Cowin Equipment Company Inc., Birmingham, Ala., announced the addition of Jeff Duncan to its sales staff at its Mableton, Ga., facility. Duncan brings more than 25 years of experience in heavy equipment sales and a strong knowledge of the 26 counties in Georgia for which he’s responsible to the company.

Russ Huber, vice president and general manager of Cowin Equipment Company’s Georgia division said, “I’m extremely excited to have someone of his experience in this territory. Jeff has already sold machines and has known the prospects in the area for many years.”

The construction industry was not where Duncan started.

“I came to Georgia from North Carolina selling insurance. That was the best education anyone who wants to be in sales can have, going door-to-door selling accident insurance,” said Duncan. “I did that for four years and got tired of working my tail off and having nothing to show for it. I saw an ad in the newspaper for a sales position with a heavy equipment dealer that said they would provide you with a car, commission and expenses. I said to myself, ’There are actually jobs out there that do that?’”

Duncan answered the ad and was hired by Peach State Machinery, where he worked from 1983 until 1987. Next up was TRICO Equipment Company, another heavy equipment dealer. Burch-Lowe bought TRICO in 1993 and Duncan stayed with Burch-Lowe until it closed its doors in 2001. After Burch-Lowe closed, Duncan was with Tractor & Equipment Company (TEC) for seven years. He then worked as marketing director for Rhino Services, an environmental contractor based in Palmetto, Ga., that had been a customer of his when he worked with TEC.

Although he is a new employee at Cowin, Duncan has “known the folks in the Cowin organization for many years. I’ve competed against them and they have always had a high level of integrity. Russ Huber has been a friend for many years through the Georgia Utility Contractors Association activities.”

Duncan sees an opportunity in his new position that he has not had a chance to embrace elsewhere.

“Cowin has a very large rental fleet, Rentals seem to be where we’re going in this economy for the next year and a half or longer. At Cowin, I am not tied to one brand of equipment. I can rent just about anything. Cowin carries a lot of the same lines that I was selling when Burch-Lowe was around, so I’m very familiar with the machines,” he stated.

“I’m from the old school. When you apply for a job, you commit yourself. In today’s business environment, it’s you, and sometimes only you, out there promoting an entire company. I’ve been in this business too long to be looked at as ’just another sales guy.’ My philosophy is simple: treat everyone the way you want to be treated. If you don’t it will come back to get you,” concluded Duncan.

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