KANSAS CITY, MO — With the appointment of State Tractor & Equipment (STE) to support customers across Kansas and Missouri, Rokbak is forging ahead with its expansion in the North American articulated hauler market.

The rentals and equipment dealer will represent the manufacturer from its head office in Kansas City, and dealer office in Brookline, Missouri, and together with its five mobile service trucks it will ensure customers have maximum uptime from Rokbak’s RA30 and RA40 .

“We’re really looking forward to getting the machines out working with our customers. We’ve got two RA40s due in soon,” said Joshua Badder, Director of Sales at STE. “Not only do we like their new name, design, and color — all of which helps them stand out from the rest — but the robust build is just what our customers have been demanding. Although customer service has long been our No. 1 priority, they are much happier when ultra-reliable machinery like the Rokbak equipment ensures they don’t see us too often.”

The partnership is an ideal fit for both parties, coming at a time when Rokbak is engaged in stepping up its investment in important territories worldwide, and North America in particular. For STE, which supplies a wide range of heavy equipment to customers in the mass grading, demolition, and construction sectors, the deal has enabled the timely closing of a gap in its offering.

“We are currently doing particularly well with excavator sales, and many of those customers have been asking for a good off-road truck to accompany them for a while now. It’s the obvious next step,” Badder said. “So, partnering with Rokbak has not only cemented our portfolio as we strive to gain market share, but will be of great benefit to our customers too. They are enjoying strong demand from the local market at the moment, with many large excavation jobs underway across both states, including infrastructure projects such as a large levee job and the new terminal at Kansas City International Airport to name just two.”

“This partnership has been finalized at a very opportune time for us,” said Robert Franklin, Director of Sales, Americas, at Rokbak. “The global articulated hauler market is expected to grow by around 10 percent during 2022, and about half of those 9,000 or so machines are likely to be sold in North America.

“So, securing a well-established and experienced player like STE to represent the brand will put us in a very strong position from which to fully harness the incredible potential of Rokbak haulers in this region. With such a strong emphasis on service and support, we’re excited to see the benefits STE can bring to our customers.”

Founded in 1977 as a heavy-duty railroad shop and trucking company, STE now employs over 30 people, supplying customers with a wide range of machinery, including articulated haulers, excavators, skid-steers, motor graders, telehandlers, and several types of wheel loader.