Murphy On The Spot: Tractor Company Builds Successful Business By Exceeding Industry Expectations

The call came in at 1 a.m. on a bone-chilling night in 2005 when a Kansas snowstorm was showing no mercy. Snow and ice were piling up and road crews were shoveling instead of sleeping.

But one Kansas Department of Transportation operator had a problem - his motor grader was in the shop for maintenance. Therefore, he placed that early morning call to Kevin Rose, product support manager of Murphy Tractor & Equipment Co.

"He said they needed the grader to begin snow removal," Rose said, noting its maintenance was complete. "I drove to the KDOT headquarters on the east side of town, picked up the operator and brought him out to the shop so he could get in his grader and begin his route.

"It is just little stuff like that that shows how important customer satisfaction is to us," Rose added. "They needed the grader now; they needed to get the highways clean."

Delane Newkirk was the equipment operator specialist that night. "Kevin sure helped me out," Newkirk recalled. "They are really helpful whenever I call with questions about services or parts. They have always been ready with an answer."

And Newkirk has almost three decades of experience to back up those compliments about Murphy Tractor. Now a KDOT supervisor, Newkirk has worked for the state agency for 29 years. The first motor grader he was assigned way back when was a Murphy Tractor John Deere model.

Murphy Tractor, 325 S. Highway 281, has been a fixture in Great Bend since 1982; its first location was at U.S. 56 and Airport Road. Murphy has been at its current site since the mid-1990s.

Sales Team - Pictured left to right are Kevin Rose, product support manager; Billy Koelsch, parts sales; Dan Demel, parts sales; Glenn Dewey salesman; Mike Karst, service manager. Murphy Tractor began with just a few locations in Kansas and now has 16 locations in Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Iowa.

Its specialties are sales, parts and service for construction equipment but it collaborates with other types of ventures in central Kansas as well. The staff supports customers north to the Nebraska border, south to Pratt, and about 75 miles to the east and west.

The 10 local employees include Rose, one service manager, five technicians, two parts representatives and one salesman. The local facility is one of 16 in Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Iowa.

"We don't have a high rate of turnover," Rose commented. "We do have a couple of new guys but they plan to be here for a long time."

Part of the reason for this stability, Rose said, is Murphy Tractor's John Deere Career Partnerships two-year program at Milford, Neb. Students can earn a degree in construction equipment technology and if they meet program requirements, including service department rotations at Murphy Tractor, the company reimburses tuition."

"We continually look for candidates, such as high school graduates, to enroll in the construction program," Rose explained. "It is a great opportunity. I wish someone would have presented it to me."

The program entails 40 weeks on campus and 42 weeks actually working at a Murphy dealership. Classes cover a wide variety of topics including welding, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electronics, diesel and gasoline fuel systems, engine repair, mechanical power trains, hydraulics, hydrostatic drives, backhoes, dozers, motor graders, four-wheel drive loaders, forklifts and scrapers.

The curriculum is balanced out with courses such as descriptive physics, written communication, dealer cooperative experience, public speaking and personal finance.

Expert Care - Service technician Bradley Fischer installs rear axle housing on a 624J Loader. Murphy Tractor, Great Bend, employees 11, comprised of the product support manager, five techs, one service manager, three parts reps and one salesman. Rose said Murphy Tractor employees tend to stick with the company. "(People) don't know about the money we bring into the community through sales and services, and the employees' wages," he said.

Two graduates, Matt and Bradley Fischer, currently work at the Great Bend location, which is John Deere's local industrial-equipment dealer. It is separate from Great Bend Farm Equipment, which handles the agriculture side of things for John Deere.

However, Murphy Tractor could be viewed as the business behind the businesses, including ag to a certain degree. For example, it provides loaders and other machines for feedlot functions such as shoveling snow, mud, and cow manure.

"At a feedlot they are breaking things when they have to shovel snow, mud and cow manure Rose said. "We do quite a bit for the feedlots."

In addition, Murphy Tractor is on call 24 hours a day to ventures such as sandpits, dirt moving and the oil and gas industry.

Test and Tune - Service technician Eugene Wondra checks the running operations of an 850C Dozer after making repairs to the machine. The service technicians keep equipment up and running so downtime at the construction site is at a minimum. Murphy even offers 24-hour service to its customers. Murphy also brings in John Deere representatives on site when needed. "We carry cell phones on us," explained Rose. "The trucks have cell phone and laptop computers. We can talk with John Deere directly or go online to get help from John Deer experts."

"One of our busiest seasons is the winter because of snow removal," Rose commented. "A big part of our industry is KDOT, townships, counties and cities. They are sometimes running 24 hours a day and call on us for help.

"We also help keep the airport runways clear," Rose continued, noting this is especially important during medical emergencies when transportation is crucial. "A grader can go through a set of blades in maybe eight to 10 hours in a snowstorm. We service equipment in the middle of the night so that the citizens of Great Bend and Barton County can have a safer passage down the highway."

Another reason for Murphy's success is its ability and willingness to work on virtually any brand of equipment, Rose pointed out.

"It doesn't have to be John Deere," he said. "With any brand, our certified technicians will jump on the job. We also have overnight parts service to keep equipment up and running and so downtime is at a minimum.

"We all carry cell phones and our trucks have laptop computers," Rose added. "We can talk directly with John Deere experts or go online."

Murphy Muscle - The four construction tractors pictured represent the primary types sold and serviced by Murphy Tractor and Equipment Co., Great Bend; those being dozers, graders, excavators and backhoes. Left to right, the machines pictured are 750J Dozer, 770D Motor Grader, 230LC Excavator and 310C Backhoe. Murphy Tractor also works on other brands of construction tractors, other than John Deere with its fold of certified technicians, said product support manager Kevin Rose.

Yet another example of going the extra mile for customer satisfaction is Murphy's education seminars that offer safety and other training to customers' employees. "We want to keep them safe around the equipment," Rose said. "We talk with them and show a 20-minute video on equipment and safety."

While Murphy doesn't build the machines, it represents products and support services from many manufacturers. These include John Deere Construction Equipment, John Deere Skid Steer Loaders, Bobcat, Broce Broom, Diamond Mowers, Dymax, Eager Beaver Trailers, Falls Snow Equipment, Gomaco, Henke Manufacturing Corporation, Hitachi/Euclid, JRB Attachments, Kent Hydraulic Tools, Monroe Snow and Ice, Nissan Forklifts, Superior Brooms, Swenson Spreaders, Trail King Trailers, Vail Rippers and Wildcat Composting Equipment.

In addition, it supports the Wirtgen Group, including Wirtgen Milling Machines, Vogele Asphalt Pavers and Hamm Compaction Equipment.

Murphy Tractor is one of John Deere's largest North American construction equipment dealer organizations and also John Deere's #1 motorgrader dealer world-wide. It is headquartered in Wichita.

Parts and More Parts - Murphy Tractor keeps an ample supply of large and small tractor parts in stock. Overnight parts service is available for those parts not readily available. Rose said Murphy Tractor mostly services industrial equipment but it also provides service for feedlots, oil, sandpits and dirt work. A large part of Murphy's industry is Kansas Department of Transportation, townships, counties and cities, said Rose.

The firm's shelves are stocked with important parts but regional John Deere depots are always available, according to a company brochure. It carries engine parts, undercarriages, bucket teeth, cutting edges, fluids, filters, lube products, hydraulic hoses, batteries, scraper chains and more.

Murphy also offers preventive maintenance agreements, best-in-industry warranties, computer diagnostics and a condition-based maintenance cleanliness program, the brochure states.

Other company-wide services include a rental fleet, thoroughly inspected used equipment and remanufactured components.

On the local level, Rose anticipates Murphy Tractor will grow in the coming years. "We are hoping to add on someday and continue to grow. We are always looking for good technicians. And if we grow the number of techs, then we can grow the parts department to support the needs of the community.

"It is always our goal to provide sales, parts and service for the customers' satisfaction," Rose emphasized. "We like to keep them happy from the time they walk in the door to meeting with the sales and service staff.