In Sink Great Ideas & Great Employees

By Dean Sink, Mickey President

Great ideas and great employees never go out of style as long as they provide value and offer inspiration. Look no further than this issue of The Mickey Sprit to understand my point.

Mickey has been making side load bodies and trailers for longer than I can remember, and as Ted Hudson of Bonbright Distributors, a Dayton, OH Miller/Coors distributor, says they are still, ?by far, the way to go? Compared with straight trucks or tractor trailers they drive better, turn better, stop better they do everything better? Side loading is the natural way to deliver.?

Mickey has done comprehensive analysis of real-world delivery operations of more than 20 beverage distribution companies ? both side and rear load advocates ? and we have found that side load delivery saves money and improves driver safety. They are more practical in store parking lots, they are easier to navigate and, at least with Mickey units, they keeping getting better with more customer-driven features. Giant-sized superstores, hydraulic lift gates, electric tow motors, and docking bays seem to making a case for rear loaded bulk deliveries. But the math just does not add up. Where?s the ROI? Ted Hudson has it right when he says: ?Side loaders are the most versatile units we can buy.? Now that?s a great idea.

Great employees? We have the prototype here at Mickey ? Mr. Gene Sikes. Forty-seven years on the job and still going strong. There is not a job in our manufacturing operations that Gene has not been tasked with at one time or another during his career, and he approaches every job with the same sense of importance and effort. He is a true inspiration to not just our younger employees, but to all of our employees. He inspires greatness in other employees.

Great ideas also inspire other great ideas. We innovated the beverage delivery business with our feature-rich side loaders because we designed what our customers needed, we did not take a cookie-cutter approach to manufacturing. We are taking that same approach in our newest customer industry ? Oil & Gas ? where we are working with some of the largest companies in the field to manufacture equipment to help then find and acquire fossil fuels more efficiently, more economically and safer than ever before. Together we are creating great ideas.

Not coincidentally, great ideas and great people are usually found in the same places. That is certainly the case at Mickey. Enjoy this issue of The Mickey Spirit.