Customer Feature: Clingerman Paving, Inc.
“Settling” isn’t a term Kenny Clingerman, owner of Clingerman Paving, Inc., is familiar with. That’s why more than 30 years ago, Clingerman went into the paving business and started his own company. In fact, it all began when he needed his driveway paved. Clingerman couldn’t find a company to complete the job effectively, so he bought a paver, enlisted the help of a few family members and paved the driveway himself. That’s when Clingerman Paving first opened for business.
Paving isn’t the only service Clingerman Paving offers, however. Since he was a boy, Clingerman worked alongside his father who owned and operated a sawmill. With this deep history of logging, Clingerman stated he just “couldn’t get it out of his blood” and began to offer logging and firewood services in 1986, the same year he opened his paving business.
While paving and logging isn’t your typical combination of services offered, it only made sense to Clingerman. Since paving is primarily busiest in the spring and summer, and logging is active in the fall and winter, this business model worked perfectly for Clingerman and his team. So from May 1 to Nov. 1, you’ll find the Clingerman crew paving driveways and patching up roadways, and for the remainder of the year they can be found logging deep in the woods.
Unique Partnership for Unique Offerings
Because of this unique combination of offerings, Clingerman chose to work with Cleveland Brothers and purchase Cat and Weiler equipment to fulfill all of his contracting needs.
Weiler, a manufacturing company that produces equipment for the paving and forestry industries, was founded in 2000 and began a partnership with Caterpillar shortly after. The relationship quickly took off in 2005 when Weiler purchased a road widener and windrow elevator from Caterpillar and has grown.
Most recently, Weiler acquired Caterpillar’s purpose-built forestry business in Sept. 2019, which included wheel skidders, track feller bunchers, wheel feller bunchers and lastly knuckleboom loaders, and is offered exclusively at Cat dealers around the world, like Cleveland Brothers.
The unique partnership between Caterpillar and Weiler has transformed Cleveland Brothers into a one-stop shop for customers like Clingerman and his staff, creating a simpler purchasing and servicing experience. This efficiency has helped Clingerman’s family-owned business immensely, both with saving time and finances.
With a team of five employees, including his daughter, Nathalie; son, Taylor; and nephew Caden, each decision he makes affects not only his business, but his family as well. That’s why, more than 30 years ago, Clingerman made sure to partner with a reliable company like Cleveland Brothers.
A “Ton” of Firewood
From the day Clingerman Paving opened its doors for business until now, they have worked with Cat and Weiler equipment. Originally, Clingerman purchased and serviced their equipment through Beckwith Machinery, but when Cleveland Brothers acquired Beckwith in 2005, they continued this long-time relationship with Clingerman.
Since 1986, Clingerman has purchased many machines from Cleveland Brothers, including the 559C and 559D log loaders, 289D skidsteer, a D3 dozer, a 416 backhoe loader and, most recently, a D5K 2XL for the logging side. On the paving side, they have purchased two P385 (one P385B) pavers, a 525D skidder and a 304CR mini excavator. This impressive fleet helps Clingerman to complete all jobs, both big and small, and continues to support and foster the growing company’s needs.
One of the jobs this equipment has helped Clingerman accomplish is for a local company in central Pennsylvania. This annual logging job is quite the feat, where Clingerman processes 2,500 cords of firewood each year. With one cord equaling two tons, that means the Clingerman crew processes 5,000 ton a year for this local business—that’s 10 million pounds of firewood!
Paving Perfection
In addition to this massive logging job, Clingerman completes about 200 jobs per year; predominantly residential driveways and small township jobs. To be successful in the residential paving industry, each job must be thoroughly completed with remarkable attention to detail. “We deal with so many customers, so quality is everything and you have to have the right equipment to do it,” stated Clingerman.
That’s why he turns to Cat and Weiler equipment. Clingerman and his team notice the difference in equipment each day on the job. When discussing the details of his paver, Clingerman noted, “Yesterday, if we didn’t have heated in-plates, we couldn’t have completed the job. The controls are so smooth, and the flight chains and Cat engine help. ”
In addition to the advanced features and quality machine, Clingerman can expect exceptional parts and service from Cleveland Brothers, and a one-on-one relationship with his Construction Equipment Account Manager Ryan Enck. “He’s present. I tell him I’m looking for something, and he finds it,” Clingerman said. When on the job with little to no downtime, having support just one call away makes all of the difference in completing a job on time and on budget.
These benefits and unique features come together to create a smooth experience—all that makes Clingerman’s job a bit simpler. With quality and customers’ expectations in mind, Clingerman knew working with Cleveland Brothers would make his business a step above the rest.
For more information, please call 1-844-569-9651.