b'Linder IndustrialMachinery Company cut theribbon on a new 22,000-square-foot,customer-focused branch in Fort Myers, Florida, in the summer of 2022.Linder is building two new facilities,a branch in Greensboro, NorthCarolina, which will open this year,and a location in Bradenton,Florida, in 2024.years of history and experience, and the company has expandedbuilding equipment only during an economic downturn creates its business with an operational excellence, which also led toan unstable platform for steady and strategic growth. enhance our group companies by sharing its best practices. We now provide equipment and services in ports, agriculture, With advanced and skilled service personnel, technical supportmaterial handling, and forestry and waste/recycling, said Cough-and training department teams which are the best in the industry,lin. These are industries that are much more resilient when Linder can offer one of the widest selections of new, used, and challenging times arise. This allows Linder to shift our employees rebuilt componentsacross many brands in Florida and theand minimize losing valuable people.We have shared this with Carolinas. Additionally, all of Linders new equipment and rentalSumitomo which has allowed other group companies similar to machines can offer optimal utilization because they are linked toLinder consider the same transition. KOMTRAX, an exclusive system that monitors all the essentialNew technological advancements are always a part of the equa-information about Komatsu equipment directly on a computertion, but Coughlin sees this as anotherway Linder looks to meet and cell phone Also, Linder provides planned maintenance, the economic and market challenges facing his industry.diagnostic inspections and KOWA oil analysis programs to help avoid unexpected downtime on all their equipment offerings. The entire equipment world is evolving very rapidly, he said, But how have Linder and SCOA created synergy to support eachThe competition is very strong when it comes to new technol-other? Coughlin believes that since their partnership began inogy. From electrification to autonomous machines, our manu-1996, Sumitomo has provided Linder with the business fun- facturers have been quickly developing products to continue to damentals and essential for building what he refers to as aincrease productivity and lower overall cost.Linder and Sumi-customer-centric company. tomo have formed partnerships witha digital solution company that have taken further steps to control their entire job costs that Together, we not only serve our customers equipment needs, wego beyond just the equipment.These new tools along with our also contribute to our communities as well, he explained. Wecurrent lines of equipment will give our customers the opportuni-volunteer our time and provide financial assistance in areas thatty to be competitive while bidding future projects.have a direct impact in the communities we live and work. Shigemura added, SCOA has just started a new joint project Coughlin also emphasized that the lessons learned during thewith Linder pursuing a new construction solution business, so I Lehman Crisis led to Linders diversification of business and port- look forward to growing this new business together as well. folio of equipment offering. Relying on the earth moving and road Sumitomo Corporation of Americas 5'