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Industry Spotlight By Sean O’Keefe

Next-Gen

Wagner Equipment Co. celebrates what’s
next while sticking to the fundamentals.

Braden Wagner and brother Taylor both grew up in
the heavy machinery business, as did their father
and his father before him. Following the examples
of their father and grandfather, who maintained an
active presence in his business well into his 80s,
safety, integrity, and relationships are all the Wagner
brothers have ever really known professionally.

“Our grandfather Joe started Wagner Equipment
Co. in 1976 and today we remain the exclusive
Caterpillar dealer for Colorado, New Mexico,
and far West Texas,” says Braden Wagner, whose
title is Sales Development Manager but whose
responsibilities are far broader. For Braden, the
most rewarding part of being a leading figure in From left to right: Tyler Holtmeyer – Retail Presence Champion,
heavy equipment is seeing the machines he sells Taylor Wagner – Digital Enablement Manager, Braden Wagner –
being put to work on a wide variety of sites across Sales Development Manager
three states. “We serve many industries and the
importance of knowing the customer has been are also family-owned as are most CAT dealers around
instilled as fundamental to success in all of them. the U.S. “Small operation or big, the machines need to
Understanding the customer’s needs and presenting be running for customers to be profitable with them.
equipment solutions that meet them without When people are using our equipment, they aren’t
overselling them has been the Wagner way of doing playing games, they are making money.”
business since the start.”
Widely recognized as a leader in the local heavy
From Colorado to Texas, Wagner Equipment Co. is a equipment market, Wagner’s line of more than 300
leader in heavy machinery sales, service, and rental CAT machines reflects their focus on giving the
to a cross-sector client base drawn from the heavy customer the right tool for the job, regardless of what
civil and vertical construction, mining, oil and gas, they are trying to accomplish. With both new and used
and agricultural industries. The array of industries equipment for sale and rental options across most of
served has been an asset since inception, contributing the products they carry, Wagner is in the business of
to less cyclicality and well-managed growth. Today, helping customers get things done regardless of size,
Wagner Equipment Co. employs a workforce of 1,500 scale, or complexity of need.
throughout Colorado, New Mexico and far West
Texas. Though their customers are approaching “Our customers range from earthmoving contractors
many different challenges in many different contexts, moving massive amounts of material and building
Wagner Equipment Co. understands its customers’ infrastructure to landscapers doing backyards in
common expectations. delicate conditions,” continues Taylor. “We’re a
solutions-based business and we want to make sure
“Ultimately, customers need the lowest owning and the equity is there for every customer.”
operating cost they can get out of the equipment,”
says Taylor, whose title is Digital Enablement Manager, Wagner also carries an extensive line of agricultural
but who like Braden has spent time in many different machinery including tractors, hay equipment,
departments at Wagner while coming up. Taylor takes harvesting equipment and much more. Well known ag
special pride in being part of the fourth generation of machinery lines include Massey Ferguson, Challenger,
a family-owned business, noting that many of their Hesston, Gleaner and others. In support of mining
customer’s businesses in construction, and agriculture operations, Wagner is also the licensed dealer of
34 AGC Colorado Annual Magazine