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Meet the Chairman to the opportunities AED provides. Quirk believes AED can be a stabilizing force for these dealers in today's uncertain business climate. "They want information to make decisions on and I think it's really important for AED to be a leader in those areas. AED needs top-of-mind awareness when people are looking for resources and information." Guiding Principles and the Value of Saying "Yes" Winning loyalty and trust isn't anything new for Quirk. He spent the first 20 years of his career as a salesman and sales manager where he learned to listen well and respond to customer needs; to influence skillfully, first with Case and then later as a Caterpillar dealer. "I will always be thankful for the skills I developed," said Quirk. "You need those skills at home and with your boss; you need them with your customers. Not a day goes by that I don't put a lot of the credit for success in my career with the skills I learned being on the front line with the customer. " Doing things that other people find difficult to do or don't want to do has served Quirk well in his career, and he has counseled others to do the same. It's what brought him to Wagner in 1995. When rental was just emerging, Quirk was asked to develop the rental services business at Wagner. He accepted the job, trusting that his hard work would pay off. "When people needed something to be done, I always said yes," he said. "A lot of folks today ask what are you going to do for me? While that's important, I have always understood and embraced the needs of the company, and that has served me well." He believes work ethic is as important today as it has ever been. "As a leader, you need to demonstrate your work ethic. "It's hard to ask people to do things you haven't done," explained Quirk. For this equipment guy, customer service and loyalty to your company are not negotiable. Looking back on his career Quirk recalls many excellent mentors who have reinforced the guiding principles of honesty, hard work and integrity. He's thankful for being able to always operate that way. He views the chairmanship of AED as a significant personal accomplishment. Much of the reward for his work today is focused on leading others to achieve their best. About Wagner Equipment Co. With almost 1,400 employees and 28 branches in a territory that stretches across Colorado, New Mexico and (continued on next page) Wagner Equipment Company Headquarters: Aurora, Colo. Employees: 1,374 Territory: Colorado, New Mexico, West Texas (El Paso) Ownership: Family-Owned Established: 1976 Core Values: Teamwork, Excellence, Accountability, Safety, Integrity, Communication In addition, Wagner employs more than 600 technicians and has educated and trained more than 200 over the course of 11 years through an apprentice program at Aurora Community College. Mike Quirk serves as president of the college's foundation. STRIKER HYDRAULIC BREAKERS America, INC 3900 Ben Hur Ave # 3 Willoughby, Ohio 44094 Office: 440-954-9923 Fax: 440-954-9929 Toll Free: 1-877-954-9923 For more information: WWW.toku.america.com Presents their new TNB series hydraulic breakers; Striker Hydraulic Breakers has a complete product offering of 17 breakers ranging from 100 Ft./lb. class breaker to a 12,000 Ft./lb. class breaker. The TNB Series breakers are ideally suited for applications from primary/ secondary breaker, road and bridge construction, airport construction, demolition, mining, quarry, rental, landscaping and recycling. Striker Hydraulic breakers (1) or (3)year warranty allows you, the customer more "up-time" and controls your cost of operation while maintaining maximum performance. Mike and Carol (center in red) Quirk pause for a photo with friends during the Viva Las Vegas Party at Summit last month. Dennis and Barb Kruepke are left of Carol, Bruce Wagner to her right. Jeff and Larry Miller behind Mike and Dennis. February 2013 | Construction Equipment Distribution | www.cedmag.com | 31 Untitled-1 1 26_Chairman_feature_KP.indd 31 12/19/2012 9:58:23 AM 1/30/13 3:10 PM