On Feb. 9, John Noble joined Power Equipment as used equipment manager, although his responsibilities will extend into other areas of the company.

“John doesn’t come to us with a background in used equipment,” said Chris Gaylor, Power Equipment president. “But, John has a high-degree of intelligence, a strong work ethic and the ability to learn quickly.”

Before entering the heavy equipment industry, Noble served in the Coast Guard and graduated No. 1 in his officer training class. He also won the Navy League Military Aptitude Award, was a recipient of the Commandant’s Letter of Recommendation and was selected to be in the Presidential Honor Guard.

“His military background has given him a dedication to tasks,” said Gaylor, noting that Noble has carried this dedication into his heavy-equipment career.

After leaving the Coast Guard, Noble joined Hertz Equipment Rental in College Park, GA. One year later, he signed on with Burch-Lowe Inc., where he worked as an operations manager. When United Rentals purchased the rental division of Burch-Lowe, Noble took a branch manager position for United Rentals in Savannah, GA, where he worked for five years before signing on with Power.

Going beyond the usual responsibilities of a used equipment manager –– putting the cash value on trades and turning around the used equipment in a timely manner, to name a few –– Noble will be employing new Web and electronic resources.

“[Used equipment sales] have become less of an art,” noted Gaylor. “In the past, a lot of information had to be acquired through contacts. Now, in the Internet age, target numbers move a lot more quickly. There are greater real-time resources. Although you still have to develop relationships with contacts, [the position] has become a more task-oriented science.

“A guy with John’s intelligence can apply this technology to where the numbers are on used equipment,” he said.

“I want to help the company grow and be successful,” said Noble. “I will be looking for new responsibilities as I go.”

Adding to the list of his growing responsibilities, Noble will be taking on new marketing initiatives, which extend beyond used equipment.

“John’s background will help us design different external and internal marketing programs. He’s really going to be a resource for us,” said Gaylor.

Noble is also working to develop exporting contacts, he noted. Most recently, Power sold equipment to a contractor in Jordan. The equipment may be helping to rebuild Iraq.

“He’s a good fit into our culture, and I think he’s going to be an asset to us,” said Gaylor. “I just wish he’d quit calling me ’sir.’”

Power Equipment is the Komatsu dealer in Tennessee and northern Mississippi, and represents Grove, Dressta, Tramac, PSI maintainers, Moxy and Terex.

For more information, call 865/577-5563.

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