With the help of special guests Jack and Todd Hoffman from Discovery Channel’s hit TV show Gold Rush, Flagler Construction Equipment (Flagler CE) celebrated the completion of renovations to its headquarters, which also serves as the company’s Tampa, Fla., branch.

On Feb.13, three hundred guests visited the newly remodeled facility. In addition to the special guests from Gold Rush, the open house included lunch and tours. Guests also put their skills to the test on the Volvo CE wheel loader simulator.

“We didn’t just build something that looks good,” said Mark McDonell, Flagler CE president and CEO. “We spent years studying what would best support our customers and make us as efficient and productive as possible.”

About 30 percent of the U.S. population lives in the states Flagler CE and its partner to the north PennJersey serve, an area that includes most of the major ports along the eastern seaboard.

“Our Tampa branch was experiencing meaningful growth and needed to be upgraded to serve our customer’s needs,” said McDonell. “Better systems, better technologies and better management tools allow us to provide an exceptional customer experience.”

At the open house, Flagler CE announced it now carries a product line new to the North American marketplace, SDLG. SDLG has two wheel loaders available in North America: The LG938L — a 2.4 cu. yd. (1.8 cu m) loader with a rated load of 3 tons (2.7 t), and the LG959 — a 4 cu. yd. (3.1 cu m) loader with a rated load of 5 tons (4.5 t).

The recent investment wasn’t just about bricks and mortar. The company invested in technologies and tools to create the optimum environment.

Flagler CE incorporated the latest parts storage and retrieval system, called Kardex Remstar, which allows for more efficient use of space and accuracy in parts selection. This is the same quality parts management technology used at the Volvo CE plant in Shippensburg, Pa.

That is not the only Volvo-inspired technology added at the new headquarters. Flagler CE integrated the Volvo Care Track technology with its own fleet management system — allowing for better field monitoring.

Being efficient is a top priority for Flagler CE, as is safety for its employees and the environment. That is why the company created the safest possible work area, which now includes increased natural light, more energy-efficient lighting as well as a misting system to keep technicians cool during the hot summer months in Florida — keeping them focused on the work at hand.

In addition, new tanks and control systems were installed. A redesigned wash rack system offers a more efficient and effective cleaning process. The system is closed loop, meaning it recycles the water making it environmentally friendly.

“While having a new look on the outside of a building is great, the work going on inside and out in the field is what really matters,” said McDonell. “Now that we accomplished what we set out to do in Tampa, we can deploy the same guiding principles to other locations and continue to improve our capability to support our customers well into the future.”

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