Andy Theisen refers to “windshield time” while talking about the hours
Konwinski Construction workers spend in their trucks.
Konwinski, founded in 1977 in Mt. Pleasant, performs commercial and residential construction across a six-state region. Theisen, vice president and co-owner, says Konwinski relies on commercial trucks from multiple dealerships, including Krapohl Ford & Lincoln.
The Konwinski fleet includes several F-150s and F-250s from
Krapohl Ford & Lincoln.
“We work all over the Midwest,” Theisen says, noting president Joe Fleming and vice president Ben Humphrey “are a three-man team in all we do.“
“We do most of it in Michigan, and we’ve done projects in the U.P. down to the state line,” explains Theisen. “We recently had a crew in Perrysburg, Ohio.”
It’s a busy, growing business, and each member of the work crew is assigned a white truck with the distinctive Konwinski gold and black logo on the doors.
Several businesses and organizations purchase commercial vehicles through Krapohl, says Mark Smith, co-owner of Krapohl Ford & Lincoln. Many are larger businesses, including nonprofits such as the City of Mt. Pleasant.
“It’s a full-service relationship,” Smith says of commercial vehicle clients. “We learn about what customers need to succeed, and they know they’ll get the necessary follow-up repairs and service to keep their businesses running.”
Theisen says each Konwinski employee issued a truck is tasked with ensuring the vehicle has regular oil changes and scheduled maintenance as necessary.
“They use the
Ford Pass app to keep up with maintenance,” Theisen says. “We generally will put 110,000 or more miles on the trucks.”
“We really like the towing capacity of the vehicles,” he continues. “We like the creature comforts, because we put in a lot of windshield time.”
Smith said commercial sales have been a core part of the dealership since Robert and Harold Krapohl founded it in 1950.
“My grandfather (Robert) felt it was important for local businesses to have a resource where they could buy good vehicles and have them serviced,” Smith says. “It’s just good business. And in recent years, we’ve seen an uptick in commercial sales.”
Commercial sales work for large and small businesses, Smith says. Some customers are in business for themselves. For the painter or plumber who uses plenty of tools, a Ford Transit van is often the answer. For a sales professional who is on the road every day, a smaller vehicle or an electric vehicle can work.
Larger businesses, such as Konwinski Construction, require a fleet of trucks. Ford commercial vehicles can come with business-oriented extras such as
Ford Pro telematics, a software package that allows managers to monitor vehicle location, fuel consumption, EV range and receive indicators for oil changes and other maintenance.
Krapohl also helps business owners with service packages and
FinSimple, a flexible financing tool to aid a business looking for a fleet of vehicles.
“Tax benefits are another reason to consider buying commercial vehicles,” Smith says. “And now we have a mobile service unit that can go to work sites to update software or even perform an oil change. We strive to make sure each commercial customer feels part of the Krapohl family.”
To learn more about fleet sales or commercial vehicles, call 989-317-2374.
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