sales at the Cat® dealer, which led to a position as Machine Control and Guidance Sales Specialist.

In 2010, Hasty went to work for Trimble Navigation as SITECH Southeast Vice President of Sales. In 2015, when the assets for the north and central Florida territory of SITECH SE were acquired by RPC Inc., Hasty returned to Riverview as General Manager of SITECH North and Central Florida.

“I am honored now to be named President of SITECH North and Central Florida,” said Hasty. “I look forward to continuing to work with our team of experienced construction professionals to provide end-to-end, integrated solutions for our customers and the best-in-class support they’ve come to expect.”

About SITECH North and Central Florida

SITECH North and Central Florida is an authorized, independent provider of Trimble position and machine control technology, training, support and service to heavy and highway civil construction companies. For more information, visit www.sitech-ncfl.com.

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Ring Power’s Compressed Air Group is pleased to announce that Plant Engineering Magazine has selected the Sullair LS Series of air compressors as a 2017 Product of the Year Finalist.

2017 represents the 30th anniversary of the Product of the Year award program – which allows Plant Engineering readers the opportunity to select the outstanding new products that help them do their jobs smarter, safer, more efficiently and more productively.

First announced at ComVac 2017 in Hannover, Germany, the Sullair LS Series combines the legendary durability Sullair is known for with unprecedented ease of use and outstanding energy efficiency. The LS Series of Compressors is the first to utilize a new, patent-pending air end design. The air end takes proven bearing technology and combines it with a new, larger rotor profile – resulting in the most energy-efficient single stage compressor Sullair has ever offered.  Additionally, the new air end features all internal porting meaning fewer components are needed – which helps increase Sullair durability.

“We are humbled to have the Sullair LS Series selected as a Product of the Year Finalist,” according to Friedmar Rumpel, Global Vice President of Product and Program Management at Sullair. “This program has been focused from start to finish on how to significantly improve the customer experience with Sullair compressors. Innovative new features like the new air end with Electronic Spiral Valve and a 10” Sullair Touch Screen Controller have received glowing feedback from both our channel partners and end users who have already installed the Sullair LS compressor as a backbone to their operations.”

Available in horsepower ranges from 125-150 hp (90 to 110 kW), Sullair LS Series compressors are capable of providing pressures from 110 to 175 psi (7.6 to 12 bar).

Plant Engineering Product of the Year finalists are announced November 9, 2017 and voting for eligible reads continues through January 5, 2018. Award winners are announced on the Plant Engineering website on April 2, 2018 and published in the May 2018 issue of Plant Engineering.  Sullair has previously been honored with Product of the Year awards in 2006 (S-energy®); 2008 (EES®); 2009 (TS20); and 2012 (E900 – Silver Award).

Ring Power is Florida's supplier of new and used air compressors for sale or rent, air tools, air compressor parts and service. We represent the finest electric and diesel air compressor products in the industry with names like Sullair, Atlas Copco, Hurricane, Industrial Vacuum and Belaire. And with over 450 used and new air compressors, air tools, and accessories in our inventory, Ring Power is certain to handle even the largest air compressor project. Portable or industrial compressed air, high pressure, or ultra high pressure, one call is all it takes to solve your compressed air needs. Our facilities cover air compressor sales parts and services in Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Sarasota, Lakeland, Melbourne, Palm Bay, Daytona Beach, Ocala, Gainesville, Lake City, Jacksonville, and Tallahassee.