Coal Downturn Causes Cat Dealers Whayne and Walker to Drop 165 Workers

Caterpillar dealers Walker Machinery and Whayne Supply last week announced they will lay off 165 employees between them, primarily as a result of a downturn in the coal industry, the companies said.

Michael Roth

July 14, 2016

2 min read

Although construction is strong in most markets a downturn in the coal industry has forced layoffs in Kentucky and West Virginia — Although construction is strong in most markets, a downturn in the coal industry has forced layoffs in Kentucky and West Virginia.

Caterpillar dealers Walker Machinery and Whayne Supply last week announced they will lay off 165 employees between them, primarily as a result of a downturn in the coal industry, the companies said.

Whayne Supply, headquartered in Lexington, Ky., is one of the oldest Caterpillar dealers in the United States, and one of the largest with 17 facilities in 16 cities in Kentucky and southern Indiana. In addition to Caterpillar equipment, parts, service, sales and rental, Whayne Supply Co. is also a dealer for Genie, Sullair, Massey Ferguson and others.

“Due to deterioration in our traditional markets in the eastern Kentucky area and coal industry, with no signs of future improvement for some time, Whayne Supply Co. has to make the difficult decision to right size our locations and support center affected by these conditions,” wrote Monty Boyd, Whayne president and CEO on the company’s website. “This action includes a layoff of 87 employees, or approximately 7 percent of the current Whayne Supply employee workforce.

Boyd, also the owner of Walker Machinery, made a similar statement on Walker’s website. Walker Machinery was founded in West Virginia in 1950. The company has facilities in nine cities in West Virginia and southeastern Ohio. Walker Machinery is laying off 78 employees.

“Prior to this announcement, the company has worked to reduce expenses and has made opportunities available for employees to move into positions in other areas of the company with relocation packages provided,” the statement said. Walker Machinery Co. is also the local dealer for Sullair, Genie, Wacker, Allmand, Challenger and others.

About the Author

Michael Roth

Editor

Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.