For four decades at Pioneer Dock Equipment, success has been created through both reliable products and a knowledgeable staff. The Spring Hill, Tenn.-based business is a manufacturer and distributor of a wide range of dock loading equipment.
Its products are offered by material handling, industrial door and forklift distributors across the U.S., Mexico and Canada, according to its website. The company got its start manufacturing dock levelers, initially targeting large truck lines around the country. Several years later, in the late 1980s, Dan Jones said the company moved into hydraulic pit levelers as well.
Today, Pioneer tends to specialize in serving small, independent companies as customers, according to Jones, vice president of sales and marketing. Pioneer has customers all over the U.S. and has a global footprint as well. Jones said the company takes pride in the longevity of its products. “We tend to keep our sales invoices and information longer than most companies. Our products last longer than most,” said Jones, describing how one of his tech employees recently received a call from a customer looking for a part on a product that had been built in 1991.
The company prides itself on the long tenure of its employees as well. “We have a lot of knowledge and very little personnel turnover,” said Jones, who said the average number of years for employees is over 15. Jones, who has been at the company for over 30 years, said he looks for employees who fit a certain profile. “I look for people who are detail-oriented and have a servant mentality. People who like to help others,” he said.
Pioneer has three locations in addition to its Spring Hill headquarters, handling various aspects of the operation. Jones said company leaders have looked at larger, consolidated locations, but after drawing a map of where current employees live in relation to the business locations, decided against such a move in order to remain accessible to the staff. “We’ve very attentive to the fact that it is our employees that really make the company,” Jones said.
The company focus is market-driven, and willing to change when needed, according to Jones, who added that there is a business-wide approach of trusting its employees. 2018 proved a good year for Pioneer, which started its 2019 fiscal year in October. “The tax cuts helped a tremendous amount. Things are going well,” said Jones, who said the majority of dealers that responded to Pioneer’s annual survey reported growth in 2018 and expected growth in 2019.
In the months ahead, Jones said tariffs may present a challenge, but added that Pioneer’s customers generally understand that steel prices will be rising. Another challenge is the way in which technology is changing the landscape. Jones said one of the ways the company is keeping up with this shift is in the release of the Smart Plus line of dock equipment, all equipped with touch screen control panels. “As we develop that, the future is just open,” said Jones, noting how the technology allows problems to be identified early on.
Going forward, Jones said Pioneer will continue to create quality products, and to provide the expertise customers have come to rely on. “It’s a fantastic company. I’m proud to be part of it,” he said.
Eileen Schmidt is a freelance writer and journalist based in the Greater Milwaukee area. She has written for print and online publications for the past 12 years. Email editorial@MHWmag.com or visit eileenmozinskischmidt.wordpress.com to contact Eileen. If your company would like to be featured, email editorial@MHWmag.com
