Wade Homuth set out to start his own field service company at the age of 43. A daunting task for even the youngest of workers, Homuth leveraged his 20 years of experience in the construction field along with the support of his family to begin his new adventure.
In 2006, Wade’s Heavy Equipment Repair was born. Initially Homuth worked independently with the occasional help of his two sons; however, within two years his ever-increasing workload became too much for a one-man show.
BOOMING BUSINESS
While the economy was tumbling toward a recession, Homuth could hardly keep up with the demand for his services. In 2008, Homuth purchased his first two IMT Dominator service trucks and hired four full-time employees. By 2010, Homuth acquired another IMT service truck and a manager.
“It never really slowed down,” Homuth says. “It’s a demanding and fast-paced job. It’s six- to seven-day work weeks, clocking 70 to 90 hours. We basically live out of the trucks.”
HEAVY LIFTING
Based in California, Homuth’s business faces a highly agricultural economy and increasing competition. Homuth spends many days in almond orchards moving and repairing equipment that continues to grow in size. Because of all the heavy lifting, Homuth needed to purchase a boom truck with a 12,000-lb crane capacity. So he turned to Lodi Equipment to buy a brand new IMT Dominator III equipped with its newest offering: a 12,000-lb crane.
“You’re dealing with D10 and D11 dozers,” Homuth says of bulldozers that are almost 230,000 lbs. “We don’t have the ability to go out and bring in a crane to pull engines. We have to pull them with our service trucks.”
The new IMT Dominator III was developed as a lighter, more maneuverable body with increased lifting capacity from the 25-ft, 12,000-lb crane. It’s capable of working in tight quarters, maintaining stability and providing extra lift performance in critical work zones. The end result is a truck that offers enhanced flexibility on the worksite without sacrificing lifting capacity.
Wade’s Heavy Equipment Repair primarily maintains heavier machinery that requires workers to pull hitches out into the field. From there, they build all the necessary components, engines, transmissions, etc. His fleet of service trucks equip Homuth with the necessary lifting power and storage capabilities required to perform work on heavy machinery.
“The IMT Dominator III has definitely helped us,” Homuth says. “Previously, we were having a hard time making our rear axle weight when going across the scales. We had to go around them. Now we can go in comfort and just travel right through the scales.”
DIVERSE MARKET
Homuth doesn’t just work in the agricultural sector. He services any area from landfills to wineries, supporting a range of equipment from scrapers to loaders to excavators.
“You don’t want one solid customer, you want many,” Homuth explains. “It’s very diverse.”
And meeting a diverse market means meeting many diverse requests. With demand higher than ever, Homuth can no longer afford to work alone or without the help of his IMT service trucks. “It’s that type of time where you just can’t find enough workers,” Homuth states. “If you could find 50 mechanics, you could probably put them in a service truck.”
IMT TECHNOLOGY
In 2012, Homuth had an unfortunate experience with a service truck. Needing something that could stand up to the rigors of field work, Homuth turned to IMT and intends to never look back.
“IMT has done a lot with engineering,” Homuth shares. “They lightened their cranes, so you have more lifting capability. The trucks are bulletproof. I haven’t dealt with any cracking issues on my bodies. Their technology really comes to the plate.”
Homuth also notes the rise of independent mechanics and field service technicians means truck customization is becoming a necessity. A big differentiator for him when selecting service vehicles was the ability of IMT to showcase what its equipment can do for the individual and how it can be customized with options to meet specific needs.
BUILDING A LEGACY
Homuth’s 27-year-old son, Colby, helps his father with the business as a full-time employee. As Homuth nears retirement, he said he would like to see Colby eventually run the business. “Someday, I’d like to see him step up the game and want to take over and be in charge. It’s a family business, and he’s a partner in it. Eventually, I’d like to see him run it.”
When it comes to running his business, Homuth says, “It’s what you’re willing to put into it—then anything could happen,” Homuth says. “It’s unreal.”
With high demand and more independent contractors than ever, running a field service business has never been more exciting. Homuth grew his one-man adventure into a full-service business equipped with three IMT service trucks in just a few short years. With this much grit and determination, only time will tell how far Wade’s Heavy Equipment Repair will go.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Find out more about service truck builder Iowa Mold Tooling Company (IMT), visit www.imt.com.
