The new year brings increased efficiency to Peterson Machinery’s customers in the Medford and Redmond areas of Oregon, as they now have the convenience of having a single contact for their sales and rental needs. As of January 1, 2009, Peterson Machinery, the authorized Caterpillar dealer in Central and Southern Oregon, has consolidated its Medford- and Redmond-area equipment sales and rental positions to allow Charlie Morehead and Brett Crosier, Peterson's Medford salesmen, and Shane Meyer and Brinton Cary, Peterson’s Redmond salesmen, increased flexibility in serving their customers.

Charlie Morehead, Machine Sales Representative, will now offer both sales and rental services to customers in the City of Ashland and Jackson County, east of the I-5. Morehead has worked for Peterson for five years, and spent the fifteen years before that as a heavy equipment salesman at the former Caterpillar dealership, where he worked his way from the Parts warehouse to a compact machine sales position. He began in mainline machine sales last April, adding large machines like Caterpillar excavators, backhoe loaders, and pavers to his stable of products. Morehead is glad to add machine rental to his repertoire and excited at the prospect of meeting new customers: "Rental gives me an opportunity to talk to people I might not ordinarily reach. I now have more products and services to offer my sales customers, too.”

Brett Crosier, Machine Sales Representative, will now handle sales and rental services throughout Josephine and Curry counties, in southern Douglas County, and in Jackson County, west of the I-5. Crosier began his career in 1991 with the previous Cat dealer after graduating from the Denver Automotive and Diesel College, which he attended after winning a VICA scholarship. He worked in the engine division for three years, then became shop foreman, and later ran the Truck Shop. Crosier then switched to the sales side of the dealership and became a Product Support Sales Representative and, in 2003, moved to mainline machine sales for Peterson Machinery. His enthusiasm for all things Caterpillar has won him numerous accolades, including Peterson’s Salesman of the Year award in 2006. Crosier is excited to add rental equipment such as light towers, aerial equipment, and generators to the list of products he can offer his customers: “Being a single contact for our customers’ equipment needs is great,” he said.

Shane Meyer, Machine Sales Representative, will now offer both sales and rental services to customers in Crook County, Jefferson County, and the City of Redmond. Shane has worked for Peterson for fourteen years in various roles from Warehouse Supervisor to Parts Counter representative to Product Support Sales Representative (PSSR). He has been selling new Caterpillar equipment for over five years. Shane has been honored by Peterson and Caterpillar many times; he has twice received national recognition from Cat as a Product Support Sales Representative in their Masters Competition, was runner up in a production estimation contest at Cat’s proving grounds at the Tinaja Hills Demonstration & Application Center in Tucson, and was selected as Peterson Machinery’s 2008 Salesman of the Year.

Brinton Cary, former Rental Consultant, will now handle sales and rental services throughout Deschutes County, except in the City of Redmond, which will be covered by Shane Meyer. Brinton came to Peterson after graduating from the University of Oregon with a degree in Marketing and Advertising, and his enthusiasm quickly propelled him through the ranks; Brinton worked in the rental yard, then became a Rental Coordinator and helped to open Peterson’s Springfield Cat Rental Store. In December, 2007 he became a Rental Consultant to customers in the Redmond area. He is excited to add new machine sales to his duties. "Rental can open opportunities for sales, and vice versa," Brinton said. Meeting a wider customer base also appeals to Brinton: "I’m pretty relationship-driven and I’m not afraid to knock on any doors." Brinton is a member of the Central Oregon Builders Association.

Rich Bolen, General Manager, Rental Division, said: "This is going to streamline Peterson Machinery’s communication with our customers. Having a single contact for sales and rentals should make things easier for everyone. Charlie, Brett, Shane, and Brinton are really knowledgeable, so our customers will benefit from their expertise."

Craig Banks and Phillip Gosch, the Product Support Sales Representatives for the Medford and Redmond areas, respectively, will continue in their current roles.

With headquarters in Eugene, Peterson Machinery Co. offers full-service stores in Albany, Eugene, Klamath Falls, Medford, North Bend, and Redmond. The company’s Klamath Falls, Medford, Redmond, and Springfield locations also feature the Cat Rental Store, renting Caterpillar and other name-brand equipment for the construction, agriculture, landscaping, and forestry industries. Peterson Machinery has been a family-owned Caterpillar dealership for more than 70 years. For more information about Peterson Machinery, call 541-302-9199 or visit www.petersoncat.com.