Every year, Takeuchi-US recognizes outstanding individuals who go above and beyond in their commitment to excellence and the “Takeuchi Way” of creation, challenge and cooperation. Recently, the compact equipment manufacturer celebrated a special group of four employees who’ve demonstrated an unmatched commitment to the company, their coworkers and their customers.
“We’re incredibly fortunate to have so many hardworking, dedicated employees at Takeuchi,” said Jeff Stewart, president of Takeuchi-US. “Whether you’re at our Pendergrass, Georgia, facility or our track loader assembly plant in Moore, South Carolina, you’ll meet people who not only care about making Takeuchi a top-notch equipment brand, but who also care about each other and their communities.”
The following four individuals received top honors in their respective categories:
Salesperson of the Year: Eric Wenzel, Southeast Regional Business Manager
Since Eric joined Takeuchi-US three years ago, he’s demonstrated outstanding enthusiasm and dedication to customers and dealer partners. Eric is responsible for all sales development and activity across a multi-state region in the Southeastern U.S., and his duties include dealer development, dealer recruitment, forecasting and promotions, just to name a few. Eric’s customers benefit from his responsiveness and solution-based approach to any challenge that comes his way.
Image Courtesy of: Takeuchi
South Carolina Employee of the Year: Jamelia King, Assembly Team Leader, Main Conveyor Assembly Line
True leaders provide a positive example for others to follow. Jamelia King has done all that and more since joining the Takeuchi-US team at the Moore, SC track loader assembly plant in August 2022. King makes a difference by coaching her teammates, removing obstacles to progress and creating success for Takeuchi and its customers. Tim Dobmeier, manufacturing manager at Takeuchi-US, said, “Jamelia is a team player who’s always willing to do what she can to help us achieve our goals. She always rises to the occasion, no matter what the challenge.”
Image Courtesy of: Takeuchi
Georgia Employee of the Year: Kenny Goheen, Attachment Shipping Lead
For the past eight years, Kenny Goheen has received shipments, pulled orders and inventoried attachments for Takeuchi, along with overseeing the attachment warehouse. Goheen’s coworkers and Takeuchi customers alike appreciate his vast knowledge of all the different attachments, what machines they fit and where to find them. Not only is he the in-house attachment guru, but he also works hard to ensure attachments are shipped correctly and arrive on time. Goheen is a dedicated employee who gets the job done quickly and correctly, time after time.
Image Courtesy of: Takeuchi
Wiley Hutto Award: Lorenzo Forde, LTL Lead, Pendergrass, GA
Lorenzo Forde is an inspiring Takeuchi success story. Back in 2006, he came to Takeuchi from a temp agency. Nineteen years later, Forde is responsible for the daily planning and shipping of all LTL shipments and stock orders. He leads a team of 10 employees and trains all new employees in his area on how to do various tasks correctly and safely. Forde is known throughout the Pendergrass facility for being extremely hardworking and dedicated. His number one priority is doing his best for Takeuchi customers. Outside of work, Forde puts just as much effort and care into his church, family and friends.
“Takeuchi’s success is driven by our incredible team’s combined passion and commitment,” Stewart said. “We’re honored to celebrate these individuals who go the extra mile every day to support our customers, their coworkers and the communities we serve.”
For more information about Takeuchi compact excavators, track loaders, wheel loaders, crawler dumpers and attachments, or to find a dealer near you, visit takeuchi-us.com. Follow Takeuchi-US on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter.
About Takeuchi
Takeuchi is an ISO 9001 certified manufacturer of an extensive line of compact track loaders, compact excavators, compact wheel loaders and crawler dumpers. Founded in 1963, Takeuchi was the first company to introduce the compact excavator to North America, setting the stage for one of the highest growth product segments ever introduced in the compact equipment market. The compact excavator has become a main line product for both rental and construction/utility companies. Takeuchi continued to lead the compact construction industry with the introduction of the first compact track loader to North America.
Feature Image Courtesy of: Takeuchi
