L.B. Smith appointed G. William “Bill” Cummins president and chief executive officer of the company, following the acquisition of certain L. B. Smith Inc., properties by Volvo Construction Equipment in May. Cummins’ appointment was effective June 2, 2003.

L.B. Smith Inc., was the largest Volvo Construction Equipment dealer in North America. The acquisition of the assets associated with 31 Volvo-construction equipment distribution centers of L.B. Smith Inc., by a holding company owned by Volvo Construction Equipment, was effective May 7. The territory served by L.B. Smith — the new company formed after the acquisition — will operate under the direction of Cummins.

Cummins entered the construction equipment industry in 1970 as an Ingersoll-Rand service representative. He spent 16 years with the company, moving from service to sales and sales management to marketing positions with international responsibilities. In 1986, Cummins left Ingersoll-Rand to join the Mitchell Distributing Company as general sales manager to develop and implement a planned expansion for the company.

Cummins became Mitchell’s vice president of sales in 1987 and was appointed president of the company in 1991, a position he held into 2003 when he accepted an offer to join Volvo Construction Equipment and manage the L.B. Smith dealership operation.

“Volvo Construction Equipment and L.B. Smith occupy a rather unique position in the construction equipment industry today,” said Cummins. “Volvo acquired the dealership’s branch operations to protect its customers and to provide services and products to keep that customer base operating efficiently and profitably. We are committed to making that happen.

“My work experience in the construction equipment industry is also rather unique and, hopefully, well-suited for this new position,” noted Cummins.

“The experience gained from both companies — one a manufacturer and one a distributor — has given me an appreciation of the needs of both sides,” said Cummins. “I will use what I have learned in those 33 years to create a distribution operation at LB Smith based on the needs of our customers and to create profits for both us and for Volvo Construction Equipment.”

For more information, call 704/596-8283 or visit www.lbsmith.com.