Providing same-day delivery is easier said than done, though. People are essential to the equation, according to Blake.
“You need the talent,” he says. “You need the operational engineers, parts and service technicians. You need experts. In every area of our business, we want to have experts. We want to have experts who are capable of handling machines that haven’t been made in 50 years. We want to have parts for classic machines, too. If a customer breaks down and they need a part or equipment, we want to have it in stock.”
Unfortunately, machines and parts aren’t in stock across the industry like they were just a few years ago. The manufacturer lead times that were at one time just weeks are largely months or more than a year in some cases.
Blake, for one, says Mellott won’t let extended lead times prevent it from delivering for customers.
“We engineer, machine and fabricate over 10 million pounds of steel every year and turn it into some sort of vehicle to transport or support crushers and screens,” Blake says. We want to build in America. We don’t want to assemble in America; we want to help build America. And we want to provide our communities with great-paying jobs where our employees can support a family.”
Blake says success boils down to having the right people on a team – ones who are passionate and accountable.
“We’re investing in people,” Blake says. “If you invest in the people, the people are going to want to stay. We’re investing in companies that have great people. It’s all about people. We want the best people out there.”
Mellott, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2020, is also investing in local markets with its partners.
“We’re making a significant investment in Lawrenceville, Georgia, for a complete service center,” Blake says. “We have a service center location and a machine shop in Marion, North Carolina, which is approximately four hours north.”
Mellott’s goal is to have a service center situated every three and a half to four hours so customers receive the high level of service they require.
“It’s been a lifelong mission to get us to a point where we have a group of people who understand what we’re trying to do and how we’re trying to accomplish this,” Blake says.
