Stronger Together: How JLG Helped an ABC Member Keep Work Moving

In construction, problems don’t wait — and neither can the people tasked with solving them. When equipment availability, fleet timing or job site demands collide, contractors need more than a manufacturer. They need a partner who understands their reality.

That’s where JLG Business Development Manager Shay Evans and JLG’s partnership with Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) made a real difference for one ABC member navigating a critical fleet challenge.

A Conversation That Went Beyond Introductions

What started as a brief introductory meeting quickly turned into something more meaningful. When Shay Evans met with a national industrial contractor — an ABC member managing a large forklift fleet spread across the U.S. — the two immediately found common ground.

Before joining JLG, Evans had spent years on the contractor side of the business as a national fleet manager. That shared experience shifted the discussion almost instantly. Instead of a surface-level sales conversation, the meeting dove into real operational challenges: fleet ownership costs, depreciation schedules, safety requirements, and the realities of managing equipment across multiple regions.

That perspective mattered because the contractor faced a problem that couldn’t be resolved in the typical way.

Solving a Real Equipment Challenge

As the contractor worked to expand its footprint, it needed additional forklifts quickly. Traditional sourcing paths were proving difficult, and delays weren’t an option.

Rather than stopping at the limits of standard processes, Evans leveraged his understanding of both JLG’s internal network and the contractor’s operational needs. By looking “behind the scenes” and exploring alternative options, he helped identify viable equipment solutions outside the usual channels, keeping projects moving and crews productive.

For the contractor, the value wasn’t just the equipment itself. It was knowing someone was actively working to solve the problem, not simply reacting to it.

The Power of Shared Experience

This kind of outcome doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of JLG intentionally placing people with real-world fleet and job site experience into roles where they can advocate for customers.

By understanding how equipment decisions affect uptime, budgets and safety, Evans was able to engage as a problem-solver, not just a supplier. That approach builds trust, especially as contractors grow and their equipment needs evolve.

How Partnerships Amplify Impact

While this story highlights one individual and one contractor, it reflects something much bigger.

Through JLG’s role as an ABC Strategic Partner, it gains direct access to contractors of all sizes, creating opportunities to listen, learn and respond to real-world challenges more quickly and effectively. That connectivity allows JLG to:

• Understand how equipment is actually used on job sites
• Identify gaps between design intent and field reality
• Adapt solutions to meet changing safety and productivity demands

For ABC members, it means working with partners who are invested in their success, not just today but long-term.

From Individual Solutions to Industry Progress

The same collaboration that helped one contractor secure forklifts also helps shape the future of equipment innovation. Feedback from ABC members also directly influences how JLG designs and refines its machines, supporting safe, efficient operations aligned with modern job sites.

This is why ABC leaders describe strategic partnerships, like the one with JLG, as transformational rather than transactional. When manufacturers and contractors share insights openly, the entire industry benefits, from improved technology adoption to stronger, more resilient businesses.

Partnership, Proven in the Field

At its core, this story isn’t just about equipment availability. It’s about what happens when experience, trust and partnership come together. By combining individual expertise with the reach of the JLG-ABC partnership, real problems get solved and the construction industry moves forward, one job site at a time.

To learn more about how JLG and ABC are building better together, visit: https://www.jlg.com/en/directaccess/building-better-together-how-abc-and-jlg-are-shaping-the-future-together