Ring Power Corporation News

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.

The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation Hope Lodge celebrated its official groundbreaking October 23. Located on the campus of the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Hope Lodge will serve as a home away from home for cancer patients and their caregivers who must travel 40 miles or more to the Jacksonville area for treatment. 

Ring Power has pledged a total of $50,000 over five years to help fund the construction and operating expenses of the new Hope Lodge. In return, we are proud to announce that one of the suites will be named "In honor of all Ring Power Corporation Employees." 

In addition to monetary contributions, Ring Power has donated a gas generator that will be installed during construction.

The American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge program will provide nearly 12,000 nights of FREE overnight lodging each year. In Jacksonville, the new facility will offer 32 guest suites with private bath and TV, along with amenities such as shared kitchen and dining room areas; pantry space and cookware; fresh linens and laundry facilities; resource library with computer stations, internet and Wi-Fi; comfortably furnished recreation rooms; outdoor patio and garden area; free on-site garage and surface parking; and free transportation to and from all Jacksonville treatment centers.

There are currently more than 30 Hope Lodge locations near major cancer centers and hospitals across the country, including the Gainesville and Tampa, Fla. areas, and in Puerto Rico. Six more are in development. 

Business Insider recently highlighted how The Rook, an armored critical incident vehicle from Ring Power Tactical Solutions, has become a must-have tool for law enforcement agencies across the nation.

The Rook has been utilized by law enforcement agencies in dozens of high profile incidents, including the takedown of terrorists Syed Rizwan and Tashfeen Malik in 2015.

The Rook tactical vehicle is built from a Cat® chassis and contains rubber tracks, dual joystick controls, cameras, gun port holes, rear and front lights, an enclosed cab with air conditioning/heat and operator comfort seat, custom installed bullet-proof glass, and NIJ Level IV armor cab reinforcement fabrication.

With its versatile attachments, The Rook is an invaluable tool for law enforcement when dealing with dangerous situations. Read the full article from Business Insider here.

RIVERVIEW, FL – County commissioners and community leaders were among 200 invited guests in attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony Oct. 11, heralding the final phase of construction on the Spurlino Family YMCA at 9650 Old Big Bend Road in Gibsonton, Fla.

The new, 32,500 sq. ft. main building will include an outdoor aquatic center and will feature an 8,000 sq. ft., fully-equipped fitness center, the Ring Power Center for Fitness and Wellness, named in honor of Ring Power Presidents Randy Ringhaver and Lance Ringhaver, his late brother.

The entire project was made possible by an eight-year planning and fundraising effort. The first phase of construction (five athletic fields, covered basketball court, playground and picnic pavilion) was completed last year at a cost of $4.6 million. Funds raised for the second phase of the project totaled $11.8 million; anticipated completion is slated for late fall 2018.

Addressing the guests, Tampa YMCA President & CEO Tom Looby and Southshore Leadership Council Co-Chair Tony DiMare recognized Ring Power’s generous $250 thousand contribution and expressed appreciation to the Ringhavers for their commitment to the community. In addition to nurturing the potential and improving the health of South County children and teens, The Spurlino Family YMCA at Big Bend Road will promote economic development of the area by providing more than 125 jobs.

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

About the Tampa Y

The Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA is a cause-driven, 4-star charity, dedicated to strengthening Hillsborough and East Pasco communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. For more information, visit www.tampaymca.org.

With the advanced technology available today, equipment owners can have access to real time information about the health, utilization and location of their machines. But the data provided by Cat Product Link, Cat VisionLink and Scheduled Oil Sampling is only useful if it is monitored regularly and interpreted accurately ― a complex task that some equipment owners don’t have time for, and others prefer their service professionals to handle.

Responding to this need, Ring Power became one of the first Cat dealers to offer Condition Monitoring (CM) as a value added service to assist customers with asset management.

Seven years ago, Danny McCabe (former Business & Technical Systems Support Manager, now retired) and Mike Lack (now Technical Communication Foreman) established a CM Center in Tampa, dedicated to interpreting data from multiple application sources to help customers make timely, informed decisions regarding maintenance, repair, availability and efficiency of their machines.

Today, CM Analysts Mike Coronado, Annah Tarallo and David Seal share the responsibility for monitoring and managing electronically gathered machine data, oil sampling and preventive maintenance test results on more than 2,500 “connected assets” owned by Ring Power customers. They have been assigned to more than 800 connected assets each, and will spend from eight to 10 hours every day attending to hundreds of emails containing fluid analysis results from the Oil Lab, event and diagnostic alerts from VisionLink, hardware issue messages from Product Link and requests for reports from service managers and PSSRs.

Given the high dollar value of the machines, evaluating event and diagnostic alerts, fuel burn, run time, idle time, and other asset data is the biggest part of a CM analyst’s job. All alerts are investigated using CM software to identify the machine, the customer who owns it, what (if any) action is required, and who needs to be notified. When an emergency diagnostic (equipment fault) alert reveals an opportunity for support or service, the PSSR and/or service manager or dispatcher associated with the asset is notified and they contact the customer to schedule the repair.

Monitoring our customers’ equipment is a complex and daunting job that requires a unique combination of product knowledge, computer proficiency, mechanical aptitude and customer interaction skills. Although CM software has simplified the job by automating the reporting that used to be manually compiled, it is still up to the CM analysts to interpret the collected data, filter out the anomalies and identify the significant trends so they can provide customers expert advice on equipment maintenance.

We commend Mike Coronado, Annah Tarallo and David Seal for helping to make Ring Power the leader in connected assets. Their commitment to providing the most accurate machine information possible creates positive experience for our customers and business opportunities for us.