“It’s good to know you can call and they will answer. I feel like they really care. It’s a true team effort out there.” – Derek “DEE” Damesworth, Terminal Manager, Watco
Watco is an international transportation and supply chain service company that integrates rail, water, road, and air to solve any supply chain challenge. Their site in New Johnsonville, TN, specializes in material handling and storage – specifically unloading raw materials for barge, rail, and truck. Derek “DEE” Damesworth is the Terminal Manager at the New Johnsonville site and has been with Watco for 22 years. When asked about Watco’s relationship with Caterpillar and Thompson Machinery, DEE states, “We’ve had Cat equipment and worked with the Thompson Machinery store out in Camden, TN, ever since I’ve been here. Thompson has helped us with everything from machine sales to parts and service. Don Lambert, the Branch Manager at the Camden store, and I have worked together for years and he’s always very helpful. Thompson is just easy to work with.”
The Watco New Johnsonville site currently owns five Cat machines, including four Cat 226 Skid Steer Loaders, a Cat 966 Wheel Loader and a Cat 906 Wheel Loader. Additionally, the company is looking to add a new Cat 966 Wheel Loader to their fleet in 2022.
When asked if he would recommend Caterpillar/Thompson Machinery, DEE states, “Oh, yes… The biggest reason I would recommend them is their parts availability and service. They keep my terminal going and my customers satisfied. That’s what it takes. Service and parts availability is key.” DEE went on to share a recent experience he had with the Thompson service department during an emergency situation. He explains, “We have backup equipment, but we had both machines go down at once. We had a big job to finish, and all we had to move the materials was a Skid Steer Loader. For perspective, the Skid Steer Loader bucket can only hold about 1,780lbs, while the Cat Wheel Loader bucket we typically use holds up to 19,020lbs. That’s a big difference.”
DEE continues, “Luckily, I was able to get ahold of Josh White, the Field Service Technician out of the Thompson Machinery Camden store. Now it was a Sunday night, but Josh had given me his cell phone number after working with us in the past and told me to call anytime if we needed anything. So, I did. And, sure enough, Josh answered and was kind enough to come out and help us. He got our loader fixed and back up and going. That was huge for us in getting the job complete on time for our customer – Josh was a lifesaver.”
To learn more about Thompson Machinery’s Field Service capabilities, visit TMCat.com/service/field-service.
To find your nearest Thompson location, visit TMCat.com/contact-us/locations today.
