Heavy Hitters - Built to Last: Strategic Insights from the Trenches of Big Industry

Money matters. Everyone knows that. But after a certain point, it's not what keeps good people around. In this episode, host Jay Lucas talks with his partner Wade Massey, a recruiter who has interviewed thousands of candidates across the heavy equipment industry. Together, they walk through what really drives job satisfaction and why most hiring managers are looking in the wrong places. Wade s...

What if your service department became your most profitable asset? How much revenue is lost to non-billable work? And what if 210% growth came down to tracking every hour? In this episode of Heavy Hitters, host Jay Lucas sits down with John Dowling, Marine Corps veteran, former director of product support, and founder of Service by the Boxes. John shares his remarkable journey from turning wrenche...

What does it take to untangle a decades-long joint venture, build a dealer network from scratch, and re-establish a global brand’s independent presence in North America, all in under two years? In this episode of Heavy Hitters , host Jay Lucas sits down with Alan Quinn, a senior executive who was at the center of one of the most complex business transitions the heavy equipment industry has ever se...

Taking over as CEO is never easy. But imagine walking into a public company that’s been struggling in a tough global market for years. The backlog is massive, supply chains are a mess, and the team hasn’t seen a bonus in over a decade. Where do you even start? In this episode of Heavy Hitters , host Jay Lucas sits down with Michael Coffey, former CEO of Manitex, board member, advisor, and author o...

Heavy Hitters - Ep. 5 Why do nearly 50 percent of equipment dealerships disappear every 20 years? And what separates the ones that survive from those that struggle to keep up? In this episode of Heavy Hitters , host Jay Lucas sits down with Ron Slee, a globally recognized consultant, educator, and industry pioneer with more than five decades of experience in dealer operations, training, and busine...

What if your dealership’s biggest hidden opportunity isn’t new software or marketing, but the technician already on your team who wants more than just the next repair order? In a tight labor market, shops keep hiring but forget to mentor, which slows profitability, burns out good techs, and leaves customers underserved. In this episode of Heavy Hitters , Jay Lucas sits down with Marshall Sheldon,...

What does it really take to scale a dealership organization without breaking the people, culture, or customer trust that made it successful in the first place? In this episode of Heavy Hitters , Jay Lucas sits down with Eric Driscoll, former CEO of United Ag & Turf, to explore the leadership disciplines required to grow responsibly through mergers and acquisitions. Eric shares lessons from lea...

Heavy Hitters - Ep. 2 What if the biggest barrier to sustainable growth in heavy equipment isn't market conditions, tariffs, or competition, but ignoring the 10–20% of customers who drive 80%+ of your business? Too many organizations spread resources thin across the long tail of low-value accounts, while top performers quietly capture disproportionate share through focused, data-backed plans....

What if the real reason companies struggle to grow isn’t their product, their market, or even their strategy, but how they think about people? Too often, organizations chase revenue and results without stopping to ask a harder question: do we actually have the right talent, in the right roles, aligned with where we say we’re going? In this debut  episode of Heavy Hitters , Jay Lucas sits down with...

Heavy Hitters is hosted by Jay Lucas, a 30-year executive recruiter and business owner with deep expertise in the heavy equipment sector. Each episode features candid conversations with top business leaders, unpacking the mindsets, traits, and strategies that lead to individual and organizational success. Jay’s unique blend of executive search experience and hands-on business ownership gives him a...