Call it a happy coincidence. When Kevin Smalling, owner of Smalling Construction and Demolition, wanted to purchase a multi terrain loader, he chose the burly Caterpillar® 297C MTL from Shane Meyer, Machine Sales Rep in Redmond. But the only 297C Peterson Machinery had available east of the Cascades was an all-black one.

Kevin took it anyway, and it’s turned into a marketing machine.

	The new Smalling excavator comes factory painted to match the rest of the fleet. The all-black machine caused quite a stir at the factory in Japan, where several workers  volunteered to be in the photo taken for the customer.

“The black loader attracts a lot of attention,” says Kevin. “People ask about it and recognize it around town. Our company colors are tan and black, so it’s really perfect for us. It’s like free advertising.”

Of course, Kevin and his crew need more than just good looks from their equipment, and that’s where his Cat® machines really pay off. Thanks to Peterson Machinery’s excellent product support service, Smalling Construction is increasing its fleet of compact construction equipment (CCE) from Cat.

“They used to have an ASV SR-80,” explains Shane. “During a weekend job, the loader needed a filter and pretty much shut the job down. No parts stores in the area could find a cross-reference for the filter and said it would be a three-day wait to get it from the manufacturer. Kevin called me and our parts team was able to cross-reference it and get a filter to him right away. But that was the final straw for the ASV for Kevin.”

“Our company does a lot of structural demolition, so we’re the guys who come in over the weekend or after hours and get the site ready for the builders to start on a Monday morning. If I lose my equipment, I lose the job. Because of Shane’s and Peterson’s great support, I’m very comfortable owning Cat equipment. I know I won’t get left in the lurch.”

That other loader was soon traded in for a Cat 287C. Not being one to pass up a marketing opportunity, Kevin had it painted black to match his 297. And how about the 304C CR mini excavator he just ordered? That one is coming all black right from the factory.

Kevin is a big believer in the CCE line. “Don’t underestimate what these compact machines can do,” he says. “When we pull up to the job site towing one of these, sometimes we’re asked ‘Where’s your equipment?’. Then, we get the job done quickly and efficiently and our customers are just amazed we did it all with the smaller machine. We save so much time in mobilization with the CCE, because we just back up our trailer and load it up in a few minutes. You can’t do that with the big Cat equipment. Yet the CCE gives all the performance you need.”

“It’s been fun working with Kevin on his CCE fleet,” says Shane. “These guys work hard and do a great job. I’m looking forward to supporting them as they continue to grow their business.”

So the next time you’re in Redmond, be on the lookout for Kevin and his guys. They’ll be the ones tearing it up in the ultra-cool-looking equipment.