When A-One Trucking & Paving owner Alan McKinney found himself in a bit of a problem as far as pavers go a couple months ago, he knew exactly where to turn — Dean Machinery Co., a Caterpillar dealer that has served northeast Kansas and western Missouri since 1955
“Our Midwest dealership that had the smaller pavers that we could use kind of pulled out and left us high and dry,” said McKinney. “I’m glad that Dean stepped in and have done what they have done to put us back on the map.”
What Dean Machinery did was pair McKinney’s Kansas City, Kan., based company up with a Weiler P355 paver, the first of its kind sold in the Kansas City area. Weiler products are offered nationally through many Cat dealerships.
“It’s probably the fourteenth paver I’ve had and this is the best out of all the ones we’ve had,” said McKinney. “I’m not just saying that. We’ve tried it for a couple of months and it is a really good paver.
“It is simple to run. It is easy. It is powerful. This has been the answer to my dreams.”
While the Weiler paver is the answer to his dreams recently, the foundation for the purchase has been built up over time with McKinney’s growing relationship with Dean Machinery.
“I’ve bought several rollers and milling machines from them,” he said. “I love the way they have taken care of me over the years. And I knew once they got involved in the smaller paving business, it’d be a good thing for me.”
And McKinney wasn’t shy about letting Dean Machinery paving expert Steve Ricketts know just that.
“For the last five years I have been riding him to get us a good paver in here,” laughed McKinney. “Every time I’d go down to get parts for other pieces of equipment I’ve been asking him that. I told him, ’When you get it, I will be there.’
“And they brought it out and demoed the truck paver for me. I told him then, ’I want it.’ I had demoed four or five other brands of pavers, but I told him right then, ’I want it.’
“I’m very happy with him.”
With the great help from Dean Machinery sales representative Sam Kennedy, Ricketts and Kennedy delivered to McKinney what he wanted.
McKinney and A-One didn’t waste any time putting the Weiler P355 paver to work. In a little more than two months, the company has tackled six projects including work for railroad companies, Noah’s Ark Airport and the site of the Kansas City Chiefs live pre- and post-game live broadcasts.
“My guys are really happy with it,” said McKinney. “It starts up in cold weather. It does a lot of speaking for itself. We haven’t had any obstacles or conditions it couldn’t overcome.”
And McKinney has seen his fair share of obstacles and conditions when it comes to paving. A veteran of the construction industry for more than 45 years, he got his start working in the early 1960s for McKinney Trucking, a company his grandfather started in 1951 with a pair of dump trucks and was later taken over by McKinney’s uncle and brother. He worked his way up through the company, working with all the major Kansas City area construction companies through the years before starting A-One Trucking & Paving Co. in 1983.
When it comes to running a business, having a company he can rely on for quality equipment is a huge relief.
“I sleep better at night knowing that we have someone here like Dean who is representing us so good,” said McKinney. “Instead of having to go to Oklahoma to get parts or another state to get parts, they are here. They are local. They call me to check and see if everything is all right. I’ve never had a company that did that.
“Nobody has taken care of us like Caterpillar. They are second to none. They have been there for us. Everybody knows me there when I walk through the door. From the president, Lori Dean, to the Vice President, Marc Dowdell, to the whole staff, I feel like I’m part of the Cat family.”
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