Professional Distributor - 14

Opportunity seized through ingenuity
A custom shelving unit and innovative display techniques
maximize inventory volume on this dealer's Freightliner.
by Tyler Fussner, Assistant Editor

ndependent tool dealer Justin McCarthy has been selling tools in the Boston, Massachusetts, area for nearly
10 years, visiting body shops, technicians, heavy duty
shops, bus garages, and construction companies. He
purchased his 2001 Freightliner MT55 from an independent dealer three years ago. McCarthy, a mechanic by
trade, put a lot of work into the truck after the purchase:
new belts, new brakes, a turbocharger, and a transmission
change - but he didn't stop there. McCarthy emptied the
back of the truck, taking out all of the previous carpet. He
sanded the wood, applied a new finish, and installed new
carpeting throughout. The MT55 was then wrapped in a
custom designed SK Tools wrap, designed by McCarthy
and a friend, featuring large skulls and an American flag.
However, even after the renovations, McCarthy wasn't
satisfied with the surface area for display. There was a 100"
space, reserved for toolboxes, that McCarthy knew wasn't
being utilized to its full potential. The solution: McCarthy
installed a custom angle iron pullout shelving unit with
four panels, which he built himself. The original space was
reduced to 74", still plenty of room for a toolbox. Now with
four vertical, carpeted panels, double-sided display was a
possibility through this dealer's ingenuity and use of Velcro. When a panel is extended out away from the wall and
toward the customer, both sides are covered top to bottom
with products.

"The inspiration came from the need to have a lot of inventory, but limited space to put it," McCarthy says. "There's carpet all over the inside of the truck ... I Velcro the back [of the
small stuff] and hang it up so customers can see it, instead of
throwing it in a container and shelving it. Customers can come
on the truck, pull [off] the product, and look at it. Whatever I
can put Velcro to and stick on [the carpeting] - is on there."
"I'm like a hoarder when it comes to tools!" McCarthy
says. "You've never seen a truck with so much stuff on it; this
thing's loaded."
Though packed with inventory, the truck's display is
organized, as McCarthy claims his customers know where
to look for certain brands or products. When you first enter the
truck, the front shelf is displaying new items, which McCarthy
stays up to date on through his regular attendance of tool
and trade shows.
McCarthy carries a large variety of product categories,
from hand tools to power tools to lighting.
"If they make it, I usually have it on the truck. I don't like
doing U-turns; I like to have the product with me," he says.
Also available on the truck are McCarthy's private-label hot
sauce and beef jerky.
This dealer capitalizes on his ability to innovate through
his organized, efficient display system, which allows for a large
volume of inventory and the facility to serve his customers'
every need.

Justin McCarthy

Boston, Massachusetts
Population: 4,628,910 (metro)

To view more photos of
McCarthy's truck, visit:

VehicleServicePros.com/
21087975

14 Professional Distributor I August 2019 I VehicleServicePros.com

http://www.VehicleServicePros.com/21087975 http://www.VehicleServicePros.com

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