In the Dirt: When Customer Service Matters Most

At TAG Manufacturing, we know that building a quality attachment is only part of the job. What truly separates a manufacturer is what happens after the attachment leaves the plant.

For Electric Mills Wood Preserving, a customer of Stribling Equipment, that commitment was put to the test when a couple of mill yard grapple forks experienced issues. Instead of leaving the customer to figure it out on their own, TAG stepped in, listened to the concerns, worked through the warranty process and made sure the customer had the support they needed.

The result? A customer who not only appreciated the response, but now wants to run, support and promote TAG products.

Built for the Mill Yard

Electric Mills Wood Preserving relies on its equipment every day to keep material moving. In a demanding mill yard environment, attachments have to do more than simply move material—they have to withstand repeated use while handling heavy loads and valuable products.

For Operator 1, Santoine Burton, the difference was immediately noticeable after TAG’s replacement grapple forks were put into service.

“The new ones that you have put on are way better than the last ones. They are thicker, they are better to use, and they are better on the poles.”

For an operator, that difference matters. A stronger attachment can mean more confidence during the workday, better handling of material and equipment that is better suited for the demands of the job.

The TAG Mill Yard Fork

The TAG Mill Yard Fork was built for the demanding work being done at Electric Mills Wood Preserving. The attachment featured in this project is running on a John Deere 644P purchased through Stribling Equipment, bringing together the equipment, attachment and dealer support needed to keep the mill yard moving.

Built with heavy-duty construction and designed for demanding mill yard applications, the TAG Mill Yard Fork combines strength, capacity and functionality to help operators efficiently handle poles and other material throughout the yard.

Mill Yard Fork Specifications:

• Width: 90″
• Maximum Clamp Opening: 110″
• Estimated Weight: 4,830 lbs.

For Electric Mills Operator 1, Santoine Burton, the difference in the newer TAG forks was clear once they were put to work.

“The new ones that you have put on are way better than the last ones. They are thicker, they are better to use, and they are better on the poles.”

The John Deere 644P and TAG Mill Yard Fork work together as an important part of Electric Mills’ daily operation. And behind that equipment is a relationship that extends from the jobsite to the dealer and manufacturer—Electric Mills relying on Stribling for its equipment and service, and Stribling working alongside TAG to make sure the attachment is supported long after the sale.

That partnership is a key part of the story. The Mill Yard Fork represents more than the steel and specifications. It represents TAG’s commitment to building attachments that are backed by the people who make them—and standing behind those attachments when our customers need us most.

The Jobsite: From Log Truck to Lumber Pile

At Electric Mills Wood Preserving, the work starts long before lumber reaches the sawmill. Raw, uncut lumber arrives by log truck and must be unloaded, organized and prepared for the next stage of production.

In this application, the TAG Mill Yard Fork is mounted to a John Deere 644P, where it is put to work unloading raw lumber directly from incoming log trucks. The operator uses the fork to grab and move large quantities of material, placing the lumber into organized piles where it can be staged and prepared for the sawmill.

It is a demanding application that requires an attachment capable of handling heavy material repeatedly throughout the workday. The operator needs the strength to grab and move the lumber, the capacity to handle large loads and the control to place the material where it needs to go.

For Electric Mills, the Mill Yard Fork isn’t simply moving lumber from one location to another. It is helping keep the entire operation moving—from the moment the raw material arrives at the yard to the point where it is ready to enter the sawmill.

A Partnership Built on Service

Electric Mills has been doing business with Stribling Equipment for nearly two decades. Plant Manager JL Bowman has been with the company for 18 years and says the relationship has continued to grow because of one thing above all else: service.

“Their service. If I call for a mechanic, I usually have one here the same day.”

That level of responsiveness is important when equipment is a critical part of daily operations. Downtime costs money, delays production, and creates headaches for everyone involved.

For Electric Mills, having a dealer like Stribling that responds quickly has helped establish a relationship built on trust—and that same expectation for service carried over when TAG became involved.

When the Warranty Gets Put to the Test

No attachment manufacturer wants a customer to experience a failure. But even with quality manufacturing and rigorous attention to detail, equipment operates in demanding environments, and issues can happen.

What matters is how the manufacturer responds.

Electric Mills experienced problems with a couple of mill yard grapple forks. Through TAG’s warranty process, the company worked directly with Stribling and Electric Mills to understand the problem and determine how to make it right.

Bowman described TAG’s involvement simply:

“Very helpful.”

For TAG, a warranty is more than paperwork. It is a commitment to stand behind the product and the customer who purchased it.

Response Is the Difference Maker

For Bowman, the biggest difference between TAG and other attachment manufacturers came down to one word: RESPONSE.

“I can’t get ahold of other companies, but I can get ahold of TAG.”

That response is what customer service should look like.

When a customer has a problem, they should not have to fight to find someone who will listen. They should not feel like they have been forgotten once the sale is complete.

At TAG, the goal is to make sure customers have access to the people who can help solve the problem. In this case, that meant working with Stribling, meeting with the customer, listening to their concerns, and doing what was necessary to resolve the situation.

Supporting the Dealer and the Customer

Stribling’s Product Support Manager Grant Fulton has worked with TAG for approximately 12 years. From his perspective, quality is important—but so is what happens when something needs attention.

“Quality is very important to our customers. Parts access, because stuff will wear out and break over time. And then responsiveness. If there is an issue, the response time to get it tended to and taken care of.”

That philosophy is shared by TAG.

When the grapple forks did not perform as expected initially, TAG responded by going directly to the customer.

“They responded, came and met with the customer, did everything they asked him to do and took care of them.”

That response didn’t just solve a warranty issue. It strengthened the relationship between TAG, Stribling and Electric Mills.

TAG Manufacturing. Fast. Rugged. Reliable.