Marshall Cromer

Cromer Equipment has acquired Quality Lift Truck Inc, adding to its Oakland, West Sacramento and Santa Rosa sites.

Projecting 2011 sales, Marshall Cromer projects 18% growth on 2010 figures from its three existing facilities and including the Quality acquisition 25%. Cromer is president of Oakland-based East Bay Clarklift Inc doing business in separate locations as Cromer Equipment and CMH Cromer Material Handling. The business withholds sales data.

Cromer began talking in March with Quality Lift Truck President Gary Bicknell and Vice President Koni Bicknell and completed the transaction with them on 16 June. Terms of the all-cash deal were not disclosed.

The acquisition included business assets, service trucks and a rental forklift fleet with a value of about USD300,000, Cromer says.

Cromer retained eight sales and service employees but neither of the Bicknells. Gary Bicknell served as sales manager, and Koni Bicknell managed both service and finance.

"Quality brings to Cromer a really nice group of hard-working people who care for their customers," Cromer notes.

Cromer signed a short-term lease on the existing Quality full-service facility in Stockton, California and is looking for space nearby to accommodate what he perceives as a growing market.

Effective immediately, Cromer discontinued the Stockton site's representation of Hyundai, Big Joe and TCM forklifts and, instead, has the location representing the Doosan, Kalmar and Heli brands. Quality Lift Truck's new identity is CMH Cromer Material Handling.

Earlier, in a July 2010 market expansion, Cromer established a "greenfield" West Sacramento, California branch that he says has been profitable from the start. "We hired the two best parts guys in Sacramento and got the parts business" in the market, Cromer says. "We have put together the strongest parts personnel in northern California in our Oakland, Sacramento and new Stockton location and continue to grow that business." Cromer says his volume of parts business more than tripled in six months.

West Sacramento has nine employees, occupies 8,000 sqft. (720 sqm) and also uses the CMH Cromer Material Handling name.

Cromer Equipment started in 1989 as a Clark dealer in Oakland serving the San Francisco Bay market and now represents primarily Caterpillar, Doosan, Clark, Kalmar, Heli and Donkey. The Oakland site occupies about 25,000 sqft. (2,250 sqm) on 2.5 acres and employs about 50.

"We represent Doosan, Kalmar, Donkey and Heli for all of northern California," he says.

Another full-service branch is located in Santa Rosa, California.

For all four locations, Cromer has 70 employees.

In February 2009 in a London, Ontario, Canada court, Cromer obtained a judgment of USD91,571 against Rigger Xtreme Inc and owner Michael Salter for failing to deliver on an order for a machine to lift space satellites (Forkliftaction.com News #398). While the judgment and 4% per year interest remain unpaid, Cromer is philosophical, "I will get my redemption at some time."

Cromer views recent economic conditions as imposing a "tough market" for forklifts, dealerships, manufacturers and others in the material handling equipment business. "This industry is stuck," he notes. "A recession is tough."

Cromer says, "Expanding in new markets with parts and service personnel is a good way to continue to grow your business."