When we first talked with Mac Tools distributor Ricardo Ortiz back in 2016, he was celebrating his tenth year as a distributor and had just bought a 2016 M2 Freightliner 24’ wide body that was full of custom accessories including battery compartments, lit-up external storage, custom tool mounts, an air compressor, and a diesel generator.
Now celebrating his 18th year, he’s still in El Monte, California, and driving the same ‘16 M2 Freightliner, although he had to deal with a frustrating problem with the generator and a few recalls right after he picked up the truck. One of the few updates he’s had to make over the years is changing out the equipment for demonstrating power tools since they’ve gotten so much more powerful. It’s been smooth sailing since then. His route, on the other hand, has changed a lot over his career.
Updating the route
“Well, I remember when I started in ‘06 when the recession started going down with businesses closing shop, redevelopment, the city was moving things around," Ortiz says. "I did lose a lot of shops just because the city where I’m at wanted to try and change.”
As the area continued to grow and change, so did Ortiz’s customer base. While some shops closed down, so did some of the other distributors in the area, allowing Ortiz to take over their stops and expand his route.
“I’ve been talking a lot more about heavy duty [facilities] versus the dealerships,” Ortiz says. “I still got a lot of independent shops that are still good, but I’m kind of all over the place, which is nice, too.”
He also found security in working with heavy duty operations rather than shops that work on consumer vehicles. It’s nearly impossible for technicians to avoid downtime in conventional shops, but for heavy duty shops and facilities, the work almost never stops.
“On the [heavy duty] truck side, if you got a truck that has the brakes go out and they need brakes, they don’t ask you how much is it – he asks you when can you get it done, versus a car where the customer can wait or shop around with downtime.”
Growing with customers
The other changes in his route have been the result of his years of relationship-building with his customers and his community. He’ll let customers that are frustrated about work vent their problems before gently guiding them to a tool that would make that work situation better. He’ll even stop by shops after closing or during community events to barbecue and share a few drinks with some of his customers. As Ortiz’s career flourished, so did his original customers’ careers.
“I have a lot of these customers that were in the dealerships and independent spots when they first started and I started taking care of them. Now, they actually got promoted, they moved up along in their company, and I had that relationship, so when they move [to a different shop], we’re open to that shop.”
Promos in the back, A/C in the front
As far as organization on the truck goes, Ortiz tries to work with his customer’s habits and preferences. He puts promotional materials and the small things customers always want – sodas, personal flashlights, on sale items – in the very back of his truck so customers look at the rest of the inventory. He also reorganizes his truck depending on the season. During summer, he’ll put an A/C machine right at the door; during winter, he hangs shirts and jackets in front of a vent so they’re swaying in the warm breeze. His workspace is in a corner, which he doesn’t love since it requires that he turn his back on any customers.
Two things Ortiz advises new distributors to consider for their trucks: good steer tires and awnings. He also points to his generator, A/C unit, and refrigerator as investments that have paid off during his time as a tool distributor.
“I mean, it’s just been good to me,” Ortiz says. “It’s been a blessing.”
