SWITCH-N-GO® RESULTS IN GROWTH DURING UNPRECEDENTED TIMES
James Doyle of Innovative Lawn and Landscape LLC explains how Switch-N-Go® helped during COVID-19 crisis.
For over two decades, Switch-N-Go® has been providing cable hoist systems and interchangeable bodies to the landscaping industry. The hoist system is designed for class 4-7 chassis cabs and can be installed on a variety of domestic and import vehicles. Switch-N-Go® offers a fleet of work truck bodies including dump, chipper, and storage bodies, as well as flatbeds, drop box dumpsters, and WorkReady™ subframes. The Switch-N-Go® solution is an ideal fit for businesses that want to maximize their capital budget and minimize equipment idle time by providing crews with the right tool for every job.
When Switch-N-Go® first talked with James Doyle, he had only experienced working with the Switch-N-Go® interchangeable system for a short time. Nearly 5 years later, we spoke with Doyle again to see how different his company is and how much has changed in that short amount of time. The real question should be what hasn’t changed.
In March of 2020, COVID-19 changed the world, putting fear into business owners, such as Doyle. Businesses started to shut down and people stayed in their homes. However, this turned out to be a blessing for Doyle. He utilized the time to target a different clientele. Ones that know that investments matter. Something that resonates with Doyle as he continues to stand by the belief that “if you work hard, you get what you put in.” Meaning, he has always invested in his business, making smart and efficient decisions that help make his business successful. He sought out those clients, understanding that “[the customers will] invest in [Innovative] because [Innovative] invests in good equipment.” Those clients would then rave about the amount of work his crew could get done in a short amount of time – time savings that he often gives credit to the Switch-N-Go system – and referrals began flooding in.
With the increased demand of work, Doyle knew that he was going to need to expand his equipment. At one point, he had found a used Switch-N-Go® upfitted truck to help with some jobs. Unfortunately, the truck was in bad condition and caused more problems than it was solving, so they took the loss. However, the convenience of having two trucks that could do the work of several made Doyle realize that a second Switch-N-Go® truck was needed. So, at the beginning of 2021, he traded in his 2019 Ford F450 with a permanent mount mason dump for a 2022 Ford F550 with the newly launched E-Series (electric) Switch-N-Go® hoist system and the updated Versa-Fit™ Bumper System. While it seemed like forever until they finally got the truck in the last quarter of 2021, it was well worth the wait. Doyle loved the updates made to the hoist and bumper systems. The most noticed feature he calls out are the new body hold downs. Not only do they keep everything aligned when loading and unloading, but his crew has also noticed that the bodies do not bounce around as much when on the road. He was also a fan of the swivel hook that they implemented on the previous hoist model and continued into the newest version, allowing greater flexibility when trying to hook the system to a body. The new bumper system has also worked well. Adding two lights was a nice feature that didn’t go unnoticed.
Along with a new truck, Doyle also wanted to add some additional bodies to his fleet. After all, one truck does the work of three if you have the right pairings. Doyle talked with his Switch-N-Go® Authorized Dealer, Ness Automotive, to order some additional bodies. This included: a Storage Body that allowed Doyle and his team to safely secure and store equipment on a jobsite. It also helped reduce the number of wheels on the ground at jobsites that would normally require driving multiple trucks to the site daily; a second Dump Body that was then upfitted with a custom bolt-on leaf box to assist with leaf collection solutions; and a WorkReady™ Subframe that features a rear cutout, allowing for better weight distribution when being upfitted with a Salt Spreader.
Doyle didn’t just expand his equipment, he added new personnel to the Innovative team. A team that he is very proud of. Just like his equipment, Doyle is picky about the work that he wants represented of his business[1] , and he found a team that cares just as much. With two Switch-N-Go® trucks and double the manpower that he had in 2019, Doyle is constantly looking for ways to expand his services. Switch-N-Go® is the perfect tool for landscaping, snow and ice, and smaller construction jobs. For larger commercial builds, Doyle reached out to Bucks Fabricating, a Switch-N-Go® sister company, that manufactures cable and hooklift roll-off containers, and purchased a hooklift container. The combo has helped to transform Innovative.
So now what? The world is returning to normal. What’s next for Innovative? Doyle would like to see a third Switch-N-Go® truck in his fleet. He also has his sights set on another dump body, with the potential of branching out to stainless steel or aluminum construction for snow and ice management. There is one thing we do know, the future for Innovative will include Switch-N-Go®.
