October 2005

Craig Mongeau - October 2005

The 11th annual N.Y.S. Highway & Public Works Expo is now just days away. On Oct. 19 at the Verizon Center of Progress Building on the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, more than 100 exhibitors will be vying for your attention as you make your way up and down the streets, rather aisles, of the show.

To get an idea of the comprehensive number of exhibitors at this year’s show, please check out pages 54, 56, 64 and 66 of this issue. Here, you’ll find an annotated guide to most of the exhibitors. Information in this listing includes vendor descriptions, product lineups, services offered, company location and booth numbers where each will be during the Expo. To maximize your time at the show (or to make sure you don’t miss an exhibitor), you can make photocopies of these four pages and use them as a checklist. There also will be plenty of copies of this issue available during the Expo.

While at the Expo, please stop by and chat with as many exhibitors as your schedule allows. The exhibitors invest a lot of time into planning for this event. What I think makes this industry very unique when compared with all others is that the equipment dealers really do care about helping to make your jobs easier. Time and time again when I speak with anyone from these companies, the common denominator in our discussions is building (and then maintaining) relationships with their customers.

Sure, they want to sell their products just like any other company in any other industry, but I’ve found that these businesses truly will go the proverbial extra mile to ensure that service and professionalism doesn’t end with the sale; it only begins there. Try finding that kind of concern from your cell phone company.

Also at this Expo will be a slew of door prizes, including two grand prizes: Two grandstand NASCAR tickets to the Watkins Glen race in August 2006 and two tickets to the Buffalo Bills vs. the New England Patriots on Dec. 11 in Buffalo. Then, of course, there’s the annual (and prestigious) Snowplow Roadeo.

We all look forward to seeing you there! P