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

For a long time, Earl Finning’sdedicated field personnel were theanswer. Eventually, he neededmore bricks and mortarThe Birthand Caterpillar’s largest dealer worldwide,with business in six different countries.“Earl B. was a generous man, who didn’twant you to know it,” recalls Mulvaney.Finning turned down Mulvaney’s request forthe raise he sought for his employees. “But inthe same breath, Earl B. would say they coulduse his station wagon to go for a vacation inAlberta if they’d like.”Just 36 when he founded Finning Tractorand Equipment Company in 1933, Earl B.Finning was the youngest dealer principal inthe Caterpillar organization. It was the GreatDepression, and the five employees hiredfrom Finning’s predecessor had been work-Branchof theStory by Jeff Howardompany founder Earl B. Finningpracticed MBWA – WD: managementby walking around – withdog. On his daily march along hardwoodfloors at his Vancouver company he wasjoined by his Irish Setter, Pat.The “old man” would offer advice. Talkingback was risky. Jim Mulvaney, who started inthe parts department in 1939, says when EarlB. said jump, you jumped. Once, Pat sniffedout somebody taking a cigarette break.“We’re not paying you to stand around;you’re fired,” barked Earl. B. What he didn’tknow was the dismissed “employee” was aFinning customer working on his equipment,a common practice those days.The fiery Mr. Finning had another side,though. Bev Davis, who joined the companyfrom the army in 1947, comments: “He gaveme a dressing down because the daughter ofone of the men who worked for me was verysick. The old man said I needed to keep himinformed so he’d be able to help the family.”These folksy nuggets help explain Finning’simpressive 75-year run to become the leadingheavy equipment dealer in Western Canada,ing part-time with reduced wages for severalyears. “When Earl Finning took over, he putus on full-time at our previous salaries,” saidFinning’s first parts manager, Jack Rollins.“I don’t suppose anyone could understandour feelings at the time, nor the intense loyaltythis one gesture created.”Despite the economic hard times, EarlFinning offered customers a helping hand.One logger needed a tractor but was so brokehe could hardly feed his family, let alonemake the down payment, writes Bob Leyin his unpublished history of Finning. EarlFinning delivered the machine anyway andsternly told the logger he’d better pay for it62 tracks & treads • Spring 2008 www.finning.ca