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With their down to earth approach, Rockland Manufacturing is redefining their dealer relationships, digging up tremendous success as a result
For over 70 years, Rockland Manufacturing has been raking in heavy duty praise from customers and dealers. With over 40 patents to its name, the Bedford, Pa., company is an innovator in designing and manufacturing attachments for heavy industrial machines. From creating the pioneering land clearing rake on which they’ve built their business to crafting the world’s largest bulldozer blade, Rockland is an industry trendsetter with a reputation for quality, reliability, and durability.
Rockland has helped shape the way today's construction industry works, from developing and manufacturing the first wheel loader rock bucket, to pioneering hydraulic thumbs and horizontal wear strips for excavator buckets. They serve a variety of sectors that depend on heavy machinery to perform at peak, including general construction, mining, forestry and logging, waste handling and recycling, energy, and several others.
From the small to the massive, Rockland's comprehensive product selection -- 225 at last count -- enables them to create package deals of complementary sets of equipment. "It often makes sense to package products together because everything works together seamlessly and will get to the customer at the same time," said Scott K. Smith, Rockland's marketing and product manager. Their scale also enables them to cross sell across an enormous variety of products, something that most of their competitors can't do.
"Almost everything we manufacture is customizable to meet very specific needs," he continued. Whether a customer needs a special size, custom ground engagement tools, even custom paint colors or ID tags to help with inventory, Rockland can provide.
Central to their success is their extensive dealer network. Rockland has a different mindset from the average attachment manufacturer when it comes to their dealers' needs.
"We're interested in learning about our dealers, knowing what makes them tick, and what's important to them," he revealed. “We're not afraid to be a little weird or quirky or throw something out there that hasn't really been done before.
“This allows us to tailor our offers and create unique solutions for them so they can do their job faster, easier, and more efficiently. It allows dealers to sell more and make deals they wouldn’t normally be able to with other attachment manufacturers."
It's not uncommon for some vendors to insist that their dealers buy a certain number of products to get the best price. Rockland flat out rejects that approach. "When you do that, you're penalizing smaller dealers that may not have as large of a footprint or the same level of business as larger dealers," Smith noted. Dealers of all sizes have great success with Rockland; they don't need to be large to get the best prices or lead times.
The impact of tailored solutions for dealers can be profoundly felt in these unsteady days, as machine deliveries have become sporadic because of supply chain disruptions. Because every Rockland product is made in America, they are immune to supply chain upsets.
Knowing their dealers intimately enables Rockland to adjust their production and delivery schedules to match those needs. "That means they don't have to buy inventory to have on the ground in the hope they'll have what they need," he said. "We ask dealers to communicate with us as much as possible; when they know their machine delivery schedules, give us as much heads up as you can, and we can have what you need ready when you need it."
Smith pointed out that many competitors will offer customers better lead times if they buy whatever they have in their inventory. "We don't do that," Smith said, emphasizing that Rockland is flexible and nimble enough to offer substantially better lead times on exactly what dealers need. Dealers shouldn’t have to settle for just what they can find in stock.
For many dealers, Rockland applies a one-stop-shop approach, unique in the industry. Not only does the method save time and complexity, it streamlines sourcing, increasing their dealers' efficiency.
Rockland also stresses the importance of total cost of ownership rather than simply focusing on upfront cost. Maintenance and upkeep are hidden costs that dealers may not consider when paying upfront. On-time delivery is another area where Rockland's stellar performance makes a big difference for their dealers and end users.
"We like to educate our dealers on why our equipment may offer better value overall. It helps them be more productive."
Rockland's company motto, "Do More," encapsulates their dedication to helping their customers get the most from their relationship with the company. Smith summed it up this way: "We help you do more in every aspect of your business. If you're an end user, you're more productive and efficient than the next person. If you're a dealer, you're making more machine deals and securing more rentals than the other person. We're putting more time back into your day. That's just how we think about things."
For over 70 years, we have designed and manufactured heavy construction equipment for dozers, loaders, excavators, and motor graders. Every Rockland product is designed for a specific application and is guaranteed to improve machine productivity.
Corporate Office
152 Weber Lane
Bedford, PA 15522
Phone Number: 1-800-458-3773
Fax Number: 814.623.7214
Email: sales@rocklandmfg.com
Homepage Link: https://rocklandmfg.com
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