Tom Growney:

Tom Growney Equipment, Inc. shares more than a name with its founder. The entire business is a reflection of the values, philosophy, and personality of the man.

Growney grew up in northwestern Missouri with five brothers and a sister. He developed a strong work ethic at an early age, helping on the family farm and hiring out as a harvest laborer. As World War II was nearing an end, he became old enough to enlist in the Army and served with the occupation forces in Japan. Following his tour of duty, he returned to Missouri and earned his degree from Rockhurst College in Kansas City. After graduation he worked in the accounting department of the Kansas City General Motors plant.

In 1955 Growney was hired as the first employee of Deere and Company's new Industrial Division. For the next 11 years he helped establish a network of dealerships for the construction equipment line. His duties as territorial manager included recruiting distributors and devising marketing strategies.

Growney enjoyed working with the Deere product line. When Deere began looking for someone to open an industrial equipment distributorship in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Growney suggested forming his own company to represent the line. "I decided if this was such a good program, I ought to be doing it myself and see if my ideas were really that good. I like progress, I like achievement, I like accomplishment. The only way to make things happen is to be deeply involved." Growney's committment to excellence in every facet of the business is every bit as ardent today as it was in 1966.

The older of the Growney sons is called Tom D. to avoid the confusion of sharing his father's name. After earning a bachelor's degree in finance at the University of Mississippi, he went to work for the Texas Commerce Bank in El Paso, Texas, where he served as a credit analyst and a real estate lender. Then he moved to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he handled a portfolio of $250 million as a real estate lender for Wachovia Bank. Next he was employed by a real estate developer to acquire sites for new shopping centers. In 1993 he returned to Albuquerque to become part of the family business.

While Tom D. was growing up, he had worked for the company's parts department during his summer vacations. Although his ultimate objective was to make the firm his career, he took his father's advice and sought employment elsewhere after college. Having worked with other employers gives him a broader view than merely knowing how things have always been done at Tom Growney Equipment. " Getting that experience under my belt, I had something to bring back to the family business other than the fact that I have the same last name as the man who founded it."

Like his brother, Dan Growney established his independence and gained valuble experience by working for several years outside the family business. After graduating with a degree in management from New Mexico State University, he moved to Washington, D.C., where he joined the personal staff of then Secretary of the Treasury James A. Baker III. For nearly five years Growney continued to work with Baker as he ran George Bush's 1988 Presidential campaign and then served as Secretary of State under Bush.

Dan returned to Albuquerque in 1992. Having worked summers in the sales and service departments during his student years, he fit easily into the Albuquerque operation. In the fall of 1992, he took over the management of the firm's El Paso branch. Like their father, the younger generation of Growneys are very conscious of the fact that their name is on every product that leaves the lot. Dan says, "That heightens your pride and heightens your sensitivity to insuring that any machine, product or service that is sold on behalf of your name is the best around, and that the customer is absolutely pleased with everything to do with the Growney organization."

Loy Johnston first heard of Tom Growney Equipment when he was working for another dealership in Colorado, and he was impressed with the company's reputation. He joined the firm as service manager in the summer of 1982.

What made the company so attractive to Johnston was its underlying philosophy: doing the best job you can and doing it right the first time. "Its a real simple philosophy, and it works," he observes. In addition to being one of the firm's pilots, Johnston is now in charge of parts for the four Growney stores. "If the customer's broke down, it's his time and money lost. You get a lot of self-satisfaction from getting him back up and running."

Grew up in Albuquerque, graduated from El Dorado High School. Attended and graduated in Diesel Technology from Universal Technical Institute in Phoenix, AZ.

Devin started with Tom Growney Equipment in the early 1980s as a shop technician, after gaining experience and knowledge in John Deere Construction Equipment he moved into field service. Eventually Devin became the service manager of the new Tom Growney Equipment branch store in Hobbs, NM.

In 1989 Devin moved to Oregon to become the Service Manager of a John Deere Construction and Forestry dealer. By 2002 Devin advanced to the position of Product Support Manager serving the Portland, Oregon and Southwest Washington state area.

Devin came back to Tom Growney Equipment to seek the sunshine and an opportunity to be the Corporate Service Manager for all the Tom Growney Equipment locations. He says, "Itıs awesome to be back in the Southwest and back to my career roots".

Robert Montano has been with Tom Growney Equipment, Inc. longer than any other employee (with the exception, of course, of Thomas F. Growney, the founder of the business).

Robert was born in Floyd, NM where he attended grade school through high school. When he graduated, he was greeted by the U.S. Army. Before his service in the army was over, Robert had completed 13 months duty in Vietnam. Robert was a dozer operator, and served on various demolition details to cut off Viet Cong supply lines. His experience with dozer operation led Robert to apply with Tom Growney upon his discharge, when he came to Albuquerque in September of 1968.

Then as now, Robert was willing to do whatever the job required. He washed equipment, ran parts, and was the general handy man. Within a year, Robert became Tom Growney's welder. When welding work was short, Robert helped mechanics or painted equipment. He was a transport driver when needed, and also served as a field service mechanic for a while.

In time Robert became the Service Manager for Tom Growney. After serving in this capacity for quite a while, Robert began Product Support Field Sales in 1985. His assignment was to find the customers in the field whose machinery needed or would soon need repairs. He quoted the repairs, and tried to ensure that such repairs took place at our TGE facility rather than with one of our competitors. This position combined Robert's technical knowledge of the machinery and his personal relationships with the customers that he had become acquainted with over the years. In 1994, Robert became Tom Growney Equipment's Sales Representative for the northern New Mexico Territory.

Robert Montano, with his vast knowledge and experience, is familiar with the oldest machines known to Tom Growney Equipment, all the way up to the newest models currently coming off the line. Robert knows how to use the resources available at Tom Growney Equipment to benefit his many loyal customers.