Shortly after beginning his career in the material handling industry in his early twenties at Raymond, Steve Rice set a goal to become a Dealer Principal. However, it was not a straight line to get there. Through various positions with different Raymond-related companies, Steve gained knowledge and expertise in the industry, which eventually guided him to Welch Equipment Company. Welch began working with Raymond and Toyota early in its history. The Welch Equipment Company still holds onto those relationships to this day. Although the company has continually expanded into new markets and product lines, Raymond and Toyota products remain at the core of our business. In April of 1995, Steve arrived in Denver and finally accomplished his long-term goal of becoming a Dealer Principal. At the time, Welch had less than fifty employees, the company was struggling financially, and Steve recalls working “a tremendous number of hours because it was a real challenge.” Back then, there was not a Dealer Development Department, so there was not much factory support during this time, which meant that Steve and his new Welch colleagues had to figure it all out on their own. Welch had a good market share, a loyal customer base, strong Allied and Fab Departments, and a diamond in the rough aftermarket group. One of the company’s main strategies in 1995 still holds true today: Welch strives to be the best service provider in their territory! Under Steve’s leadership for the last twenty-five years, Welch has developed into a unique material handling organization. Welch provides complete solutions for their customers through the capabilities of their various departments. The growth of the company has been a direct result of planning and hard work, Steve asserts. “We've always strived to be our customers' best supplier, thereby earning the right to get more spend from our customers and to keep competitors out," Steve said. This strategy has led to the diverse array of products and services Welch provides today. "I'm convinced the company is positioned to grow faster than the economy and prepared to grow our leadership position. All our locations have the best teams we have ever had! Our entire team is prepared for these changing times and all the challenges that they will encounter." Jeff Rufener, Toyota Material Handling President, shared, “Steve’s formula for success; hard work and customer service is easy to say but hard to do. In our Toyota family, Steve and his business are truly one of a kind as the only Dealer in the network representing both Toyota and Raymond. He’s done it with great creativity, enthusiasm, and leadership. We appreciate Steve and all that he has done for our business.” What are Steve's plans for retirement? Although he is "still struggling with this retirement thing," Steve is looking forward to traveling, volunteering, and doing more work with his church and CBS Bible Study as an Area Director. Please join us in congratulating Steve on his past 25 years of Welch accomplishments and well-earned retirement. If you are interested in learning more about TMH Dealer best practices or have one of your own you would like to share, please reach out to Trey Barber with the TMH Dealer Development team at Trey.Barber@toyotatmh.com .
Happy Retirement to Steve Rice, Welch Equipment President & CEO
