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Meet Darren Hebert: New Product Support Manager

Meet Darren Hebert!

Darren has been with Hugg & Hall since October of 2019 and started with us as a Service Manager. Starting October 1, he will be serving us as Product Support Manager in our Baton Rouge, Louisiana location. Darren brings a great amount of industry experience,  outstanding professional skills, and a passion for the employees here at Hugg & Hall. We are so excited to see all the great things he is going to do in his new position! 

Where were you born/raised? Where do you live now?

I was born and raised just south of Houma, Louisiana in a small town called Bourg. Oddly enough, my family owns property in the back of the Hugg & Hall location down there and that’s where I spent a good bit of my free time hunting and riding dirt bikes. Later in life, after I completed my 8 year military career in the Navy, I moved to Baton Rouge to pursue careers other than what the oilfield had to offer.

How long have you been at Hugg & Hall? If you started in a different position, tell us how you got here.

I started with Scott Equipment in 2013 and made the transition to Hugg & Hall in October 2019 carrying on as Service Manager.

What is the best part (your favorite thing) about working for Hugg & Hall?

There are so many things that I love about Hugg & Hall, but if I were to pick just one, I would have to say the most obvious is the eagerness to grow. From day one I have been impressed at how some is never enough. There has never been a time that anyone has said no to making improvements or trying to do better for our customers or our employees. Hugg & Hall continues to push forward even in the darkest moments of hurricanes, the pandemic, etc. The support that we as employees get from the upper management and ownership of this company stands out far greater than anyone could ever expect.

Do you have a favorite memory of your time here at Hugg & Hall?

One of my favorite memories here at Hugg & Hall was the announcement that we were going to move into a newer facility that would be home to all departments at one location. One of the most valuable things here at this location, is that all departments work and help each other without conflict

or forced obligation. The definition of being a TEAM is valued by all and is thoroughly embraced. A bond between departments has been formed and thrives to get stronger as we grow for the future.

What are you most excited about in your new position as Product Support Manager?

My focus has always been to make things run smoother not just for the Service Department, but for ALL departments involved. To be in a position that is designed to encourage that even more and to increase the growth of the company by being a bigger part of the operation is very exciting. The challenge of the daily operations for anyone is how well you make a positive impact that ultimately gets you positive results.

What is an interesting random fact about you that people may not know?   

Most folks don’t know that I am a Reserve Sheriff’s Deputy with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office and have been for the past 14 years. I have volunteered to serve my country and now this is what I do to serve my community. I’ve spent 10 years in uniform patrol, 2 years executing warrants and I currently serve as a Firearms Instructor with the Sheriff’s training department helping new recruits and ongoing in-service training for seasoned deputies.

Tell us your favorite quote and what it means to you.

John F Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country”. This quote inspires me in so many ways and those folks that know me can tell you that I implement it in everyday life. A positive, selfless act to help others is so rewarding.

What do you like to do in your free time?

Free time? What’s that? If there is such a thing, I do like to Sport Clay shoot, deer hunt and go on the occasional motorcycle ride with my wife, Carrie, in the mountain areas of Tennessee.

Employee Spotlight: Mike Landrum

Meet Mike Landrum – Product Support Sales Representative – Baton Rouge, LA

Where is your hometown? Baton Rouge, LA (laissez le bon temps rouler) *let the good times roll*

Do you have family? Kids? My wife, Kelli of 29 years and sons Chandler and Parker.

What does your typical day at work look like? Our territory consists of 10 Louisiana parishes (counties) that I travel covering customers and prospects. I normally like to start work early in the mornings when there is less traffic on the roads and usually will have at least one customer calling needing help before 7:00 A.M. I accept customer calls anytime of the day either very early in the mornings or late in the evenings. Depending on the area within the territory I am covering that day, I will normally start by visiting existing customers early and then cold calling later in the morning and after lunch. In the late afternoons, I am calling on customers and following up on outstanding quotes and preparing new quotes.

Daily job duties? Developing new customers, growing business with existing customers, service and parts quoting, helping customers make sound financial decisions and teaching equipment operator training.

How long have you been with the company? I came over from the transition with Scott Equipment, so total time of 7 years.

What is your favorite thing about your job? Meeting new people and developing new business opportunities. I really enjoy listening to customers and prospects to identify their problems and needs so Hugg & Hall can provide a successful solution building a mutually beneficial long-term relationship. Solving customer’s problems is very gratifying to me and at the same time, helping someone else clear their obstacles.

Do you have a favorite memory while working at Hugg & Hall? Learning that our branch was moving to a new location soon.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work? Traveling with family and friends to interesting places across the country.

What are your passions? Saltwater fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, hunting and cooking.

What is something that the people you work with might be surprised to know about you? I participated in competition water skiing and began barefoot skiing when I was just 13.

“When someone asks me where I work, I’m very proud to say that I work for Hugg & Hall Equipment!”

Mike Landrum is an essential part in keeping daily operations moving smoothly! We are proud to have him on our team! To start your own Hugg & Hall Story, visit our hiring website.

Employee Spotlight : John Sefcik

Collaborations and growth are continuously occurring at Hugg&Hall.  With this growth, we have acquired phenomenal employees that now call Hugg&Hall home. One of our newest employees, John Sefcik, made the transition to Hugg&Hall with the redistribution of Scott Equipment Companies Toyota Material Handling brand. His combined service marks 24 years! 

SAY HELLO TO JOHN SEFCIK

Sefcik works as a Sales Representative in Central Louisiana. In his 24 years of service, he has been in several different positions including Outside Rental Sales and Construction Equipment Sales. His tenure in the industry began soon after his graduation from Louisiana College with a BS in Business Administration.

There is great commitment and pride that goes into being a Sales Representative. John says the job, “keeps him on the move interacting with customers in all kinds of industries.” He wants customers to reach out to him for anything. Even if he cannot help, he will get the customer to someone who can help.

John’s understanding of the local industry comes from his upbringing in Alexandria. Today he, his wife and daughter live just across the river in Pineville, LA. In his free time, Sefcik enjoys mountain biking and spending time with his family.

Over the years John has realized he cannot go without his morning coffee. When asked what he wants customers of Hugg&Hall to know he said, “We are a great team of people and good at getting things done!”

We would like to thank John Sefcik for his tenure and dedication to hard work. Without his attention to detail, customers would not receive the exemplary service Hugg&Hall is known for.

Want to learn more about our awesome employees? Check out our Employee Spotlights page! 

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in March 2020. We updated it for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness in February 2023.

Employee Spotlight : Emily Altazin

Emily Altazin – Service Administrator – Baton Rouge

Meet Emily Altazin, our Service Administrator in Baton Rouge!

For six years, Emily has been working in the service industry. Here’s a glance into her work day. “I begin my day by checking and posting payroll,” She says. “Once that is finished and balanced, I start going through work orders to prep and bill out. By the afternoon, I go through any invoices that need to be submitted for payment, and review and schedule any Safety Alliance training that our technicians need.”

Emily’s favorite part of her job is “definitely the people, we are a family!” A special memory during her time at Hugg&Hall was after the 2016 flood. “Since we all live in different areas, some of us took longer at coming back to work. Some of our coworker’s houses flooded while others had family that were affected. It was such a hard time. I remember my first day back, everyone was waiting outside to start the day, and when I walked up, every single person came to hug me. It was emotional and truly showed how caring and great the people I work with are. As everyone slowly came back to work on different days, we welcomed them back with a hug!” 

Before her role as a Service Administrator, Emily worked as a Rental Coordinator for Scott Equipment and a Fingerprint Analyst for the Louisiana State Police. A little-known fact about Emily is her fear of crowds.

Emily says if she wasn’t in the service industry, she would probably be an Office Manager or work in accounting.

Emily was born and raised in Denham Springs, LA and still lives there with her husband of 19 years Jason, daughter Fallon (age 13), and dogs Sven (age 5) and Gumbo (age 6 months). Outside of work, Emily enjoys camping, hanging out and cooking with family and friends, and LSU football!

When asked to give advice to others in a similar profession, Emily says to “be patient and kind”.

We agree, Emily, and are so glad you’re a part of the Hugg & Hall team! We appreciate you!

To learn more about our awesome employees? Check out our Employee Spotlights page! 

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in February 2020. We updated it for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness in February 2023.

Hugg & Hall and Scott Equipment Agree to Trade Manufacturer Product Lines in Two States

Deal to Deliver Greater Value for Companies, Clients and Manufacturers

Little Rock, Ark. (Oct. 1, 2019) – Industry leaders Hugg & Hall Equipment Company and Scott Equipment Company, LLC have entered into a unique strategic agreement to trade Volvo and Toyota manufacturer territories in Louisiana and Arkansas in order to better align product offerings with each company’s business model and target markets. The agreement, effective today, is designed to expand the companies’ core operations, streamline manufacturer-dealer engagements and increase value to the companies’ clients through enhanced focus on primary business lines.

Under the terms of the landmark agreement, Hugg & Hall is transferring its Volvo Construction Equipment territory in Arkansas to Scott Equipment; in return, Scott Equipment is transferring its Toyota Material Handling territory in Louisiana to Hugg & Hall.

Hugg & Hall’s business focus includes sales, rental, parts and service of material handling and light construction equipment. The agreement calls for Hugg & Hall to operate out of current New Orleans and Baton Rouge Material Handling locations. Operations in Broussard, Lake Charles, Alexandria, Shreveport and Monroe will be absorbed into existing Hugg & Hall facilities.

Scott’s business focus includes sales, rental, parts and service of heavy-duty construction equipment and cranes. Under the terms of the deal announced today, Scott will absorb the Hugg & Hall Volvo operations into Scott’s existing Arkansas facilities.

“This is a transformative agreement that enables Hugg & Hall to expand our industry-leading position in the forklift market, sharpen our manufacturer relationships and deliver greater value to clients by enhancing the core capabilities we provide throughout our operating territory,” said Hugg & Hall President John Hugg. “Volvo Construction Equipment and Toyota Material Handling have both lent their full support to this innovative arrangement and are optimistic the new structure will result in growth across each brand.”

In order to expand their presence in Louisiana, Hugg & Hall intends to retain Scott’s material handling employees within the territory. As part of the deal, Scott Equipment will absorb Volvo-specific Hugg & Hall team members into its current Arkansas operations.

“We have enjoyed being a Volvo dealer for 33 years and are confident the talented team at Scott will continue to represent the brand well in Arkansas,” Hugg said. “At the same time, we are excited to grow our already strong relationship with Toyota, adding new territory in Louisiana that provides a valuable opportunity to advance our long-term strategic objectives.”

About Hugg & Hall

Hugg & Hall Equipment Company, headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, has been family owned and operated since 1956. The company is a full-service dealer for material handling equipment, representing Toyota, Taylor, Crown, Doosan, Enersys, Combilift, Sellick, Bobcat, and more. Hugg & Hall provides comprehensive material handling solutions including new & used equipment, parts and service support and a fleet of over 1000 rental forklifts. Hugg & Hall services all of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, southern Missouri and east Texas with a team of 600 employees and 14 locations. The company is also one of the largest construction and industrial equipment rental providers in the south, with a fleet of over 6,000 rental units. With value-added services and a focus on their customers, Hugg & Hall Equipment Company is the one-stop shop for every construction and industrial equipment need.

For more information about Hugg & Hall Equipment Company, please contact John Hugg, President, at john.hugg@hugghall.com.

About Scott Equipment

Scott Equipment Company has represented the world’s finest makers of heavy-duty construction equipment, cranes and forklifts since 1939.  Headquartered in Monroe, Louisiana, the company is a full-service dealer for heavy-duty construction equipment and cranes, representing Volvo, Elgin, JLG, Case, Kobelco, Cushman, Rammer, Furukawa, BTi and Gradall. Scott’s team of nearly 400 employees sells, rents and services at 19 locations in five states including Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Tennessee, and Mississippi. Scott Equipment Company provides the customer with quality equipment supported with over $10 million parts inventory and certified service technicians with over 770 years of combined experience.

For more information about Scott Equipment Company, please contact Eric Goebel, Chief Operating Officer, at egoebel@scottcompanies.com or visit their website at https://www.scottcompanies.com/