With the promise of three years of steady work in his company’s future, Jay Spruill went on the hunt for a new fleet of heavy equipment.

C. W. Wright Construction Company had received the contract from Progress Energy to install underground cable in a multitude of new subdivisions in Haines City and Buena Vista, FL.

With no end in sight for Florida’s housing boom, Spruill knew he’d be able to keep new equipment quite busy and decided to buy.

Spruill, C. W. Wright’s president, and Senior Vice President Jerry Hamman listed six manufacturers in which they were interested and went on a quest for 21 trailers and 21 mini-excavators.

Their search ended at White Oak Equipment, based in Fredericksburg, VA, and Salesman Ricky Edwards.

They ended up leaving with 21 Kubota mini-excavators, 26 Butler trailers and one Kubota mini-backhoe.

At approximately $800,000, “This was the biggest Kubota deal we’ve ever done at White Oak,” Edwards said.

Spruill said they decided to buy from White Oak not only because of pricing, but also because of the service it offered and the ability to produce the equipment in a short time frame.

“White Oak by far came out ahead in all categories,” Spruill said.

C. W. Wright had purchased a few backhoes from White Oak in the past and he decided to continue the relationship.

The challenge to turn around the huge order grew even more challenging when the start date for the project was moved up by a couple weeks, Hamman said.

Edwards said he had to search the eastern part of the country to fill the order, since it only had two trailers and four excavators in stock.

“Our Kubota rep kicked in and helped,” he said. “Part of a successful quick turnover depends on having a good relationship with the supplier as well as the customer.”

The order was filled approximately 45 days after Spruill first approached White Oak in late January.

C. W. Wright crews began working on the project in March and all of the equipment was shipped to Florida by mid-April.

The staff of C. W. Wright’s Seaford, DE, location prepared the equipment before it was shipped south. CEG Staff

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