Customers benefit from store upgrades

July 20, 2011

PARKERSBURG – For folks who have not been to the Parkersburg Branch of Walker Machinery in awhile; it is well worth the trip.
Parkersburg was the first branch of Walker Machinery outside of Charleston. It opened in the 1950s and little remains of the original structure. Branch Manager Eric Johnson is anxious to show customers recent improvements to the building.
“People have an outdated perception of what the store looks like,” he said. “It’s good to have the opportunity to show people what we’ve done up here.”
Efficiency was improved, in front the office, by making room for copy and fax machines. Those functions were once completed in other rooms. Signage was created to help guide customers. Other office improvements include reorganization of desks, offices, inside parts counters and novelty displays. Some offices were in hallways or stored full with file cabinets. Now, they are better utilized.
“When a customer walks in the door I want them to have a better first impression,” Johnson said. “Our receptionist Jami Burdette’s desk was hidden. Now, she is the first person the customer sees.”
In addition, the warehouse has undergone three or four transformations in Johnson’s 8-1/2 years with Walker. The Vidmar storage system had been rearranged to create logical pick paths for workers, such as Darren Little. According to Little, warehouseman, the same system had been in place for at least 30 years when he started with Walker six years ago. Change was not a priority.
“This brought us up to date into the now,” Little said. “It saves everything.”
Improvements included creating aisle-ways between Vidmars, clearing out trash, moving popular inventory items near counters, placing parts counters in front of each entrance, creating signage and cleaning and labeling Vidmars. Before any work was done on remodeling projects, Johnson recruited help from the company’s Six Sigma management team, in Belle. Certified Six Sigma Black Belt Craig Jones, a former employee, created computerized drawings of the reorganization plan, Johnson said. These allowed Johnson and Jones to digitally relocate things on the computer screen before actually putting any grunt work into it. Branch Photos July 005
“We went through about 25 different versions of this layout before we actually moved anything.” Johnson said.
While much of the work has been done, a current project is in progress; improving the hose area. Workers were trained, through a Caterpillar parts education training class, how to improve the hose-making area. Walker makes hoses for all of the machines, such as air-conditioning, oil and hydraulic.
“All of this was done to try to improve our customer experience when they walk in the door,” Johnson said. “I’m very happy with the changes. It may not be something that sticks out to a customer, but I think the flow and presentation is so much better than it was before.”

Oil and gas industry on rise for walker branch

 July 25, 2011

Parkersburg employees pictured from left: Parkersburg Product Support Sales
Representative Travis Stevenson, Afternoon Service Supervisor Matt Mannix,
and Branch Service Manager Susan Duffey.

PARKERSBURG – According to Parkersburg Product Support Sales Representative for Walker Machinery Co. Travis Stevenson, there has always been oil and gas business.
“But it’s really boomed up in areas that are right in the northern part of our territory, such as Wetzel County” he said. “If we’re lucky, a lot of it will make its way south and get closer to our store and we’ll get an increase in the percentage of work.”
Parkersburg Branch Service Manager Susan Duffey said Walker had seen a handful of oil and gas customers, such as Triad Hunter, LLC with whom they have always had good
relationships.
“But now, there are so many vendors up there doing the work and it’s just wide open,” she said.
Light Construction Sales Manager Eric Ramey said Walker has seen strong demand for rentals from its oil and gas customers this year. Many of the larger companies took machines out on long term rental contracts since they have so much work lined up for the future, he said.
“We expect a portion of those rentals to be converted to sales in the coming months,” Ramey said.
The oil and gas industry utilizes many machines from the Caterpillar fleet. Some of the more popular machines include the track-type tractors, such as D6, D7 and the hydraulic excavators 320s up through some of the larger 330s. The bottom level of everything is site production, according to Stevenson. People use larger type tractors to level out and make the drilling site.
“From there you have drilling companies come in and set up derricks,” Stevenson said. “Then you have pipeline companies come in and actually clear the right of ways, dig the lines and take it from the source out to the customers.”
Machine salesman Brody Johnson said the oil and gas business was good, for Walker, from 2002 through 2008 and has resurged in the last two years. A big part of it is the Marcellus Shale projects and work related to that, he said.
“We have two shale plays in our region driving the current boom market,” Ramey said, “the well -known Marcellus Shale and the Utica Shale. The Utica is currently getting a lot more attention recently as it’s proving to be a very productive formation for oil and gas.”
Johnson has been a salesman, for Walker, since 1999 in the Parkesburg territory. He likes being out and dealing with the customers, he said. But he especially enjoys the difference Caterpillar machines make to the industry.
“I like to drive past the jobsite and if I can see a piece of equipment, of ours, on their job - that made them better, that makes me feel good about what I’ve done,” he said.