Everyday Heroes: Meet Finning's service ... - Finning Canada

SparwoodSometimes it takes a bit oflateral thinking to turn agood idea into a great one(Re)buildsPrideSTORY BY LISA RICCIOTTIPHOTOGRAPH BY DANIEL WIENERebuild it and they will come.That could be the motto fora successful Finning QualityRebuild program that’s helped put the town ofSparwood on the map. Ringed by the Rockiesin the heart of the Elk Valley, scenic Sparwoodis best known as home of the world’s largesttruck: the nearly seven-metre-tall, 235-tonneTerex Titan. Yet it’s heavy metal of a differentkind that’s attracting international attention.Global buyers look to this coal communityfor its Sparwood Specials, Caterpillar D10 andD11 track-type tractors rebuilt in Finning’sSparwood shop.Buyers of Sparwood Specials get the equivalentof a brand new dozer at a significantlylower sticker price. Still, that’s not the drivingforce behind this unique program, whichcontinues to prove its worth 20 years afterthe first D9 Sparwood Special rolled out ofthe shop. The real reason lies in the story of agood idea that grew into a great one.Terry Barber, now the global mining usedequipment manager with Finning in Calgary,is pleased to share the story. Between takingphone calls from Pakistan and Egypt to closeequipment deals, Barber finds time to strolldown memory lane as he relates the originswww.finning.ca Spring 2008 • TRACKS & TREADS 53