SDLG has appointed Tri-State Truck & Equipment (Tri-State) as its newest dealer in Montana and Wyoming. The appointment reflects SDLG’s continued efforts to expand and strengthen its North American dealer network by partnering with seasoned, expert dealerships that know their markets well, providing superior service and support to SDLG’s customers.
The new partnership will expand SDLG’s North American reach with six locations throughout Montana and Wyoming. Tri-State will provide the entire lineup of SDLG’s wheel loaders, as well as service and support for customers.
In a unique turn of events, the Billings, MT-based company facilitated the sale of an SDLG wheel loader—an L948F—before officially coming onboard as a dealer. According to Tom Zimmer, vice president of Tri-State, it all started with a reference from Nick Tullo, sales manager for SDLG NA.
“Nick referred a customer to us in the aggregate industry who came across SDLG’s products at CONEXPO 2017,” Zimmer says. “He needed a new wheel loader but couldn’t justify the price of a premium machine due to the low-hour applications he had in mind. After doing some independent research on SDLG’s North American website, the customer determined that SDLG could provide the ideal loader for him.”
Tullo was able to offer the 3.0 yd3 L948F at a competitive price point with an extended warranty. The deal was closed in March of 2018, which provided Tri-State a doorway to becoming an official SDLG dealer. 
“When we redesigned our website from the ground up in North America, our goal was to make it easier for dealers and customers to interact with SDLG,” says Tullo. “The fact that our site spawned not only a sale but an entirely new dealership lets me know that our redesign was a success. And Tri-State’s willingness to work around the clock to get this deal done lets me know that we’ve partnered with the right company to be ambassadors of SDLG in Montana and Wyoming.”
The customer, based in Browning, MT, now uses the L948F on a variety of seasonal and low-hour work sites, from snow removal in -25 degree weather to loading concrete batching plants.
“The attractiveness of SDLG stems from the simplicity of the machines and their competitive price compared with other, similar products in the marketplace,” Zimmer explained. “The ease of this sale confirmed what we already knew—SDLG’s products are perfect for people who want peace of mind when it comes to the quality of what they’re purchasing. We couldn’t be more pleased to be working with SDLG.”
Tri-State Truck & Equipment has been a regional leader in the truck and construction equipment business since 1961. The Billings, Montana-based company provides sales, parts, service and rentals for its represented product lines. Tri-State also offers fully trained parts and service technicians who are available to provide customers with maximum uptime.
