Takeuchi Names Skyworks LLC its New Dealer in Florida
Takeuchi-U.S., a global leader in compact equipment, has named Skyworks LLC as a new dealer in Fort Myers, Fla. This follows Skyworks’ recent acquisition of Southern Gulf Equipment, a Takeuchi dealer and general rental company.
Skyworks will work to build on the strong legacy of service and support that Southern Gulf Equipment was known for, Takeuchi officials said. The dealer will continue to sell and rent the full Takeuchi product lineup, including excavators, skid-steer loaders, track loaders and wheel loaders. Skyworks will also stock parts and perform equipment repair, and it will ensure an experienced staff by retaining all 32 employees from Southern Gulf Equipment.
Established in 1999, the family-owned and operated business originally served as an aerial rental specialist but in the past few years, Skyworks has converted most of its stores to general rental. Along with its new location in Florida, Skyworks has 15 locations in New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Maryland and Virginia.
“This is a new chapter for our company as it is our first full-blown general rental store,” said Jerry Reinhart, owner and CEO of Skyworks. “We are hoping to learn from this and someday all our stores will be the same. We are excited to now be able to offer Takeuchi equipment, which has already been established throughout the area and will continue to succeed under our company’s direction.”
“We are excited to work with Skyworks, which is a great family owned business and very well-respected organization,” said Todd Granger, director of dealer sales at Takeuchi-US. “By keeping the staff from Southern Gulf Equipment, we should have a smooth transition for all involved parties. We look forward to Skyworks continuing to grow the Takeuchi brand in southwest Florida.”
Skyworks, headquartered in Buffalo, N.Y., is No. 38 on the RER 100.
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.