Thompson Tractor Opens New Huntsville, Alabama, Facility

2 SPRING 2009 Thompson Tractor Co.
McDonald Bros. Construction
Proving that routine maintenance and competent operators create a solid “foundation”
Combine solid machines,
a company’s commitment to
maintenance, experienced and
conscientious operators, and dealer
product support, and you have a
formula for long, productive life and
maximum value from earthmoving
machines – something that helps
strengthen a company’s bottom line,
especially in today’s economy. Such
has been the case for two Caterpillar ®
machines used by McDonald Bros.
Construction in Huntsville, Ala.
S.O. and Charlie McDonald founded
McDonald Bros. Construction in 1961.
During the company’s first two decades,
it focused primarily on residential site
prep and house pad construction. In
1984, S.O. purchased his brother’s
share of the company and shifted the
focus more toward commercial work.
The company handles all aspects of
site prep – demolition, earthmoving,
underground utilities, curb and gutter
and base – except for paving. In addition,
McPro Hauling was created in 2001
to separate the company’s trucking
operations from the construction side
of the business.
“He foresaw where Huntsville was
going as far as commercial work,”
says S.O.’s son, Dell, who joined the
company in 1987, “and Huntsville’s
been very, very good to us.”
S.O. McDonald continues to serve
as President, joined by Dell as Vice
President and General Superintendent;
and Mike Propst, S.O.’s nephew, who
joined the company in 1989, as a
www.thompsontractor.com
Project Manager and Head Estimator.
“Since the move to a commercial
site prep focus, the company has grown
from 15 to 17 employees to 135 during
busy summers,” Dell continues.
It’s been those employees, some of
whom have worked for the company
since Dell was a child, and his father’s
commitment to maintaining equipment
that have helped the company maximize
their investment in their Caterpillar
machines. The company currently
operates a fleet of nearly 60 pieces
of equipment, a quarter of which are
Caterpillar.
“Dad’s of the school if you take
care of your equipment, it’s going
to take care of you,” Dell says. The
company handles its own routine
maintenance, and sends oil samples
regularly to Thompson Tractor
Company’s Fluid Analysis Lab. With
the opening of Thompson’s newest
location in Huntsville, McDonald
Bros. also has more convenient access
to Thompson’s parts department and
service department for more involved
repairs. Sales Represent, Joe Cuzzort
and Product Support Representative,
David Brand serve McDonald Bros.
from the new Huntsville store.
Operator Clyde Morrison’s been
with McDonald Bros. for more than
35 years, and for the last 13 years he’s
been the only operator of one of the
company’s CAT ® 953B Track Loaders.
The machine has more than 18,000
hours on it, and once got 10,000 hours
out of an undercarriage. It’s not like
the machine has been babied, but it has
been used smartly.
“If it’s in rock or on a tough house
pad, that’s the loader that goes,” Dell
says.
Clyde attributes the long life of
the machine to a “good operator.”
0 FINANCING
%*
THOMPSON TRACTOR IS NOW
OFFERING ZERO PERCENT
FINANCING PROGRAMS THROUGH
CATERPILLAR ® FINANCIAL
SERVICES’ CAT ® ACCESS-
ACCOUNT CARD PROGRAM. SEE
IF ONE OF THESE OFFERS IS THE
SOLUTION TO YOUR CURRENT
CHALLENGES.
Thompson Tractor is
now offering ZERO PERCENT
FINANCING programs
through Caterpillar ®
Financial Services’ Cat ®
AccessAccount card
program.
Call your Thompson
Tractor Service
Representative or the
Service Manager at your
local Thompson Tractor shop
about the particulars on the
following 0% offers.
• Certified Powertrain
Rebuilds
• Powertrain & Hydraulic
Component Rebuilds
• Emissions Retrofit
Products
• GET, Protective Systems,
Wheel and Bucket
Rebuilds
• Cat Work Tools &
Attachments
• Cat Undercarriage (metal
or rubber tracks)
• Truck Engine OPT/Reman
Engines
• Cat Compact Generator
Sets
Make sure you ask about our
SPECIAL SECOND QUARTER
REBUILD PROGRAM
Each of these offers
has a particular set of
qualifications and expiration
dates, so get in contact with
Left to right: Dell McDonald (McDonald Bros. - Owner), David Brand (Thompson PSSR), Philip Sloan (McDonald Bros.
- Operator), Clyde Morrison (McDonald Bros. - Operator), and Joe Cuzzort (Thompson Salesman).
Thompson Tractor today and
see if you qualify and can
take advantage of these 0%
finance rates.
*0% Financing will be provided through
Cat AccessAccount on all eligible
purchases. Must be pre-qualified by
Thompson Tractor and approved for
financing by Caterpillar ® Financial
Services Corporation. Each of these
offers have their own individual terms
and limitations. Please check with
your Thompson Tractor or Caterpillar
Financial Representative for specific
terms and limitations. These offers
are made based on current financial
conditions and may be withdrawn,
changed or altered at any time
without any written notice or further
communication. ©2009, Thompson
Tractor
He’s even fashioned his own stops on
the throttle and shifter to keeps the
machine within what he feels are its
most productive settings.
“It’s a good smooth operating
machine,” Clyde says. “And for what I
do and the grading, you don’t need to
be running it wide open.”
Another longtime operator is Phillip
Sloan. He’s been with the company 21
years, the last 10 as the sole operator
of a CAT 325B L Hydraulic Excavator
that’s surpassed 15,000 hours. While
he might trade his machine for a new
Caterpillar excavator, he prefers his
current mount to any of the other brand
machines he’s operated.
“There ain’t no comparison (with
Cat) to me,” Phillip says.
McDonald Bros. focuses most of its
attention on the commercial market in
Madison County, with some projects in
Marshall or Jackson County, and it still
tackles a few residential jobs. Among
the company’s recent projects are
Huntsville Hospital Medical Towers
and bridge relocation, Covenant
Presbyterian Church with Turner
Universal, Mayfair Surgery Center
with Joe Steel Building Co., and
Williams Middle School and Trinity
Baptist Church with Consolidated
Construction.
Dell says he’s hopeful the economy
will pick in the latter part of 2009.
Bidding for what jobs are available
is very competitive, but the company
resides in a good market to be in when
the upturn begins.
“Huntsville’s always going to be one
of the busiest and fastest growing areas
in the state,” he concludes.
EARThmoviNG