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Newsletter - June 2006

• A New Beginning - A Letter From the President
• Why You Should Use Elgin OEM Brooms and Brushes
• Product Spotlights
  • Vactor 2100 Series Positive Displacement Sewer Cleaner
  • Vactor Hydro Excavator
  • The Elgin Waterless Eagle

On May 1st, Ben-Ko-Matic was acquired by a Partnership consisting of Earl Rose and Ron Howard. Earl will be actively involved with the day-to-day management of the company as President. He and the current staff will begin to implement many changes that are designed to build the business into a completely customer service focused company. Earl is excited to begin the process of making Ben-Ko-Matic the best equipment sales and service company in the Northwest.

Hello to all;

I would like to start by giving you a quick background on Ron and myself. Ron’s family started a company in Eugene, Oregon called Ivy Rents in 1958. After a short career in the construction industry as a civil engineer, Ron joined the company full time in 1977 and became President in 1980. At that time the company had two locations, one in Eugene and one in Portland. In 1982 Ivy purchased a company in Portland where I had been a mechanic since 1980. I progressed through the service, parts and sales departments until 1992 when I was named Vice President. Under Ron’s direction, the company grew to 30 locations throughout the West Coast. Ron retired in 1998 and I continued as VP for the western United States. In 2000, Sunbelt Rentals acquired Ivy Hi-Lift; as VP of the Western US we continued the expansion to 42 locations with over 500 Team Members and over $140 million a year in sales in the Western US.

Ron and I share the same business beliefs:

1. Do everything with Honesty and Integrity.
2. Always take care of your customer and deliver beyond their expectations.
3. Build a win/win partnership between your customers, suppliers and employees.

Now, I am looking forward to building our new business while our entire team holds strongly to these beliefs.

I would like to address some rumors that have surfaced since our acquisition. Jim and Mary Theda sold the company in two parts. The brush manufacturing division was sold United Rotary Brush and URB moved all manufacturing to California. As such, there is no longer any company building brushes in the Northwest. You may soon be hearing from a URB salesperson; if you choose to buy direct from URB that will certainly be up to you. However, we want you to know that you still have the choice to buy locally.

Ben-Ko-Matic and the ongoing business, including the inventory, has been sold to Ron and me. Our ongoing business plan includes stocking and selling a complete line of brushes for all makes of sweeping equipment as well as OEM Elgin brushes for superior performance. We are a locally owned company, so when you do business with us, your purchases will be an investment in the local economy.

We will also continue to be your authorized distributor for Elgin, Vactor, Superior and the many other products Ben-Ko-Matic has represented over the years. We are a healthy company and, with support from our customers, we will continue to grow and service your needs.

Now, we are excited and ready to build our company for the future; our TEAM has a lot of new ideas and plans. One important change you will see in the coming months is that our name will change to “Owen Equipment.” Our image and our appearance will also be changing with a new company logo and company colors. Soon, the difference between us and our competition will be black and white.

I am confident you will see many improvements in every department. We are evaluating our parts inventory now to increase the fill rate so that we will have the right parts on hand for our customers every time. Our service departments will be expanding to make sure we have ample manpower available to maintain and repair your equipment in a timely manner. Our team is here for one reason: to take care of you, our customer. We realize that without you we have no business.

I would like to say “Thank you” for all your past business. If you ever have any concerns, or if you would like to pass along any suggestions you have for us, please feel free to call me anytime. I look forward to meeting as many of you as I can over the next months and creating a relationship that will last for years to come.
Thank you,

Earl A. Rose
(503) 255-9055 ext. 21 - Office
(503) 704-2151 – Mobile
(360) 687-7363 – Home Office

Why You Should Use Elgin OEM Brushes & Brooms

Elgin sweeper brooms are engineered to function properly with all Elgin key systems. Strict specifications have been developed for all Elgin Sweepers because the exceptional sweeping made famous by Elgin begins with the sweeper broom.

Broom Features & Benefits

• Elgin Brooms use 100% virgin polypropylene resin for the greatest abrasion resistance, better flick action and maximum wear.
• Elgin Brooms wear longer and have less downtime than “will fit” brooms due to more filament wraps and coils.

Gutter Broom Features & Benefits

• Elgin Gutter Brooms use superior oil-tempered wire for exceptional recovery, outstanding flick action and impressive wear.
• Elgin Gutter Brooms use a true oil tempered wire, not the “quenched” or “coated” typically used in “will fit” gutter brooms.

Product Spotlight - Vactor 2100 Series Positive Displacement Sewer Cleaner

A Superior Machine Designed for Unmatched Job Versatility and Performance

• Fully Hydraulic Boom
• Front-Mounted Hose Reel
• Complete Operator Control
• Powerful Positive Displacement Vacuum
• Direct-Driven Hydraulic Water Pump
• Multi-Stage Blower Filtration System
• Easy Load, Fast Dump Debris Body
• Aluminum Water Tanks
• 5, 10, 12 or 15 yard debris body
• Fan Unit Also Available
• Mountable on practically any chassis
• Now available as a tag-on to the WSDOT State Contract
  

Vactor Hydro Excavator

Vactor Manufacturing, the leading vacuum truck manufacturer in the world, has worked closely with excavation contractors to develop the HXX. Safety and productivity are designed into every unit. Pressurized water breaks apart soil, while a high airflow vacuum removes it without damaging or disrupting lines. And the HXX is as versatile as it is dependable, perfect for potholing, water-line repair, slot trenching, directional drilling, sign and pole installation, pipe location and residential excavation. Each HXX unit comes standard with:

• 12 Cubic Yard Debris Body
• 1,300 Gallon Water Tank
• 320º Rotation Boom
• 10 GPM / 2,500 PSI Pump
• Available in Fan or PD Systems

Elgin Waterless Eagle

Have a limited water supply? Need to sweep year-round in all weather conditions? All while having to maximize your operator’s productivity and sweeping efficiency? Then look no further than the popular Elgin Eagle, equipped with a new, patent-pending Waterless Dust Control System.

The Eagle is the premier 4-wheel, twin engine, mechanical truck-mounted broom sweeper. With its exclusive No-Jam conveyor, wide sweep path and trouble-free lift mechanism, the Eagle provides unequalled productivity in a variety of applications, including highway maintenance, heavy-duty municipal care, road construction and resurfacing.

Call Ben-Ko-Matic today to learn more about more about these great features:

• No-Jam Conveyor
• Wide Sweep Path
• Variable Height Dump Hopper
• Powerful Auxiliary Engine
• Supplemental Water System
• Dust Control System
• Proven Cab-Over Chassis
• Easy In-Cab Operation
• Reliable Hydraulic System
• Convenient Maintenance Features

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