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Employee Spotlight: Rhonda Griffith

Meet Rhonda Griffith!  Rhonda has been with Hugg & Hall for 20 years and works as our Accounts Payable Manager at the company’s corporate location in Little Rock, AR. 

Griffith is from and currently resides in Carlisle, AR but spent most of her life in Hazen, AR. She is happily married to her high school sweetheart, Marty and they will celebrate 36 years in May.

They have two children, Ashley and Martin.  Ashley and her husband Kyler live in Cabot, AR where Ashley is a family nurse practitioner. Martin and his wife Courtney live in Little Rock, AR but travel a lot since Martin is a welder and inspector for 798 pipe liners.

In December, Martin and Courtney welcomed Griffith’s first grandchild, Katelynn. Griffith stated, “We are so excited to be Gigi and Pop!”.

Griffith enjoys family time, being outdoors, and has a “green thumb”. She loves planting and watching her flowers grow. In the summer, you can find her relaxing by the pool. Something you might be surprised to learn about Griffith is she was crowned Rodeo Queen and spent most of her childhood on a horse and traveling to horse shows and rodeos.

Griffith says a typical workday is “Crazy, but I love it. Lots of invoices, interruptions, and lots of money being spent”. Her daily job duties include managing a “great group of employees, along with vendor invoices and check disbursements, all the while maintaining a strict schedule to keep us on good terms with vendors”. Each month includes 8000+ invoices to process for payment, fuel cards for over 350 company vehicles and corporate credit cards to maintain. All this keeps Griffith and her team very busy. “I love what I do, but it’s not just the job, it’s the people…I love my Hugg & Hall family!” Griffith stated.

We are thankful for Griffith’s years of dedicated and loyal service.

We enjoy sitting down to talk with our fellow employees! Visit our website for more employee spotlights!

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

A Day in the Life: Product Support Sales Representative

product support

Over the last 60+ years, Hugg & Hall has strived to be superior in the industry to assure businesses always receive the best service. As innovators in the industry, we excel in providing services that our competitors may not even offer. With each purchase, in any department, Hugg & Hall meets exemplary customer service standards.

A key role in providing unmatched service are Hugg & Hall Product Support Sales Representatives (PSSR). The individuals in this position work everyday to provide businesses the customer service that has come to be expected from Hugg & Hall. Knowing your needs and exceeding your expectations are their mission. Here is, “A Day in the Life of a PSSR.”

Your PSSR doesn’t wake up a superhero, that takes a cup of coffee. Once your PSSR has consumed their hero juice, they are set for the busy day ahead. They have a schedule filled with parts & service requests, but the agenda is likely to change with their first phone call. Today that phone call may be a customer with a machine down, but the requests are different each day.

With each request it is important to set daily goals to easily manage all tasks. These goals are to follow-up with customers, visit as many customers in person as time allows and to clearly communicate Hugg & Hall’s business practices. Long term goals are also in place as your PSSR always wants their value to be recognized by you, the client. Building strong relationships with clients and understanding that every business has different needs allows for a PSSR to be truly successful.

Today your PSSR is tasked with ordering a rental to temporarily replace the down machine while ordering and delivering parts to keep other operations moving forward. As the PSSR passes a new warehouse, they make a stop to understand the new business opportunity. The PSSR explains to the potential client that having a PSSR on their side is no additional cost to the consumer and leaves a business card making a note to reach out in a few weeks.

As their day moves forward your PSSR is sure to never over promise, but they try their best to over deliver each time. This honesty differentiates our PSSRs and allows them to truly shine in their role. Being inquisitive, dependable and knowledgeable with all their day’s tasks are also key to their performance.

Through industry knowledge and observations, a Hugg & Hall PSSR assures that every situation is handled differently and appropriately for the application at hand. As the day draws to an end the PSSR has accomplished more than you could imagine all while making each client a number one priority.

 

A PSSR on your side assures the greatest possible service that Hugg & Hall can provide. They work each day to ease the daily stress of operations in many different industries. If you don’t already have a superhero on your side, call today to meet with a Product Support Sales Representative.

Employee Excellence: Brandon Brantley

“There are employees that work hard daily who may not get an “atta-boy”, “great job” or an “I appreciate you”. I wanted to make sure Brandon Brantley knew we appreciated him and that he did a great job.” – Justin Hines, Nexans AmerCable

Hugg & Hall Equipment Company has a quality standard that is beyond many other companies; Brandon Brantley has gone above the standard of excellence to best serve clients in our El Dorado, AR location.

Brantley works as a delivery driver for Hugg & Hall and started with the company a month ago. He conducts day runs between Hugg & Hall locations, as well as deliveries to customers. In his short time with the company, he has made a significant impact in the delivery division. Brandon said that his favorite thing about being a driver for Hugg & Hall is, “interacting with the customers.”

Brandon’s hometown is Farmerville, Louisiana where he currently resides with his wife Nikki. He has his hands full with a son, Logan, daughters Macayla and Karlee, and a granddaughter Paisley-Brooke. He enjoys spending time with his family and has a passion for horses & equipment. You may also be surprised to know that he is afraid of heights.

In his first few weeks, Brandon has noted that every day is memorable. If he weren’t currently working for Hugg & Hall, Brantley mentioned he would like to operate equipment. He thinks it is important for others in the profession to, “Never take safety for granted.”

Hugg & Hall would like to thank Brandon Brantley for his hard work; welcome to the team Brandon! To create your own story with our team, visit our hiring website.

The Benefits of Proximity Alarms

The Benefits of Proximity Alarms

What are proximity alarms?

Proximity alarms are sensors that allow equipment operators to detect people and/or objects in blind spots. The sensors have been shown to benefit operators and pedestrians by reducing accidents and collisions. Operators are alerted to objects and people in their path with in-cab warnings, which can be both visual and/or audible, allowing them the time to stop or shift positioning, thus avoiding potentially serious safety hazards. Equipment owners/users and fleet managers should consider the addition, and understand the benefits, of proximity alarms which are shown to improve the overall quality of safety on job sites. Read on the benefits of proximity alarms below!

Why to consider proximity alarms for your equipment

 

  • Efficiency- One of the top reasons to add proximity alarms to your equipment is efficiency. Navigating blindly can be difficult and time-consuming and proximity alarms reduce the stress and necessity of superfluous mirrors and/or asking a separate person to guide the operator. The sensors alert operators of objects which have been detected in the path of the machine at close range and objects behind rear tires at expanded ranges. Proximity sensors are a great way to improve onsite productivity and your team’s overall efficiency. 

 

  • Safety- There are roughly 150,000 construction site accident injuries each year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As such, an obvious advantage to adding proximity alarms to your equipment is the improved safety measure that it provides. The proximity alarms alert operators to objects and pedestrians nearby thus creating a safer work area for both the operator and the pedestrian(s). For some tips on how to ensure a safe job site for your crew, read an informational article here. 

 

  • Limited Downtime/Damage- Another definite benefit of proximity alarms is the reduction of damage to equipment, and the associated downtime any damages may create. Alerting operators to nearby objects and obstructions is a clear-cut way to reduce the hassle and associated costs of an accident or collision. This a particularly helpful benefit for time-sensitive projects that can’t spare the downtime. If you want to enact an extra precaution to protect your job site from an accident, damage and/or downtime, consider adding proximity alarms to your machine. 

How to Perform a Pre-Operation Inspection

How to Perform a Pre-Operation Inspection

Safety should be the most important priority on any job site and equipment should be inspected before each use to ensure the safety of both operators and pedestrians. A pre-operation inspection is a visual examination performed by the operator before each use/shift. The purpose of pre-operation inspections is to provide a safety net which may serve as a method of avoiding preventable accidents. Here’s a helpful checklist of items that should be inspected before operating your mobile elevating work platform (MEWP), telehandler or other machine. 

  • Make sure that the machine has been checked for oil leaks before each use. It’s also important to make sure that the engine has the correct level of oil because operating with low-levels of engine oil has the potential to result in costly damage to the engine. 
  • Check the entire machine for obvious damages or signs of collision/impact. 
  • Ensure that there are no hydraulic leaks and top-off if necessary. 
  • Also, check for engine coolant and battery fluid leaks before each use and add more if needed. 
  • Check entry points for efficacy and damage. 
  • Check wear pads for damage.
  • Check electrical system for damage. 
  • Check fasteners for damage. 
  • Check hydraulic system for damage.
  • Check alarms for damage. 
  • Check switches and horn for damage. 
  • Check engine for damage. 
  • Check tires and wheels for damage. 
  • Check fuel and hydraulic tanks for damage. 
  • Check motors and drive hubs for damage. 
  • Ensure that each manual (operator’s, safety, etc.) are not damaged and located in the appropriate storage container.
  • Check to ensure that all decals and messaging is present and legible. This is an important step to ensure that safety messaging and non-verbal communication can support safe operation. 
  • Check tires to ensure that they have the appropriate pressure. It’s especially important to check for tire pressure when the seasons change as colder weather can cause pressure to drop and warmer weather can cause pressure to increase. This is important because overinflation can cause an uneven tread and underinflated tires decrease fuel efficiency and cause the shoulders of the tire to wear prematurely. 
  • Check the machine for any cracks or structural damage. 
  • Check all components for any inordinate rusting.

Remember to conduct any necessary performance testing, check the workplace for obstacles/safety concerns and to operate per the owner’s manual. Once the full inspection has been completed and the machine is ready for operation, double-check that components have been re-fastened and covered. A secondary purpose of pre-operation inspections can be to identify any needed routine maintenance on a machine and determining whether maintenance is necessary before operation. It’s important to stay up-to-date with routine maintenance to avoid costly (and preventable) repairs that can intrude on project timetables and create avoidable downtime.

7 Best Safety Features to Add to Your Forklift Today

Forklift safety is vital to keeping your warehouse running smoothly. Here are seven forklift safety features to add to your warehouse! 

Orange Seatbelt

A simple orange seatbelt can help save lives! In the event of a forklift tip-over, a seatbelt can keep your operator from being crushed by the lift. 

When you install an orange, high-visibility seatbelt on your forklift, you’ll easily be able to see whether or not employees are wearing their seatbelt. 

An orange seatbelt can also remind operators to wear it, since it’s more noticeable and harder to ignore than a standard seatbelt. 

 

LED Lighting

LED lights can be easily installed in forklift cabs. They’re longer-lasting and brighter than traditional forklift lighting, which keeps the interior better-lit for your operators. 

 

Rear View Mirrors

A simple way to optimize forklift safety is to add rearview mirrors to forklift cabs. Greater visibility can lead to fewer accidents.

 

Blue/Red Light

While it’s important for your operators to be aware of your surroundings, it’s equally as important for the rest of your employees. Blue or red lights can alert your employees when a forklift is in motion.

These lights are ideal for high-volume areas, noisy workplaces, and areas with pedestrian traffic. Some lights even cast shadows alerting pedestrians that the machine is approaching.

 

Track Lighting

In addition to red/blue lights, track lighting illuminates forklift working areas. Clearly marked forklift work zones alert other workers about your forklift. 

 

Fire Extinguisher

Attachable fire extinguishers can be added to forklift cabs in the event of an emergency. 

 

Clear Cab

If your forklift ever operates outside, or is exposed to natural elements, a clear cab is a safer option than a standard cab. The clear cab protects forklifts from precipitation without sacrificing visibility. 

 

Read our article on how to safely operate a forklift here.

 

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in August 2018. We updated it for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness in November 2023.