1st Quarter 2005 - Berco S.p.A

Dealers & Customers
EXPANSION
AND RENEWAL
Wilson Finley, Berco dealer in the United
States for almost 50 years, inaugurates
new facility in Raleigh
View of the new location, not far from the headquarters
CHANGES
In order to keep pace with market demand and offer a constantly
improving range of services to its customers, Wilson-Finley has
embarked on a restructuring plan for its
branches, involving changes to both the
layout of the workshops and the machinery
and component machining and repair
stations.
The recently completed component retail
and service facility is located in Raleigh,
in the Eastern part of North Carolina. It
covers an area of 3,500 m 2 and has 8
workstations, which means that the
workshop can handle 12-18 machines
simultaneously. By the time the move
from the old location is complete, the
Inside the new workshop
workshop will have three track chain
assembly presses, machines for idler rebuilding and roller re-shelling,
etc. all with aim of providing a comprehensive and even more
effective service to their customers.
The layout of the restructured facility is similar to that of Wilson-
Finley's second, more recent location in Atlanta (GA), built in 1999.
The new workshop and warehouse have proved to be extremely
effective in coping with a large number of machines at the same time.
The workshop height and big access door (width 7 metres) make it
possible to work on large-size excavators. This wide entrance is
situated right in front of the offices and warehouse, giving rapid access
to the entire stock range, currently numbering no less than 14,000
different parts.
The plan is to restructure all the locations along the same lines at
5-year intervals, until all the Wilson-Finley facilities are fully
renovated.
HISTORY
In 1955, in Raleigh, North Carolina, George Wilson founded Wilson-
Finley and Co., which became the first Berco distributor in the
United States of America. Now, after almost 50 years, the company
has 8 operational branches in 5 American States: one in Virginia
(Richmond), three in North Carolina (Raleigh, Greensboro, Charlotte),
two in Georgia, (Atlanta, Waycross) one in Alabama (Troy) and one
in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania (near State College). It distributes a
vast range of items and has a network of hundreds of sub-dealers in
about half the towns and villages along the East Coast. Berco
products now constitute about 80% of Wilson-Finley's total sales volume.
In the 1970s the founder was joined by his sons Doug (1970) and
Mark (1979), who became company Chairman and Vice-Chairman
respectively in 1983. More recently, the third generation came along,
with Doug's son Jeff Wilson and son-in-law Jay Davis starting work
in the sales area.
The Berco products are transported
directly to the company
headquarters in Raleigh, North
Carolina, and from there they
are distributed to the branches
and/or the many local retailers
spread along the Atlantic coast.
Berco, as the main and biggest
supplier, has played a major part
in the growth and consolidation
of the Wilson-Finley Company in
its almost 50 years of business.
We would like to thank the
Wilson-Finley for all they have done to propagate the name of Berco
in their country.
The Wilson-Finley branches
12
BN41 > January 2005