Henkels & McCoy Group has been a loyal Ford truck customer for more than 94 years. The utility and communications infrastructure contractor purchased its first Ford truck in 1923. It has since grown to more than 5,000 employees and still trusts Ford trucks to help its workers get jobs done across the country.

More than 3,000 F-Series trucks aid Henkels & McCoy Group workers in constructing power, oil and gas pipeline, gas distribution, and communications infrastructure across the country, as well as supporting project management and maintenance. The company relies on Ford’s entire truck range — everything from the F-150 and F-250 to F-550 Super Duty pickups and chassis cabs with utility upfit equipment, all the way up to F-650 and F-750 medium-duty vocational trucks.

According to Bill Kokemor, director of fleet operations for Henkels & McCoy Group, the firm’s long-term relationship with Ford is based on the strength of the automaker’s Commercial Vehicle Center program and customer service.

Henkels & McCoy is in the midst of updating its Super Duty fleet to the latest generation F-Series. These range from four-wheel-drive F-250 and F-450 trucks, all the way up to medium-duty F-750 chassis cabs, many of which get service/utility bodies, digger derricks, and buckets installed. The Ford fleet is made up of 40% F-150 and 60% Super Duty trucks.

Among the vehicles Ford provides the contractor are a fleet of F-150 trucks equipped with 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine and military-grade, aluminum-alloy body. These vehicles haul crews, tools, and supervisors between work sites. Kokemor said the trucks also have a strong residual value when decommissioned.

“Since our first Super Duty arrived in 1999, we’ve found the best thing about this highly capable truck is its long-term dependability and ease of upfitting for our vocational fleet,” says Kokemor. “Upfitters really appreciate the clean chassis Ford produces, as well as the placement of the electrical and mounting equipment – which is located exactly where we need it most.”

Ford's new technologies have helped improve fleet safety. Kokemor said the company tends to install all of the available driver-assist features that it can, which has saved money in the long run due to reduced accidents.

Henkels & McCoy has also reached critical cost management goals over the years with help from the automaker. The introduction of Ford Motor Credit Company in 1959 provided a much-needed source of capital at a very pivotal time for the contractor.

“In the 1960s, we were getting big providing installation services for telecommunications — stringing phone lines across America,” said Kokemor. “We needed trucks and fortunately, Ford Credit offered us the financing that was essential to us getting the equipment we needed to get the work done.”