Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/107829
Meet the Chairman Chairman's Goals for 2013 ("Just Say Yes" continued from page 31) West Texas, Quirk has plenty to manage. Strong founding principles make the task easier. According to Quirk, President and CEO Bruce Wagner often says, "We can always build more facilities, add brick and mortar, tooling, vehicles – whatever it takes. It's our people that make this business great." Living those values through good and bad times has kept turnover low and employee satisfaction high for the dealership. Quirk estimates turnover at 8-9 percent, which he believes is well below the industry average. Wagner Equipment Co. is a multigenerational, familyowned Caterpillar dealership, founded in 1954 by Chairman Joe Wagner. His son Bruce Wagner is president and CEO, and Joe's son Scott Wagner serves as vice president, Product Support. In addition to the Wagner family, many employees have family members working in the business, including Quirk's son Andrew, who has been with Wagner for 10 years. He currently works in the Parts department at the Windsor, Colo., branch. Brad Cofield serves as vice president of Sales and Rental. "In the equipment industry, we are still are the kind of business that seeks and develops long-term careers as opposed to jobs that stack up on a resume," said Quirk. "We involve people in the business at a high level and that allows them to understand what we are about. We keep them involved in the decision-making, either actively or understanding what decisions we make and why we make them. That breeds what we call engagement." Engagement is more than talk at Wagner. Customer and employee satisfaction are routinely measured through surveys. In an annual survey, employees indicate the extent to which they agree or disagree with statements such as, "I would recommend this company as a great place to work; and "I really care about my company's future." "What we measure through the employee survey is Technology Solutions Manager Brian Rothe reviews wirelessly collected machine data with Mike in Wagner's Condition Monitoring Center. 1. Demonstratively improve AED's 2. Increase membership and participation. 3. Win the loyalty and trust of the value to members. next generation of dealers. what's important to employees. They want to feel like they are informed, trained and valued," explained Quirk, "They want to know they have a future." Like many dealers, cutbacks, wage freezes, and challenging times during the recession left employees feeling uncertain about their future. Communication played a key role in keeping employees informed and focused on their jobs servicing internal and external customers. The Wagner executive team traveled to every location to deliver updates, and still continues to do so at least twice a year. "People who are informed and kept in the loop are better able to focus on their jobs," said Quirk. Now with the 32 | www.cedmag.com | Construction Equipment Distribution | February 2013 26_Chairman_feature_KP.indd 32 1/30/13 3:10 PM