Menu

Rental Center -- Power Focus

Central Power Systems and Services focuses on air, power and light –
big and small

By Clair Urbain

Central Power front door
Central Power Systems and Services is based near Kansas City, Missouri, but has 12 locations throughout the Great Plains. From left to right, Tyson Robinett, David Brown and Ryan Chrisler. 
Doosan generator diagnosis
Unlike many other equipment dealers, Central Power remains focused on its key brands: Doosan, MTU Energy, Detroit Diesel, Liebherr and a few others,” says Robinett. “We really look for brands that complement each other, not compete against each other.”

“I think what really sets us apart is we’re not a one-stop shop. We’re not a something-for-everybody rental center. We have been focused on generators, compressors and light towers. That’s it,” says Ryan Chrisler, general sales manager of Central Power Systems and Services based in Liberty, Missouri. “We believe we do it well. Because we focus on that, we cover those types of equipment, from big to small.”

The company, founded in Wichita, Kansas, in 1954, is a leading manufacturer and distributor of products and services for the transportation, material handling, power generation, oil and gas, marine, construction, mining, agricultural, and telecommunication industries. It serves domestic and international markets with equipment, rental units and parts and service through a strategic network of sales and service centers. “We have 12 sales and service centers throughout the Midwest,” says Tyson Robinett, Power Systems general sales manager. We have two locations in Liberty, Missouri; one in Colby, Salina, Liberal, Great Bend and Wichita, Kansas; one in Oklahoma City and Woodward, Oklahoma; and facilities in Springfield, St. Louis and Joplin, Missouri,” says Robinett.

It employs more than 350 people, with more than 75 of them being in-field service technicians and nearly 200 service technicians overall. However, those technicians don’t just work in the rental operation; they are spread across engine and transmission repair, defense, remanufacturing and data-center support areas of the company.

Its customers are varied, ranging from large hog farms in western Kansas to oil fields in Oklahoma. In larger urban areas like Kansas City and St. Louis, they have many construction customers as well as data centers and government contracts.

“We have more than 140 generators, 40 compressors and about 40 light towers in our rental line,” says Chrisler.

Ryan christler, Central Power Systems and Services
“I think what really sets us apart is we’re not a one-stop shop. We’re not a something-for-everybody rental center. We have been focused on generators, compressors and light towers. That’s it,” says Ryan Chrisler, general manager.
Tyson Robinett, Central Power Systems and Services
“We’re pretty monogamous when it comes to brands,” says Tyson Robinett, new product sales manager. “We really look for brands that complement each other, not compete against each other.”
Brown, maintenance at Central Power Systems
“We go by the manufacturer recommendations, but there’s no replacement for just good solid visual inspections by an experienced technician. However, our natural gas-powered units are usually serviced more often than manufacturers recommend just because they’re a little farther out, usually on a well site and they’re prime power,” says Dave Brown, Central Power service manager.

“The rental generators are either diesel or spark-ignited to burn natural gas and range in size from 20 kW to 2 MW. The air compressors range in size from 185 to 1,600 cfm for 100 and 350 psi applications. Our portable lighting towers cover the full range up to 4,000 watts and up to 30 feet high,” says Robinett. “The rental fleet value is about $8 million.”

The organization splits its efforts between sales and rental. “We are about half and half in equipment sales and rental, says Chrisler. “With electrical power, salespeople need to be technical experts to specify the right equipment to reliably meet the customer’s needs.”

Dependability drives business
Unlike other rental fleets, the generators and compressors that Central Power puts into service are often in prime applications, running 24/7. In many instances, they are in very remote locations. “I think that also makes us unique, especially in the rental business because we have units that are running 24/7. That’s very unlike renting a skid steer or an excavator. How many hours a day are those types of equipment really going to run?” Robinett says.

To assure maximum uptime, Central Power follows manufacturer recommendations for preventive maintenance. “We go by the manufacturer recommendations, but there’s no replacement for just good solid visual inspections by an experienced technician. However, our natural gas-powered units are usually serviced more often than manufacturers recommend just because they’re a little farther out, usually on a well site and they’re prime power,” says Dave Brown, Central Power service manager.

In the ’70s, the company began assembling generator packages, using its diesel expertise to pair the correct engine with the size of generator the customer needed. “They were essentially an open gen set on a flatbed trailer. That was the sophistication of the market back then, but since then, the gen set market has changed dramatically,” says Robinett.

Today, Central Power’s generator fleet is made up of primarily Doosan Portable Power units. “We’ve been in a relationship with Doosan since 2011 and it has been a good relationship,” says Chrisler. “We looked at several possibilities and Doosan offered the best fit in products, terms and territory. They have a good product in the 20 to 450 kW range and offer very good support. It’s a very professional company.” Central Power also handles Doosan light towers and towable compressors.

For larger generators, Central Power is the area’s distributor for MTU Onsite Energy, a division of Rolls-Royce Power Systems, which supplies high-quality diesel and spark-ignited units up to 3.25 MW.

“Natural gas-powered rental units weren’t even on our radar five years ago, but with the renewed work in oil and gas, it makes great sense to use wellhead gas to supply power to the site,” says Robinett. “While the units cost more, the fuel is virtually free and that’s a big deal.”

Chrisler says there has been an uptick in interest in rental over purchasing, especially with construction contractors. “There’s the tax advantage of being able to write the unit off as an expense and when there is an issue, the renter calls us and we take care of it. The renter doesn’t necessarily need a qualified technician on staff to manage it.”

While Central Power’s trade area is focused in the Great Plains, it has a much greater reach, serving hurricane-affected areas in 2017. “We have rental units in Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico. We even sent a technician with the units that are operating in Puerto Rico. They are dependable units, but it’s part of our commitment to keep the units running,” says Chrisler.

Finding talent
Central Power’s commitment to in-field service requires finding the right type of employee. “They must be competent in diesel engine repair and understand electricity. They also must be self-starters and have good customer relations skills,” says Robinett.

To fill those positions, Central Power offers very competitive wages and an excellent benefits package. “For example, our health insurance is free for single employees. Our technicians can make a very comfortable living,” Robinett says.

Central Power takes advantage of training opportunities offered by its suppliers. “Doosan offers a four-day Power University and all of our sales people go through it. It really helps them understand how to specify the right generator for the job and helps them understand the units’ competitive features and benefits. Once they go through the training, they really know what they are talking about. Generator sales and rentals, especially in the larger units, is a very technical, consultative sale,” says Chrisler.

Central Power also relies on telematics to track unit performance in the field. “The Doosan units that are at remote locations, such as oil wells, have MasterTrak telematics so we can monitor them. It helps us see if any issues are coming up on them,” says Chrisler. “We are tracking at about a one percent downtime with these units. It’s impressive, considering the units are operating in severe conditions such as quarries, asphalt plants and other very dusty environments.”

Brown likes the MasterTrak system because it allows field technicians to monitor units in real time. “It’s simply an app on their smart phones and they can check on a unit wherever they are. If it’s a big account, we’ll assign one technician to that account to watch it full-time to assure no units go down.”

Emissions game changer
The move toward Tier 4-compliant engines has changed the game in sizing, renting and selling portable power. “Emissions control has dramatically increased the acquisition cost of equipment, and with larger generators, those over 2 MW, the after-treatment systems can double the size of the unit. While a Tier 2-compliant engine’s after-treatment components will fit easily in 40-foot ISO container, a Tier 4-compliant system might need two containers to accommodate the gen set plus after-treatment systems,” says Chrisler.

Correctly sizing mobile Tier 4 Final-compliant units is also important. “You have to size to almost 100 percent correct load. You used to be able to oversize a generator into an application with little concern, but the Tier 4 engines need to be more carefully sized. These units don’t respond well to low-load situations. The same is true with compressors,” says Chrisler.

Positioned for growth
While Central Power has a solid background in power generation and transmission, it continues to build its influence in related areas. “We have a group that works on nothing but government bids. We recently took on the Liebherr heavy equipment line because it goes well with our power and transmission expertise and we work with many of the large earth-moving contractors. It’s many of the same customers that we rent to, and now we can also offer them big equipment,” says Chrisler.

--end--

Copyright 2018 Direct Business Media. All rights reserved. Contact curbain@directbusinesmedia.com for permission to reprint or rebroadcast all or part of this article.

SPONSORED ADS