Ingersoll Rand Makes Used Equipment Job Ready
January 11, 2006 — Many major lifting equipment manufacturers are placing a heavy emphasis on providing high quality used equipment, and Ingersoll Rand is no exception. The Quality Reborn (remanufacturing/reconditioning) and Job Ready (refurbishing) programs are two facets of the company's remarketing program.
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Technicians check more than 100 items to make machines such as this Ingersoll Rand 2000 VR-843 Job Ready.
In a recent interview with Lift and Access 360, Mike Reilly, sales manager for the
360: What is the Job Ready program?
MR: First, it's not a rebuild program. It is a highly evaluated program to make sure the machine is in very good running condition.
With the Job Ready program, what we are trying to do is instill a higher level of confidence in the purchasers of our used equipment. We go through a checklist of more than 100 items on the equipment, repairing or replacing components that don't meet the Job Ready standard, and we sell it with a 30-day factory-backed major parts warranty, ensuring it's ready to go to work. It varies by product line what kind of warranty we put on it, and the level of things that we're doing to the machine.
360: What are some of the items you look at to make the machine Job Ready?
MR: When we look at a forklift, we look at the major components • the axles, engine, transmission, the boom, the hydraulic system, and make sure all wear items, such as tires, are 50% or better or they are replaced. Then we fully service it to make sure everything is working in very good condition. The final step is to verify all safety features are in fully functional operation.
360: At which facilities does Ingersoll Rand perform service on these machines?
MR: Servicing is performed at our Ingersoll Rand facilities around the country. We do all the service work and use all genuine Ingersoll Rand parts, fluids, filters, etc.
360: Where do the machines in the Job Ready program come from?
MR: One of the major sources is our internal, company-owned store fleets • we have 29 company-owned stores around the country with sizeable rental fleets. As the fleets mature and as we have customer needs, we try to fit the fleet need both geographically and how it's equipped, whether someone needs a cab, heat, and air conditioning or auxiliary hydraulics and side-tilt carriages. We try to fit the machine with the customer needs, and also fit the machine with the customer geographically to minimize issues like transportation and freight costs.
360: Who is buying these machines? Are they going back into the rental fleet?
MR: It's a wide range of customers, and we target several different channels. We target the rental industry, wholesalers that sell to end-users and into export situations, our dealers, and we sell back to the end-user, such as steel erectors, masonry contractors, and framers. We have both retail and wholesale distribution and rental channels that we sell Job Ready equipment back into.
360: Will Ingersoll Rand service machines other than your own brands?
MR: We do; we are not rebuilding these machines, and we're not selling them in what we consider a Job Ready condition, but we are selling to a picture and condition report. When we say something is in good working condition, we stand behind that whether it is our machine or a competitor's.
360: What was the reason behind starting the Quality Reborn and Job Ready programs?
MR: Well, we wanted to give all the channels we sell through a higher level of confidence in the products. The used equipment industry has a stigma, and we want the customer to know that when he or she buys a Job Ready piece of equipment, it's ready for work. Our Job Ready customers can feel particularly confident with their purchases knowing Ingersoll Rand and its warranty are standing behind the product.
360: Can we look for Quality Reborn forklifts in the future?
MR: We will continue to evaluate whether the marketplace requires a Quality Reborn forklift or whether they are [only] looking for something in a very good running condition that the manufacturer is going to stand behind, such as a Job Ready product.
360: When did the Job Ready program begin?
MR: Unofficially, we started it about 14 months ago but have been formalizing the program with different products as we've moved forward. We wanted to be able to go to the marketplace with three quality level machines. Our highest value-add offering is Quality Reborn, second is Job Ready, and third is As Is to the picture and condition report, which is the primary option used equipment buyers have today.
360: Can you give me a rough estimate of how many rough-terrain forklifts Ingersoll Rand has serviced under these programs?
MR: From a service standpoint, I would say it was pushing 80 to 100 machines last year, and we will grow on that moving forward.
360: Anything you'd like to add?
MR: We're really trying to listen to our customers and supply the market to what their needs are. We're not trying to overfill and put too much product out that the market can't bear. We will continue to develop our value-add programs to match the requirements of our customers.
