The employees of Ditch Witch of North Carolina gathered last month in celebration of being the best in the world.

Headquartered in Garner, N.C., the company, founded in 1970, has been ranked among Ditch Witch’s top 10 dealers since the company began compiling the list, but topped it for the first time for the 2005 calendar year.

Co-owners Travis Wilkey and Cliff Starks had asked their 35 employees to strive for the No. 1 position at the start of 2005.

And they took the challenge seriously.

In early 2006, Ditch Witch named its North Carolina dealer as its best among 73 primary dealers (with 92 branches) worldwide.

The ranking is not just based on the amount of equipment purchased, which Wilkey said puts dealers in smaller territories at a disadvantage. It also is dependent on customer satisfaction surveys, staff training, sales goals and other aspects of the business.

Even though Ditch Witch of North Carolina has reached the top, Wilkey said its employees won’t set lower expectations for themselves.

Service technicians will continue to attend a large number of training sessions to keep up with the latest upgrades to the equipment and the sales force will continue to work to expand market penetration, Wilkey said.

He credits the success of the company to his employees — a majority of whom have worked at Ditch Witch of North Carolina for more than 15 years. Most of the sales force has 20 years under its belt. Wilkey said the stability allows customers to be greeted by a familiar face.

“The customers are able to feel the passion of the employees and why we all love this business,” Wilkey said.

In addition to the Garner headquarters, Ditch Witch of North Carolina has branches in Greensboro, which opened in 1991, and Wilmington, which opened in 2001.

Customers can expect a new branch in Wilmington this year along Highway 421.

“We will continue to strive to improve on what we’re already doing,” Wilkey said. CEG Staff

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