Equipment Depot: Five Operating Companies Combine into One Equipment Powerhouse

Equipment Depot is now one of the nation’s largest material-handling equipment sales, rental and service providers – outfitting professionals with machine solutions from forklifts to skid steers. Just the other day the company announced that it had integrated its five operating companies into one industry power player, creating a larger national presence to better serve its customers and address market needs.

“Coming together and working as one allows us to streamline our material handling business to better serve our customers by leveraging the geographic distribution, product offerings and proven best practices of each operating company,” said Giel Claes, CEO of Pon Material Handling. “Creating one Equipment Depot strengthens our position in the industry, making us a better partner for our OEMs and allowing us to develop customized solutions for our customers while enhancing our focus on service.”

Prior to today, the five former individual operating companies were known as Equipment Depot Illinois (previously Material Handling Services); Equipment Depot Kentucky (previously Levee Lift); Equipment Depot Ohio (previously Portman Equipment Company); Equipment Depot Pennsylvania (previously Forklift, Inc.); and Equipment Depot Texas (previously Equipment Depot). During the past decade, Pon Material Handling acquired the five independent material handling businesses yet kept them as separate operating companies. Now, the one Equipment Depot, headquartered in Houston, Texas, employs more than 1,400 employees at 40 branches and 26 service depots that provide sales or service to all or parts of 14 states around the nation.

“Equipment Depot now provides a more robust suite of product offerings and more convenient access for our customers to national fleet services, industrial equipment, warehouse products, construction equipment, rental equipment, parts inventories and highly trained technicians,” said Bob Schermer, COO of Equipment Depot. “From an internal perspective, our reorganization has created more opportunities for our employees with our national footprint while providing a more efficient structure and framework in which to work. At the end of the day, we’re better positioned for future success and better able to serve our customers by coming together and working as one.”

During the past two years, Equipment Depot has undergone the extensive integration of its operating companies, better aligning its personnel, products and service operations with its customers and OEMs. The result is the one company structure that caters to specific groups in its diverse customer base, including the Material Handling, Service Operations and Contractor Services divisions. Furthermore, all back-office operations have been integrated and streamlined to deliver more operational efficiencies, which includes marketing, human resources, supply chain, IT and accounting functions.

For more information about Equipment Depot, visit their new website at www.eqdepot.com.