We Let 6 Sales Reps Pitch Us Equipment.... Big Mistake

This first gal wanted nothing to do with coming on camera with me. It was a complete and total chore to get her to do this part of the video. And this piece of equipment we're going to look at, I have zero use for, but I was thinking maybe some of you guys would want to use this. The only thing I'd want to do with it is hop in it and play with it for a day cuz it does look really cool. So, let's dive into this first interview and tell me if you sense any trepidation with this gal about walking through this interview with me or if it all flowed naturally. All right, guys. I am at Xtreme MFG, is that right? Street, and this is Julie, and you guys make some really massive heavy equipment. What heavy equipment do you make? We make Xtreme telehandlers, and we make Snorkel aerial lifts and booms. But here's the thing that I never knew. You're actually manufactured in the United States. That's right. That's right. Our Xtreme is manufactured here in Henderson, Nevada, and Snorkel is primarily manufactured out of California. Let's walk with me here for a minute, Julie. I want to show these guys some of the stuff you make. I mean, when we talk about big stuff, look at this. And I've never heard of Xtreme, and you guys also make something called Snorkel equipment? >> Yes. Yes. We make Snorkel and Xtreme. Uh for example, this here is a future Snorkel equipment, uh a Snorkel telehandler. Uh an Xtreme telehandler, all made out of steel. Serious question here. Why would she say it was made out of steel? Is that you think it was just maybe a verbal slip of the tongue or is there some other alloy that they actually make these things out of? Have you guys ever heard of these being made out of aluminum or something? I don't know. I'm I'm actually asking seriously cuz I just don't know why that would be something you would point out. What do you guys think she said that for? So when you when I say I want to be very clear here because I I heard made in America before and what they do is they just pull everything into the United States. Get together like a jigsaw puzzle. Is that what you guys are doing? Um yes. Okay. So that's why I want to make sure we know because at least we're still >> made in America. Yeah. Let's built in America to me. Yeah. To me that means built in America. >> Built in America. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Okay. Good good thing to note the difference and there's nothing wrong with that cuz at least there's still American people involved in the process. Now I want to put this one on your radar screen because I feel like a lot of companies are confusing this terminology and actually fooling people making them think that these machines and things like that are made in America, manufactured in America. And the first time I learned about the difference was when I went to the Keen event, you know, the boot company Keen. They have this manufacturing plant in America. I think it's in Oregon and I walked in and I'm looking at these boots that they're making in America and there's nothing being made in America. It's all being built in China and it's just being shipped to America. And you know what they're doing? You know what these Keen folks are doing and then it's claiming that it's made in America? It gets shipped in. I believe it's from China. May don't quote me on this, but I believe it's from China and it comes completely fully assembled assembled. The top comes in, the bottom comes in, and then they just use a machine and they hot glue these two pieces together. Then they have a person come in and just trim off the excess rubber around it and then they shove it in a box. The people that are doing this are coming in like two, maybe three days a week for a couple hours here, a couple hours there, and most of the time it's just for a photo shoot. And when I found that out, they pretty and I I even said, "Hey, this doesn't feel right to me. This doesn't feel like the right terminology. It doesn't feel like we're giving the right message to people." I was never invited back to that event since then. So, I used to love my Keen boots, but now, you don't see me showing them, wearing them, or doing anything with them anymore. But, that is I just Let's just put this on your radar screen so that we make sure when we hear this terminology coming from companies, we understand exactly what they're referring to because there's a huge difference from having complete manufacturing in America to just sticking stuff together like a jigsaw puzzle here. But, look at the size of some of this equipment. This is crazy. How long have you guys been around, Julie? We've been around uh Xtreme has been around since 2003. Snorkel's been around a lot longer than that. So, are these Xtreme telehandlers kind of like your bread and butter, what you're known best for? We are known for those and our uh aerial snorkels. I don't want to say that. Look at that thing. Track-zilla. It's a Track-zilla. What is the story with that? Uh that is something that one of our main customers, uh Genie, had us uh we worked together to develop that and as you can see, it's quite a beast. Dude, that is That's completely custom manufactured. So, it looks to me like you married the undercarriage, you created the undercarriage separately, and then put the top half from something that you had used before. Is that Is that right? >> yeah, I'm I'm not an engineer, but um And let's give Julie some credit. She didn't want to be on camera. She very much didn't want to be on camera and I don't You know, it wasn't about me and it's not about her. It's about you guys. It's about helping you guys get the absolute best information possible. And as we walk through this equipment, it felt like I was trying to pull her teeth. Like just please tell me about the equipment. Give me some relevant relevant information so that my audience can make an informed decision and come away a little bit smarter about this brand. Tell me about your brand. I don't need to know about you. I need to know about the equipment that you are here representing at this show. And I don't feel like I was able to do that in this interview, but I'm not going to give up yet. Uh snorkel. Let's uh let's take a look at another snorkel. What uh This is your extreme snorkel lift right there, right? Well, that's the snorkely lift right there. Yeah. These are all snorkel lifts here. And this is um our 210 boom, which is uh the tallest in the world. The tallest in the world. Yeah, but it extends 310 That's amazing. Yeah. That is amazing and I never even knew it. I never This is equipment that I've never known. I mean, I look at a name like Snorkel or Extreme and I walk by and it's just kind of oblivious cuz it's not in my industry. But I want to big say a big thanks to Julie for showing us around and at least letting us get familiar with it. Do you guys have a website? Yes, we do. It's xmf.com or snorkellifts.com. Thank you, Julie. Appreciate it. Now, this next gal is giving me the kind of information I absolutely love. It just she dials everything in, explains everything clearly and concisely and gives you not just what's going on with the brand now, but where it's come from so you can understand its history better. It goes a long way to understanding more about that piece of equipment and what you're getting into. So, let me show you what I like to see when I walk into a booth. Hi Jenny, how are you Jenny? I'm so happy to see you. Good to see you again. Okay, so KATO is actually maybe more familiar with some people than they may know. Absolutely. Okay. So, fun fact, um we are compact excavator sales, okay? Okay. We have been in business for 30 years. Okay. Right? So, we have been selling this product for 30 years, but you're going to say, "Wait a second, no you haven't." Because KATO is a new name. So, KATO is a Japanese brand. They've been building excavators since the '70s, okay? All right. But, we had a partnership with a company called IHI. Fantastic partnership. >> What is it? IHI. Okay. It's a teal green color. Okay. Um we had a great partnership with them from 1994. In 2017, they sold that division of their company to KATO. So, KATO made excavators 30,000 lbs and up. And so, what they did is they took the IHI brand, they rebranded it, it's almost the exact same machine, and then we added to our line all of this equipment that's 30,000 lbs and bigger. So, it's been a fantastic marriage, except the name is unknown. Okay. You saw what I saw. And tell me a little bit about KATO in general. What is like a warranty like? What is a bonus? Tell me a little bit about that. Everything is Japanese. You're going to get all all your componentry, all of those things. So, you're going to get the longevity, all of the great engineering, everything is Japanese. So, our normal warranty is 2,000 hours or 2 years, whichever comes first. But we very rarely deny any kind of warranty. And we look at everything on a case-by-case basis. Because we have a very small warranty percentage. Very small. Okay. >> I have one guy that part-time he does That's it. Really? >> Yes. That's it. All right. >> Yeah. Wait, Jenny from the block knows how to be the face of a piece of equipment. When you go to these trade shows, the person the first person you meet is the face of that piece of equipment. Just like when you and I go out to a job site, we're the face of the company. And then when we leave that job site, when we get a job and we leave our project foreman or our lead man in charge out there and they're communicating with the customer, that's the face of your company. So you've got to always be careful who you put in charge out there because that is your representation. And Jenny from the block knows her stuff. What are the components? What what what's the engine in it? What's the So you're either going to have three of your most major brands. You're either going to have a Kubota, you're or Yanmar and all your other minis. And then anything bigger is going to have a Isuzu. You guys know all know those names. >> Very easy to work on. Yeah, how about the pumps and things like that? >> Um KYB pumps. Um and there's another pump, uh Kawasaki. Kawasaki, I was going to say. If she says Kawasaki, that is that's a good one. >> Yeah. Yeah. So that's the thing. Every And we have all the parts. So any part that you need for an IHI machine or Kato machine is going to come out of my facility in Kentucky. Okay, so but why would we even bother buying a Kato if we couldn't buy a Cat over there which is made in China, you know? I mean it There's some Yeah, some of Cat is made in China, right next down the street from XCMG. Yeah. Yeah, like on the same road almost. And And when she finishes my sentence, you know it's a fact. So, you You know, and and Cat is Cat is a great machine. Cat is an amazing brand. And they have And they have great service. And And what they have done is they have created a world that knows exactly who they are. Right. And I'm never going to be Cat. And I'm okay with that. But, there is a space for us. We have outstanding customer service. I have great people. Um most of my people have been there 20 years. So, when you call, you're going to talk to the same lady. What about price? I mean, are we going to save anything up on >> Yeah, well, versus Cat? >> Yeah. Well, you can No matter what you do, you're going to save >> a Yes. Yes. But, most Japanese brands, very, very competitive. Extremely competitive. Like a 10, 15% price saving? Um I wouldn't even go with that. Probably maybe 10. Maybe 10, 8 to 10%. Okay. But, very competitive for a good Japanese brand. There you go. That's the Kato story, you guys. I thought it was pretty interesting. Let me know what you guys think. Let's go find the next cool piece of equipment. Thank you, Jenny. >> Thank you. I appreciate it so very much. All right. Have a good day. All right, get ready, you guys, cuz this next guy knows his piece of equipment. He knows the history, and he's going to lay down some information that I'm going to bet 99% of you guys, even if you're familiar with this brand, had no clue about where it All right, guys, I'm at the Brokk booth. Mike, how are you? >> Very good. How are you, sir? Good. All right, so this is a piece of Brokk has been around for a while, but this may not be something a lot of people are as familiar with. Tell me a little bit about Brokk, will you, Mike? >> So, the company started in 1976 as a mining project over in Skellefteå, Sweden, which is northern Sweden. Uh it was basically generated by uh a concept of we need to minimize the amount of labor we have in this very confined area. So, what they started they built a machine that was robotic. It was very uncomfortable looking, but it turned out to be a product that it turned into what they call the Brokk 250. The Brokk 250 was a rubber tired machine. And and in 1983 was the first sale. A company called Pan Hall out California bought two brand new machines. And there's only two young men from Sweden that brought the two machines over. They brought six machines over. They put them in the back of a trailer. They drove around until all six were gone. And then they ordered six more. And so the whole story is kind of a kind of a carpetbagger story where they As you talk, let's walk. I want to see some of this equipment. So, as we look at this bit at this excavator here, this is completely robotic controlled. So, you guys specialize and you started out with electrified equipment. Yeah, they're all electric driven. We do have some diesel options as well, but the bottom line is we are an interior demolition machine that we want to make sure there are no emissions. So, the idea is to keep the emissions minimal. All right, guys. We're going to get into some amazing details here in just a minute. But one of the things that we have not shown you or pointed out right now is yes, this is electrified equipment. Don't let that turn you off because it's so specialty designed that is actually meant to go inside multi-story building. So, as you look at the different uh levels of this equipment that we're going to look at in here in just a minute, you've got to realize they designed this to drive up the stairwells, turn, crawl, and drive up the stairwell to get up to a certain floor in a multi-story building and do all of the interior demolition that way. We're We're Our specialty is confined space robotic operations. We have different types of tools. We have grinders, crushers, buckets, hammers, but we're primarily known for hammering. Uh we're very very powerful. Uh our weight classes are you can see starting with the little machine down here. Brock 70 at that machine was about 1,200 lbs. And then we work our way up. You see a 2,700 lb machine. This version here, right here, this is a diesel version of this electric machine. It's only We have two diesel versions. Then we go up to the 170 at 4,000 lbs, to 200 at 5,000, and then we go missing one model, the 300, but we also have the 500 12,000. Now, one thing about Brokk is they are so heavy-duty, so built that you consider yourself to be three to five times categories up in the strength. >> Yes, as far as hammer power and yes. Well, we're So, if you look at our machine, we don't have to worry about a man running out break falling out of the cab. So, we build our booms to an excessive amount to make sure we can put the biggest tool we possibly can. For instance, that machine over there that we looked at first, the 500, that hydraulic breaker should go on a standard excavator 22,000 to 38,000 lbs. Here it is on a 13,000 lb machine. So, you can see the boom design. It's made to be absolutely burly, strong, super powerful in a confined area. >> And you guys are a tool carrier. So, you're really designed not just to do all You're not a one-trick wonder. You can pop different attachments on and off with these, right? >> we can have processors, shears, grinders, drill rigs, rock drills, you name it. So, the idea again, we're looking for areas that no big excavators can get. We want the hardest, strongest, biggest concrete in the most smallest area. That's what we want. Bank vaults, we want thick ass concrete. >> And And you guys have been around for 40 some years. >> Yes, since 1976. >> All right. And if guys want more information on Brokk, where do they go? >> Go www.brokk.com, or give us a call at 800-621-7856. Man, we're right there. We're ready to go. We have rental machines, we have we can get we can do demonstrations, we have all kinds of options. We want people to try and get understand what this product does. Awesome. Thank you so Appreciate it. All right. Keep going, you guys. Thank you Thank you, sir. Why are we seeing this coolness at a World of Concrete Show? Sell to marine construction folks. Marine construction? So, this is a marine construction boat? That's it. Yeah, it's any dredge company, seawall construction, bridge inspection. Seawall construction. I've seen these for seawall construction. That's right, I was in Florida and I seen something like this. Yeah, absolutely. New construction markets, food transfers. So, what does a boat like this go for? Trailer and motor, you're at about 100,000. Just over 100,000. God, that is a gorgeous unit. Why am I so jealous of a freaking construction boat? Look at this thing. Oh. Is that awesome or what? Has a diesel outboard on the back. A diesel outboard? Okay, just keeps getting better. But wait, there's more. Yeah, exactly. You can ski on it on the weekends. It's completely tax deductible and on the weekends you can go bass fishing Even the cost of your fuel is tax deductible at that point. It really is. Like, I'm not I'm thinking out loud as I'm looking at this thing going You need it. I I'm coming up with a reason why I need it as we speak. Oh, I can't think of the reasons after. Yeah, Eric's like, "I don't know why you wouldn't want need it." This is amazing. So, you got a Garmin on it? Yeah, it's a freshwater. Okay, so you can Oh, yeah, so you can chart your water there. So, your control panel's here. What's the payload capacity on this thing? >> On something like this, uh you're probably around 1,500 lbs. Okay. Yeah. So, not not too As soon as you get full, uh displacement gets less. And you won't be hauling as much. Top speed? Top speed is around 20 25 miles an hour. So, there's a lot of low end. Oh, a lot of low end torque like a tugboat then. Yeah. Oh, cool. As long as you don't go tubing over 20. But for the grill, you got to have the grill up front. So, you don't want to be tubing too fast anyway. >> Yeah, no doubt. No doubt. All right. Well, thank you. Thank you for letting me invade your booth. Absolutely. I mean, that is real thanks. So, the boat guy missed a prime opportunity to just start to explain to me a little bit about this boat instead of making me extract the information out of him. What industries does it do? But what kind of work does it perform? Is it designed to haul materials? Is it designed to tow materials? What kind of jobs would this boat be best suited for? If you see someone in the booth asking you questions, this is your opportunity to brag up your piece of equipment. And I think he should have just taken that hint over and over again and ran with it. And the same is with the next guy in this next clip. You're going to notice me extracting the information out of him where you have your missing opportunities to differentiate how your piece of equipment is better or different than anybody else in the industry. All right, guys. We are looking at an Ausa How do I pronounce the name of this? Ausa. Ausa. Right. And I'm with Ignacia. Right? >> Yes. Did I pronounce that part right? >> Ignacio, yes. I pronounce everything wrong. All right. Tell me a…