2

Imagine The Next 50 Years...

3

Proud to work side by side with West Side.Congratulations on 50 successful years, West Side Tractor. You’ve been a great partner with John Deere, and we look forward to many more years of working together.

Fifty years and three generations ago, West SideTractor Sales Co. dedicated itself to the propositionthat John Deere customers shouldn’t have to travel to

the south side of Chicago for sales and service. Turns out, Rich and Mary Benck had a viable idea. The

dealership not only has endured, it has grown far beyondperimeter townsof Chicago. Thecompany nowoperates in 10 loca-tions stretching 300miles from Rockfordin northern Illinois toBloomington in south-central Indiana.“The whole concept of

how we have done businesshasn’t changed over time. Thevariables of how we do businesshave changed,” says Steve Benck,the firms’ president and one of theconstants in the evolving company:Benck family leadership. His father started and developed the

company and 25 years later handed thereins to Steve and his two siblings, Dianeand Tom. Now three of the founder’sgrandchildren, Jen, Lauren and Brian, haveprofessionally come home to West Side to further enrichthe company story.

Farm Machinery RootsRich Benck grew up on a farm on the Illinois border in

Grant Park, IL, spending lots of time using John Deere

machinery. He subsequently became a skilled dieselmechanic for International Harvester in Kankakee, learningthe craft well enough to become an Air Force diesel engineinstructor in 1952. Re-entering civilian life four years later, Benck took his

mechanical skills to work at Calumet Industrial and FarmSupply, a Forddealership thatlater took onthe John Deereproduct line, inSouth Holland onChicago’s southside. Over the nexthalf decade, heworked his way throughdealership roles atCalumet as mechanic, partsmanager, service manager,and, finally, salesman. So in1962, when a Deere dealership

opportunity surfaced in Lisle, awestern suburb of Chicago, Benckfelt prepared for the ultimate busi-ness role: owner.

“My wife, Mary, and I scrapedtogether $15,000 and purchased the

dealership,” the senior Benck recalls.The couple partnered with the Calumet owners in the dealthat created West Side, an arrangement that ended a yearlater when the Bencks bought out their partners. (Theyeventually would buy out Calumet itself).“We opened the doors with three employees total and

no credit available,” Benck says of the 1962 business ven-

West Side Tractor’sGolden Anniversary

Indianapolis Rockdale

Richard Benck founded West Side Tractor in 1962.

6

7

Congratulations To

West Side Tractors Sales Co.

On Its 50th Anniversary

8

www.paladinconstructiongroup.com1-800-428-2538

We Have An Attachment For That...Doesn’t matter if you need to dig, move, scrape, compact, sweep, rake or drill, Paladin has a performance-driven attachment to help you get the job done right the first time, every time.

Thank you, West Side Tractor Sales Co., for 50 years of dedication to serving your customers.

Paladin Authorized Dealer

Joliet, IL 815-730-9011

Naperville, IL 630-355-7150

Rockford, IL 815-961-3160

South Holland, IL 708-331-6362

Wauconda, IL 847-526-7700

Bloomington, IN 812-333-9677

Fort Wayne, IN 260-482-8576

Indianapolis, IN 317-544-3411

Lafayette, IN 765-447-6933

South Bend, IN 574-232-1461

WEST SIDE TRACTOR SALES CO.

9

“Congratula

tions on

your Anniver

sary”

best wishes

PSC

ture. “We learned quickly how to manage our money.”The slim staff—Benck and two mechanics—was

matched by the dealership’s similarly slim line-up of con-struction equipment. Precisely six Deere products wereoffered—three backhoe models, two crawler dozers, and ascraper. Today, Deere dozer models alone exceed thatnumber. “We grew here with Deere,” says Diane Benck, the

founder’s daughter. She joined the company in 1987 and isvice president responsible for general operations. “It hasdramatically expanded its product line and become aviable alternative to Caterpillar. That wasn’t the case even25 years ago. Every year we go down the road, it gets bet-ter.” Being the “new kid on the block,” Rich Benck realized

the fledgling West Side dealership needed a competitive

edge. He found his inspiration in the rental car business.After studying the industry, he concluded the rental modelought to work with construction equipment, and created aseparate West Side rental division with a fleet of machines.“The equipment was available daily, weekly, and

monthly. It was a great new business tactic: We got paidfor customers to demo our machines,” says Benck.Rental is a ubiquitous industry practice now, but in the

1960s it was a stark departure from the business model.Brian Benck calls his grandfather a pioneer. “He was thefirst person in our market certainly and across the U.S.who was really engaged in the rental business. That washow West Side became known. It really kind of changedthe perception of what a dealer was.”One legacy of that innovation is West Side’s flourish-

Diane Benck is a second-generation leader ofWest Side Tractor.

‘ In the late 60s, the Companycoined the West Side motto“Whatever the Work.” Thingshave changed through the years,but West Side’s commitment toits customers has and willalways remain the top priority.“Whatever the Work” meansWest Side will do whatever ittakes to earn the opportunity toobtain a customers business andloyalty; offer the highest levels ofsales expertise and product; findthe most productive and costeffective solution possible for ourcustomers; and strive to exceedcustomer expectations.

, Sales Manager , Sales Manager

Tom Stern, Sales ManagerKip Bancroft, Sales Manager

ing rental / consignment sales / auction operations. Unlikethe Illinois-Indiana footprint of the 10 dealerships, this partof West Side straddles the nation and globe.

World MarketingTom Benck, like all of Rich Benck’s children, grew up

in the dealership. He sorted parts at 14 and picked upmechanical skills during his high school years before mov-ing into product sales. Today as vice president of used equipment and facili-

ties, he is riding herd on a division that incorporates sec-ond-hand equipment rentals, consignment sales, and auc-tions. The interrelated business activity grew 30 percent inthe last year.“We didn’t start out to say we are going to have a

standalone used equipment business,” Benck says from hisoffice north of Chicago in Wauconda. “It started in figur-ing how to deal with trade-ins for new John Deere equip-ment. Then, we got into advertising on the Internet, whichwas all new.”The Internet connection, along with widespread pres-

ence in trade publications and aggressive remarketingplans, has produced a truly international operation. “We’vesold excavators and dozers to China, motor graders to theMiddle East, a lot of stuff to South America,” Benck says.“Foreign buyers are coming to us now.”The consignment sales are viewed as another service

for West Side customers. Contractors who are liquidatingor shrinking inventory in a struggling economy haveanother option beyond directly retailing their equipment orresorting to a pure auction. West Side consigns the equip-ment and packages for remarketing through the company’svarious sales outlets. Still other dealers call on West Sideto auction their surplus equipment. So West Side’s expansion into Indiana means, among

other things, a larger pool of used equipment. Tom Bencksees continued growth of the operation. “We have morenew and used equipment available which provides addi-tional options at all different price points for our cus-tomers.” The dealership now has five equipment outlets in

Illinois—Naperville, Wauconda, Rockford, Joliet, andSouth Holland—and five in Indiana—South Bend, FortWayne, Indianapolis, Bloomington, and Lafayette. The lastdealership specializes in Deere lawn and garden equip-ment, compact tractors, Gator utility vehicles, and similarmachinery.While this sprawling presence across state lines puts

the company at a scale that opens the door to opportunity,it also exposes the company’s flank to battering from eco-nomic ill winds. If history is any guide, West Side will rideout future storms and end up in a better place.“We’ve been through multiple low economies,” Rich

Benck says from retirement, looking back on his half cen-tury of business experience. The worst one, he says, wasthe 1980s triple slam of recession, inflation, and high inter-est rates. “We were hurting, but other dealers were hurtingmore.”Benck responded to the challenge by cutting expens-

es—“that was when interest was up over 20 percent”—and, of all things, expanding! West Side added north, westand south Chicago locations during that tumultuous period.

PIC

Needed

14

Congratulations to West Side Tractor

50 years of success!

ot dahe tnotselil maicepsutagrno cod tuore pr’eW

n.eppat hsut j’nseo. Tyrasrevinnh at0r 5uon yu ooe ytal

s as iih. T

reen Dhot Js adneirr fuoYYo

e0 yt 5xee nho td trawrofg wnikroy wojny elure tW

pd a sliuo be tunitnu cooyn ooitadnuod filoh a stiw

t tnemtimmg conirevawnus tihe tkit lnemeveihcn aA

ot dahe tnotselil maiceps

laicnanie Fr

gop tihsnoitaler ruw ooe grs ws araee ln. Woitareps osalc-dlror wuoh ytig w

.erutue fhr tos fseccuf sl oevel laicepseford pnt acepse, ryy, rtigretn, itsurf ty w. Byat wghie rhs tsenisug bnioo dt t

nd ane asitrepxn, eoitacides dekas t

n.eppat hsut jnseo

!rehtegkooe l

msilanoisgnikroy w

GREAT GRADERGREAT DEALERS

We put the “Know” in Knowledge when it comes to Compact Motor Graders

NorAm 65E | 110 HP | 16,800 LBS | 10' or 12' BLADENorAm has partnered with some of the finest dealers in the industry to represent our Compact Motor Grader. You’ll receive quality parts, service and sales assistance from professionals who know the product and how to meet your needs. Call them today for world class service.

Built from a lineage of market leaders for over 60 yearswww.noram65.com Made in the USA

65E | HP | 16,800 LBS | or 12' BLADEN You’ll receive q t

65E | 110 HP | 16,800 LBS | 10' or 12' BLADEN You’ll receive q t

65E | HP | 16,800 LBS | or 12' BLADEN You’ll receive q t Congratulations

West Side Tractor Sales Co.

on Your 50th Anniversary!E. D. ETNYRE & CO. Oregon, Illinois 61061Phone: 815/732-2116 • Fax: Sales 815-732-7400

email: sales@etnyre.com • www.etnyre.com

E. D. ETNYRE & CO. is proud of our association withWest Side Tractor. Whenever you need heavy haul trailerschoose Etnyre and West Side Tractor for provendependability.

15

www.mbfinancial.com 1.888.i bank mb (1.888.422.6562) Member FDIC

MB Financial BankLocations throughout Chicagoland, including:

West Side Tractor

Congratulationson your

50th Anniversary

West Side Tractorcelebrating 50 years of sales and service!

800 W. MadisonChicago, IL 60607

16

17

TTHHAANNKK YYOOUU

For 50 years, our customers have been the focus of everything we

would like to thank all of our customers for helping us grow. We

look forward to another 50 years of service and commitment.

Thank you for being a part of the West Side family.

18

19

West Side Tractor Sales became an Atlas Copco construction equipment dealer in the spring of 2010. We congratulate West Side Tractor Sales on two successful years as part of the Atlas Copco family, and an impressive half-century of service to northern Illinois and the rest of their growing sales and service region.

West Side Tractor Sales is a full-line Atlas Copco construction equipment dealer, offering the full range of hydraulic attachments, including small, mid-size and heavy breakers, like the MB 1700 featured in the photo above. They also sell and service the full line of Atlas Copco portable compressors and generators, as well as gasoline-, pneumatic- and hydraulic-powered handheld tools.

Atlas Copco Construction & Mining800-732-6762www.atlascopco.us

Atlas Copco Salutes West Side Tractor Sales50 Years of Industry Leadership

L-R: Lauren Coffaro (Marketing Manager), Jen Snow (HR Manager),Brian Benck (Sales Manager)

The same opportunistic philosophy informed the decisionto expand into Indiana during the current downturn.“The Indiana opportunity just kind of came up in a

meeting,” recalls Steve Benck, the first of Rich Benck’schildren to succeed him in tandem. “We really weren’taware of it. You don’t advertise that kind of opportunity.But when the economy is bad is when opportunities arethere.”Holt Equipment Company wanted to divest itself of

construction and forestry equipment dealerships in Indiana,while continuing in business in Kentucky. West Side seizedthe chance to move into Indiana, instantly becoming thestate’s largest Deere construction equipment dealer, serving68 counties.The deal had the blessing of the company founder. Rich

Benck calls the eastward expansion “a smart move” andhopes his successors will follow that business model.“The opportunity for West Side to continue its success

is there,” he says, and counsels the company’s leadershipto build on its heritage. “Keep growing and making smartmoves.”

Tom, Brian and Steve Benck

PIC

Needed

1962

Rich andMary Benckopen West Side Tractor SalesCo. for business! The first loca-tion opens in Lisle, Ill., on the“west side” of Chicago. Soonthereafter, the Company movesoperations to the Napervillelocation, which remains the cor-nerstone of the business today.

1969

A second branch opensin Wheeling, Ill. (now theWauconda facility).

1980

During the downturn in the early 80s,Rich buys out the Rockford, Ill., JohnDeere dealer and expands west.

1984

Purchases the South Side dealershipin South Holland, Ill. (originally whereRich started as a technician).

A West Side Tractor customer tests out JohnDeere’s first Interim Tier IV machine, a 744K

wheel loader, during a demo event two yearsago. West Side Tractor provides customers

with the newest technologies and capabilitiesavailable to enhance their business.

1987

Second generationof the Benck fami-ly, Steve, Dianeand Tom, take overevery day controlof the company.

2007

RCE brings manufacturingand assembly in-house witha new 90,000 square footfacility located in Rockford,Ill.

1989

Rail Construction Equipment Co. (“RCE”), a sister company of West Side Tractor Sales Co.,opens for business as a John Deere sponsoredrail equipment dealer. RCE is a diversified construction equipment manufacturer which specializes in high-quality railroad construction equipment.

West Side Tractor hassupported projects inall different settingsand areas, from theheart of downtownChicago to ruralIndiana.

2008

A West Sidebranch opensin Joliet, Ill.

2012

50th Anniversary of West Side.Steve’s two daughters, Jenand Lauren, also join the com-pany representing the thirdgeneration of the Benck family.

2010

Steve, Diane and Tom announce the acquisition offive construction and forestry equipment dealershipslocated in Indiana through an affiliated company,West Side Tractor Sales of Indiana. New dealershiplocations include Indianapolis, South Bend, FortWayne, Lafayette and Bloomington. The Indianaacquisition expands the West Side territory to servemore than 80 counties with 10 locations spanningacross Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. During thistime, Steve’s son, Brian, joins the company repre-senting the third generation of the Benck family.RCE builds the 300th machine.

Illinois-based West Side Tractor Sales Co. didn’t lookeastward and expand into Indiana from happenstance. Thechance to acquire several Indiana John Deere constructionand forestry equipment dealerships was taken because itmade sense.“One of the reasons we were very interested in Indiana is

because there is synergy betweenIllinois and Indiana,” says DianeBenck, West Side’s vice president foroperations. One of her responsibilitiesis product support and she recognizedcommonalities in the two states thatplay to West Side’s strengths.“They are both Midwestern states

with cultural and machine applicationsimilarities. What works in Illinoisprobably is going to work in Indiana,”she says. “Down in Kentucky, or inOhio, for instance, there are differentsoil conditions.”On the other hand, though both

states are agricultural, the Illinoisdealerships operate in the Chicagometropolitan environment, unlike anything in Indiana. Thesame products, but much different market segments. Bridgingthose market differences would be helped by the durable rep-utation of Deere products and other West Side allied lines. Still, West Side leadership understood that turning the

company into a successful two-state dealership would requirecontinued service excellence and smart marketing.“I think dealerships all basically offer the same type of

service, but West Side’s commitment to a customer really setsit apart from the competition,” says Steve Deller, productsupport manager. “If a machine is down and inoperable, weare committed to having a presence there within four hours.That means a lot to our customers. We are letting them knowwe care about them when they are in a bad situation. We arewilling to go that extra mile. People just don’t get that any-more.”Deller has technicians scattered among the 10 dealerships.

He “bounces” from location to location to ensure local partsand service managers are maintaining West Side standards inIllinois and successfully introducing them in Indiana. He alsoperiodically trains fleet customers on safety and technicalconcerns, a seminar program that is part of the John Deerelocal support structure.To succeed in these management and training tasks,

Deller calls on 25 years of experience in the industry, the lastseven at West Side. He notes that the set-up of shops hasn’tchanged a lot over a quarter century, but training has becomemore central.“Because of the changing technology curve, our techni-

cians are in a constant training mode,” he says. “We demandit of ourselves. It used to be new machines came out everyfive or six years. These days it seems like it’s every three orfour years; with new emissions, it’s every two or three years.We are constantly staying up on products.”

Deller is one of several nonfamily members in a leader-ship role at West Side. He acknowledges “100 percent”Benck family support in his work. “They make a lot of whatwe do a whole lot easier.”The regard is mutual. “It is very important for our compa-

ny that we have major positions available for nonfamilymembers,” Diane Benck says. Theresulting culture is stable: West Sidehas 22 employees who have workedthere at least 25 years.Benck children and grandchil-

dren who grew up around West Sidewere encouraged to develop careerselsewhere before considering joiningthe family business. Most did.Among third generation members,Brian worked in banking and financefor three years, his sister LaurenCoffaro spent six years in PR andmarketing, and sister Jen Snow wasa health care HR executive for nineyears. Coffaro now is West Side’s

marketing manager, and Snow its human resources manager.Both specialties are more urgently needed with West

Side’s expanded employee base and need for more diversemarketing. The latter is wholly different than in 1962, whenRich Benck relied on word of mouth and a few direct mail-ings. Coffaro will be deep into e-marketing and similarstrategies in a 21st-century marketplace.In the end, though, customer service will determine suc-

cess, which hasn’t changed much over 50 years, Rich Bencksays. “Service is always number one.”

Synergistic Service in Indiana

Providing sterling service in Indiana was thehighest priority when West Side Tractor expand-ed to the state

Downtime is costly, but West Side Tractor ensures it is alwaysthere for its customers in time of need.

25

GroundEngaging

Best Wishes West Side!

EngagGroundG ou d

ging

ishes WBest W est Side!s W e

CELEBRATESSUCCESS

We congratulate West Side Tractor Sales for 50 years of excellence in business.

For information about our services, please contact Bob Bidinger at (614) 463-7308 or robert.bidinger@pnc.com or visit pnc.com/cib.

ACHIEVEMENT is a registered mark of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. ©2012 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved. PNC Bank, National Association. Member FDIC CIB PDF 0312-022-78111

Celebrating 50 Years in Style

(L-R): The Benck family, Tom, Steve, Diane, Mary and Rich gathered for a family photo during the event.

More than 300 employees and guests attended West Side TractorSales’ 50th Golden Anniversary celebration on Jan. 28, 2012. The eventswere held at the Blue Chip Resort and Casino in Michigan City, Ind.Guests were invited to participate in an afternoon bags tournament, fol-lowed by an evening reception with dinner and dancing. The countryband Bella Cain performed live following dinner.West Side was started in 1962 by Rich and Mary Benck and it con-

tinues to be a family operation currently being run by the second gener-ation. West Side’s storied past began with one dealership on the “westside” of Chicago. Fifty years later, the company now serves more than80 counties with 10 locations spanning across Illinois, Indiana andMichigan. West Side continues to grow but holds close to the core val-ues that built the foundation of the company.The first West Side branch was located in Lisle, Ill., (now the

Naperville location) and grew rapidly to include locations in Wheeling,Rockford and South Holland. In 1987, Rich Benck turned everyday con-trol of the company over to his three children who are each activelyinvolved and equal shareholders in West Side. Steve Benck, the presi-dent, focuses on machine sales and the specialized rail business. DianeBenck oversees product support and general operations of the company.

Tom Benck manages the company’s used equipment and consign-ment fleets, as well as serving as the facility manager. All three chil-dren take great pride in staying focused on building and maintainingcustomer relationships throughout all levels of the organization, espe-cially on a personal level.West Side has grown considerably under the leadership of the sec-

ond generation. On Dec. 17, 2010, the owners announced the acqui-sition of five construction and forestry equipment dealerships locatedin Indiana through an affiliated company, West Side Tractor Sales ofIndiana. New dealership locations include Indianapolis (Indiana head-quarters), South Bend, Fort Wayne, Lafayette and Bloomington. Inaddition to the Indiana acquisition, West Side has expanded into a spe-cialized rail business (RCE) and opened a facility for business inJoliet, Ill., in 2008. The company that began with three employees in1962 has grown to more than 175 employees. Recently, West Side haswelcomed the third generation into the business with the addition ofSteve’s three children, Brian Benck, Jen Snow and Lauren Coffaro inthe finance, HR and marketing departments.For more information, visit www.westsidetractorsales.com.

Art Below Zero of Gurnee, Ill.,designed an ice sculpture for the

occasion that featured a JohnDeere excavator.

28

CCOONNGGRRAATTUULLAATTIIOONNSS

OONN 50 YYEEAARRSS OOFF SSUUCCCCEESSSS!!

It’s been a pleasure being your Commercial Fleet provider for so many great years of business.

Keep up the great work!

Naperville, Ill. 60540 Phil Parker - Business Development Manager

Office # 630-357-2200 Ext.6153 Cell # 630-624-2251 E-mail: pparker@villagebuickgmc.com

TO

On your 50th AnniversaryFrom all of us at the

Interna onal Union of Opera ng EngineersLocal 150

Appren ceship & Skill Improvement Program

ASIP Local 15019800 W. South Arsenal Rd.Wilmington, IL 60481(815) 722 3201WWW.ASIPLOCAL150.ORG

James M. Sweeney ChairmanMichael Rorex Coordinator / Administrator

29

30

TOWING • TRANSPORT • RELOCATION • RECOVERY

Congratulations West Side Tractor

Sales Co.

10 S 290 Schoger Drive • Naperville, IL 60564

630-961-9484Fax: 630-898-2707

www.NapervilleTowing.com

Stocked, Sold & Serviced by

WEST SIDE TRACTOR

As a full-service distributor, West Side Tractor stocks the Gorman-Rupp pumps and parts you need to keep your jobs on schedule – everything from lightweight portables to heavy-duty centrifugals. And, like all Gorman-Rupp distributors, the personnel at West Side Tractor are quali�ed to give expert advice on application of product and design systems. If a problem should occur, the service personnel at West Side Tractor can get you back in service fast.

For full service you can count on, work with a full-service Gorman-Rupp distributor like

West Side Tractor, with 10 locations to serve you.

As a full-service distributor, West Side Tractor stocks the Gorman-Rupp pumps and parts you need to keep your jobs on schedule – everything from lightweight portables to heavy-duty centrifugals. And, like all Gorman-Rupp distributors, the personnel at West Side Tractor are quali�ed to give expert advice on application of product and design systems. If a problem should occur, the service personnel

West Side Tractor, with 10 locations to serve you.

Celebrating 50 Years of Quality Sales & ServiceWEST SIDE TRACTOR

THE GORMAN-RUPP COMPANY, Mansfield DivisionP.O. BOX 1217 MANSFIELD, OHIO 44901 PH: 419.755.1011 FX: 419.755.1251

GRpumps.com

1900 Spring Road, Suite 200Oak Brook, Illinois 60523(630) 571-1900www.lilliglaw.com

CONGRATULATIONS

WEST SIDE

ON YOUR

50TH ANNIVERSARY

LILLIG & THORSNESS LTD.Attorneys at Law

31

Congratulations onYour 50th Anniversary

18702 US 31N • Westfield, IN 46074

317-896-3206

Naperville, IL 60563630/355-7150

South Holland, IL 60473708/331-6362

Rockdale, IL 60436815/730-9011

Rockford, IL 61102815/961-3160

Wauconda, IL 60084847/526-7700

Indianapolis, IN 46219317/544-3411

Lafayette, IN 47905765/447-6933

Bloomington, IN 47403812/333-9677

South Bend, IN 46619574/232-1461

Fort Wayne, IN 46825260/482-8576

www.westsidetractorsales.com