Rick Sperando started Black Diamond Plumbing & Mechanical Inc., about 16 years ago. After working for one of the national companies, Sperando decided to strike out on his own and, with the support of his wife, he found it was the best move he’d ever made. Although Sperando started out with just one employee—himself—Black Diamond now has about 75 employees.
Black Diamond addresses customers’ mechanical needs, including plumbing, electric, and heating and air. And, since Black Diamond covers customer needs 24/7, the company needs a work van that’s going to be reliable and capable.
TIME TESTED
“I bought the NV200 in 2012. We initially started with the NV2500,” says Sperando. “We had such success with the mileage and with the comfort that I decided to take it one step further—go to the NV200—and it was a win-win all the way around.”
Sperando says that his technicians need to work 24 hours per day, seven days per week, which means they need a vehicle in their driveway that will start and be reliable 24 hours per day, seven days per week. “That’s the promise I make to my customers.”
The NV200 is a spacious, load bearing mobile office.
THE LOOK, THE UTILITY
Through custom graphics and decals, you can locate a Black Diamond van in an instant. Black Diamond’s fleet doesn’t just carry technicians and equipment, it builds brand loyalty and reputation. “I pride myself on the way the fleet looks—my employees, my technicians—we represent well,” says Sperando.
Tony Bartolotta is a technician at Black Diamond. He works in every service—electric, plumbing, and heating and air—and has a lot to say about the NV200. “I’ve been with Black Diamond for about six and a half years,” Bartolotta says. “My van is my rolling office; I’m in it more than I’m in my own home.”
For Bartolotta, the NV200 is a useful tool in the technician’s arsenal. Dispatch is faster and easier through the NV200’s Bluetooth setup, GPS navigation makes getting around easy, and the backup camera adds an extra touch of safety. But, what’s really impressive is the load bearing capacity of the van.
“No matter what I have, as far as payload, the room inside is more than adequate for what I need to do. The 60/40 split rear doors give me access to the entire van. The cargo area has awesome padding, a mat that really keeps things under control while allowing equipment to slide when needed, and of course, D-rings to keep everything locked down,” says Bartolotta. “The shelving and a partition that was upfitted on our package from Nissan is perfect—couldn’t ask for more.”
Padded flooring and anti-skid surface mat combined with D-ring provides a safe cargo area.
SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY
The NV200 offers Black Diamond technicians maximum visibility and added conveniences. “The way the windshield is positioned on this van allows for awesome viewing of the road. Backup camera in the dash and GPS navigation is great. I also like how Nissan has put the shifter right on the dash as opposed to on the console or steering column or somewhere else in the way of everything,” says Bartolotta.
Added safety features and reliability are a must for Chicago weather. “The worse the weather gets, the busier we get. We count on our NV200s to get us there.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Find out more about the Nissan NV200 Compact Cargo van and other Nissan products and services, visit www.nissancommercialvehicles.com.
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MODERN WORKTRUCK SOLUTIONS: AUGUST 2016 ISSUE
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