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Emily Paquette of Equipment East
Equipment East and G. Stone Commercial are just two among many DEVELON dealers who provide support way beyond the sale, according to the manufacturer.
These two dealers also just happen to employ women in important service-related positions.
Meet Emily Paquette and Emily Loso who help ensure customers stay up and running.
She Turned Down Music for Welding. No Regrets
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For Emily Paquette, welding excavators is an art. She knows how to arc-gouge a weld right off a machine, a process that uses intense heat to melt the metal down and whisk it away. It's intense. It's loud. It's blustery. It's the only way to remove the stick plate from an excavator's arm. From there, Emily can plasma-cut a stick plate of her own design, custom-drawn, and weld that cleanly back onto the machine.
The result: Excavators can do things they couldn't before — like use a thumb to move materials with greater precision. It's just one way Emily helps tailor machines and services to the Boston-area customers of Equipment East, which was named the top DEVELON dealer of 2022 for high performance in sales, parts and service.
"Knowing that my welds can withstand a hammer going into the ground repeatedly, and my welds stay, and nothing cracks," Emily said, "it's a very accomplishing feeling."
Emily, 22, came to Equipment East as a welder and has since added parts specialist to her resume — double-checking every shipment, every paper form, every stocked shelf and inventory list. She runs the forklift in the warehouse and can operate the excavators outside.
No two days are the same, but Emily thrives on variety. She's fluent in a dozen musical instruments and turned down a full-ride scholarship in music education to attend mechanic school, she said.
A blown-out tire on the side of Interstate 93 led to her career in mechanics: Emily's high school friends were all into diesel trucks, and she watched a friend swap out a tire on the side of highway one day.
"It took six different impact guns to get this tire off and it was just like, I like this kind of atmosphere," she recalled. "I like this kind of project."
Both fine arts and fine welding put her in the same frame of mind: clear, focused, present.
"The rest of the world has to step out," she said. "You have to focus on your here and now and there's nothing else that matters in that moment."
Emily's willingness to go the extra mile for customers reflects the dealership and DEVELON, said Equipment East co-owner Giovanni Albanese.
"She's willing to do whatever it takes, just like the rest of our team," Giovanni said. "It's just who she is and what her values are."
And for Emily, the idea that their values and work support businesses across Boston makes all the difference.
Parts Certified, With No Signs of Slowing Down
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In picturesque Middlebury, Vt., Emily Loso is making a name for herself as the service, parts and warranty specialist at G. Stone Commercial, a DEVELON dealer since 2001. Two years into her role, Emily's found her groove. And she's put in the time and learning to get there.
She dug into every element of the job, from literally digging with the DX63 to spending weeks studying to earn her DEVELON Bronze Certification in parts. She's not afraid to ask how something works, offer to help or ask someone to teach her.
"You have to insert yourself into the process because if you don't, how are you going to learn?" she said.
A typical day for Emily starts with everything needed for the technicians in the shop. Organizing parts. Submitting warranty claims. Ensuring that all attachments are in order.
She thrives in the dynamic atmosphere.
G. Stone Commercial owner Darcy Stone described Emily as "a sponge."
"She's just absorbing everything," Darcy said. "And she has propelled her way up to the point that she's Bronze Certified in parts. And there aren't many that are, and there are very few women that are. I'm very proud of her."
The most challenging aspect of the job? Emily said it's the occasional second-guessing that comes with being an expert in her role and also one of few women in a male-dominated industry. When she uses a forklift to unload deliveries from the truck, Emily said it's not unusual to hear "Are you sure you can handle that?" or "Isn't there a guy we can talk to?"
"When I get to show off what I can do, it's the best part of it," Emily said with a smile.
Emily is also quick to credit Darcy as one of her biggest supporters and mentors.
"To have a woman with as much knowledge and as much experience as she does in this field, it's definitely the biggest part of it because I can rely on her," Emily said.
For those considering a career in the field, Emily advises being prepared to learn and embrace the hands-on aspect of the job. Emily sees herself moving up in her certification levels and continuing to excel in her role at G. Stone Commercial. She's found her niche, she said.
"I see myself hopefully moving up to a Silver or even Gold if they offer it for the DEVELON parts learning path. I would like to keep improving on that," Emily said. "I'd like to learn as much as possible about these machines. I don't see myself going anywhere; it's too much fun."
(This story was reprinted with permission from Onward Magazine, Winter 2024 Issue. All photos courtesy of Onward Magazine.)
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