Sticking with Bobcat Equipment Pays Dividends

For more than 100 years, family-owned Dunn Lumber has served the resort town of Lake Geneva, Wis., with its grand waterfront homes and beautiful scenery. Visitors from nearby Milwaukee and Chicago flock to the area during the summer months for relaxing vacations in the laid-back Midwest city.

In 1993, Dunn Lumber took a big leap forward with the addition of a new rental department called “Just Ask Rental” featuring dependable Bobcat® compact equipment, and things haven’t been the same since.

Ken Van Diggelen is the rental manager at Just Ask Rental and has more than 15 years of experience. He has seen the many benefits of renting Bobcat equipment and how it rewards other Dunn Lumber departments. He says renting Bobcat equipment often leads to sales in other areas because contractors often purchase supplies when renting equipment from him.

In the rental fleet there are three Bobcat machines from Bobcat of Janesville: a S175 skid-steer loader, a T190 compact track loader and a 430 Zero House Swing (ZHS) compact excavator. When asked why the store initially selected Bobcat equipment, Van Diggelen says it was because everyone asked for “Bobcat” when they called. “We stuck with it and the service has been tremendous,” Van Diggelen says. “I think Bobcat is the number one brand, and I think it is a great product. When anyone is looking for a skid-steer loader, what do they say? They say they’re looking for ‘a Bobcat.’”

Continued product improvements and added features have played a part in why the rental department sticks with the Bobcat brand, according to Van Diggelen. “The comfort levels and ease of use have improved a lot over the years. It is easier for our customers to use, and a smoother operating experience makes them happy.”

Tracks Work Best
Just Ask Rental purchased the T190 and 430 because they have a light footprint that causes minimal ground disturbance. “We are in a resort area with a nearby lake, and the ground is quite soft in some areas,” Van Diggelen says. “The Bobcat track loader is less damaging and does not sink in nearly as bad as the rubber tire machines. Bobcat equipment has worked out very well for us.”

The versatility of the rubber track machines matched with Bobcat attachments keeps the rental utilization high and provides a solid return-on-investment. “Having a diversity of attachments keeps rentals going strong, especially in the spring with the Brushcat™ rotary cutter, which adds a lot to the track machine,” Van Diggelen says.

From its early days of providing coal to Lake Geneva residents to its modern-day store with a full-service hardware, lumber and rental department, Dunn Lumber has survived — and thrived — thanks in part to Bobcat equipment.