Just in Case: Titan's Dickinson branch prospers

It's hard to miss construction machinery rolling down the highway. Sometimes, on the side of these yellow giants, drivers can spot the familiar name Case.

In western North Dakota, that Case equipment likely comes from Titan Machinery, and the Dickinson branch is more competitive than ever, branch rental account manager Joe Griesel said.

"We go up against the big dogs," he said. "You can drive around, and you'll see some piece of yellow equipment with Case on it somewhere. We can definitely hold our own against the big outfits."

Since Titan opened its Dickinson branch in 2011, it has constantly changed to adapt to its customers. But one thing has stayed the same: It has worldwide impacts with a local feel.

"With us, we are pretty fortunate to have deep community roots, highly qualified employees," said Tyler Reisenauer, the Dickinson store manager. "That definitely brings great quality to the customers and our dealership."

The Case construction dealership provides machinery for companies in the Bakken, and Reisenauer said it stays busy. Titan saw an opportunity to expand to western North Dakota to "fill a void," he said, adding it is better for the customer to have a local dealership rather than wait for a shipment or service from Bismarck.

The company also has branches in Mandan, Minot and Williston to serve western North Dakota.

Titan was founded in 1980. Its headquarters are in West Fargo, and it offers equipment for agricultural and construction purposes. Since its opening, it has expanded across the U.S. and Europe.

"We have 95 North American dealerships in 11 states," Reisenauer said. "We also have 16 European dealerships in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and the Ukraine."

Even Dickinson's branch is seeing growth, Reisenauer said. The business is planning to expand its office this year. Though he wasn't sure of the exact square footage, Reisenauer said the expansion will update its offices to make the building feel more like a dealership and make it more efficient for business.

Titan prides itself with proper training and providing a safe work environment, Reisenauer said. Technicians are required to do 40 years of training each year, shop foreman Brian Beaudoin said.

"We always strive for perfection," he said.

With a changing climate in the marketplace, especially in the oilfield, Titan is always innovating its inventory to meet the needs of the customer. Field Marketer Kyle Ryder said that offers a challenge, something he never had before coming to work for the business in 2012.

"The construction business is changing every day, so it challenges you in different ways," Ryder said.

He added that Titan has been fortunate in that it has had local interest when it comes to hiring employees.

Reisenauer is one of those local hires. The Dickinson native started in rental sales when Titan opened in August 2011.

"It's just a great company," he said. "I love everything that they have to offer, everything that they do for their employees and definitely the business is a very demanding and challenging business."

Ryder, a native of Froid, Mont., came to Dickinson in 2004 to attend Dickinson State University before taking a sales position with Braun Distributing.

"I wanted to take the chance, so here I am," he said.

Titan does attract employees from across the nation, and even the world. Griesel, whose wife is from the Dickinson area, came to the state from South Africa. He joined Titan in September 2013 after working in the oil industry.

The company has a wonderful work environment that sets employees up for success instead of failure, Griesel said, adding he always appreciates that the company and its staff made him feel at home.

"All of the people here are local, I consider myself a local," he said. "It makes it easier."

Beaudoin, who is from Houghton, Mich., came to work for Titan about six months ago after some convincing from a friend.

"I enjoy working with everyone I work with," he said. "It's a good place to work."

A key part of Titan's success has been retention, Reisenauer said.

"The biggest thing with people liking to work with Titan Machinery is the work environment, the continuous training in bettering themselves and always room for advancement in the company," he said.

The company is also involved with the community, either through donations or charities.

But one of the most important aspects for Titan is understanding the market potential and customer needs, Reisenauer said.

"I definitely think that equals long-term growth and success," he said. "We pride ourselves in providing world-class products backed by the highest level of service support. Our well-staffed parts department and trained service technicians are committed to the highest of uptime support of our products, giving our customers the confidence and performance required in today's construction and oil and gas operations."

In its three-plus years of operation in Dickinson, Titan has become more competitive in North Dakota, especially in the Bakken.

"I hate to use the cliche, 'watch the space,' because we are going to go bigger and better," Griesel said.

Baumgarten is the news editor of The Dickinson Press. Contact her at 701-456-1210.