Border Equipment photo

Preston Smith, a long-time industry veteran, has returned to his roots in CASE construction equipment distribution as the new sales manager for Border Equipment’s Atlanta branch.

Preston Smith, a long-time industry veteran, has returned to his roots in CASE construction equipment distribution as the new sales manager for Border Equipment's Atlanta branch. He will be based at the company's Conley, Ga., location.

Smith's career began in a unique way — working as a mechanic's helper on shrimp boats for Ring Power in Tampa, Fla., in the early 1960s. He then moved on to roles with an Allis Chalmers dealer and a Cummins dealer. His desire to move away from working on diesel engines led him to CASE Power & Equipment in Tampa, where he started as the company's service manager before transitioning into sales.

Throughout his career, CASE Power & Equipment recognized Smith's sales talent, which led him to positions in multiple cities: Tampa, Fla.; Columbia, S.C.; Orlando, Fla.; Dallas, Texas, and finally, Atlanta, Ga., where he helped boost sales in each market. The Atlanta dealership was later purchased and became Southern Power & Equipment. After a few years with Southern Power & Equipment, Smith was recruited by Yancey Bros. Co., where he served as BCP manager from 1997 until his retirement in 2022.

Now back at Border Equipment, Smith said, "At the Atlanta location, we have a relatively inexperienced team. My role is to help grow the maturity and sales culture. Bret Arrowood, company operations manager, has been stretched thin with the other locations and his other responsibilities, so he's looking to me to increase market share in the competitive North Georgia market and leverage my experience in sales training, prospecting, and core sales techniques."

Smith's personal philosophy for success is to equip sales representatives with the tools they need to succeed. His approach emphasizes showing reps how to execute a plan and empowering them to close deals on the spot, rather than waiting for approvals. He stresses the importance of prospecting using historical data and reaching out to every customer who has owned a CASE product in the past 20 years to capture market share.

Smith's strategy is simple:

• Step 1 — ensure every CASE machine owner is fully serviced and satisfied, and

• Step 2 — grow market share.

He acknowledges that returning to equipment distribution wasn't a necessity, but rather a choice motivated by his desire to re-engage with customers. He felt that the opportunity to work with a competitive product line, like CASE equipment, was where he truly belonged — a "coming home" moment for him.

"The diverse selection of CASE compact machines, including powerful units like the Minotaur, along with comprehensive field service and a high percentage of in-house parts availability, make these products a true value for high production with minimized downtime," he said.

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