The Equipment Today team spoke with Mike Kucharski, VP of sales, marketing, & IT, IronCraft, about the construction industry, looking back on 2023 and forward to 2024. In addition to making equipment easy to buy and own, he stated that the work force shortage was the biggest challenge that the industry faced in 2023. Second to that has been the rise in interest rates.
What was the construction industry’s biggest challenge in 2023?
The construction industry’s biggest challenge is and will remain to be getting the best talent and retaining that talent. Good people are the key to great businesses and finding those people that love this business is our biggest opportunity for improvement.
Interest rates would be the second biggest concern as costs seem to continue to rise with interest rates climbing to record levels since the 1980s. This could prove to be too much for new companies entering the marketplace and challenge even the most established organizations.
Are changes in the workforce, including retirements, affecting your company?
Yes, we have been fortunate to hire some new employees from organizations that were struggling to stay the course with excitement and innovation. We are very excited to have high-quality employees join our team.
Is your company still experiencing fallout from the pandemic, including supply chain issues or other problems?
I believe that we are back to normal levels of supply chain challenges and in good shape going into 2024.
In what technological areas do you see the potential for the most innovation in 2024?
During the pandemic, you could sell anything you could get your hands on. With the industry approaching prepandemic norms, it will be interesting to see how organizations are going to mold to accommodate the customer.
At IronCraft we recognize that being easy to buy and easy to own is a critical customer requirement. Recently, we … launched two initiatives that will continue to evolve and grow through 2024. [The website] myequipmentspecs.com and QR codes that link back to online service manuals and our new parts store. Myequipmentspecs.com will enable anyone to quickly look up specs for their tractor, skid steer or excavator and provide them with resources to get more out of the equipment that they already own. These solutions should help our industry be more informed to make good, quick decisions on the compatibility … machine and maintenance parts for their IronCraft attachments.
What innovations or improvements do you anticipate in construction equipment in 2024?
We are focused on keeping the construction industry affordable, value-based and easy to buy and own. Simplicity has a high value in my book.
