Industry Roundup: VitalEdge Appoints New CEO; Deere Dealer Plans Regional HQ

Dealership management software provider VitalEdge has a new CEO at the helm: Vikram Savkar, formerly of information services company Wolters Kluwer. Savkar brings 30 years of software and information business knowledge to the new position.

Savkar held several leadership positions at Wolters Kluwer over a 12-year period, in addition to previous roles at educational publisher Pearson and academic publisher Springer Nature.

“We are thrilled to welcome Vikram, whose expertise in digital transformation aligns perfectly with VitalEdge’s vision for serving the heavy equipment industry. His leadership will be key in driving investments that enhance customer success and propel sustainable growth, setting us up for impactful, long-term value creation,” said Adam Clammer, co-founder and managing partner at True Wind, a VitalEdge investment partner.

VitalEdge merged with another dealership management software provider, CDK Global, in 2023 and was re-branded from e-Emphasys Technologies. Both providers were hit by a cyberattack earlier this year that downed management systems at equipment and auto dealerships across North America.

McCoy Construction Plans for Tennessee Headquarters

John Deere construction and forestry dealer McCoy Construction is working to bring a regional headquarters to Clarksville, Tennessee. Clarksville Now reported that around 20 acres has been rezoned by the city council for the new location, which will have about 50 employees in corporate roles and operate as a regional training center, parts warehouse and distribution center.

An agent for the proposal said $15 million out of the project budget is slated for land and improvements and an estimated $30 million will go toward inventory.

McCoy Construction currently has 25 locations in the U.S., including 4 in Tennessee.

H-E Parts Agrees to Acquisition of Brake Supply

Mining equipment aftermarket parts supplier H-E Parts, a subsidiary of Hitachi Construction Machinery, has announced it will acquire “substantially all the assets” of aftermarket components supplier Brake Supply Inc. The acquisition is expected to close next month.

The Brake Supply acquisition is expected to close next month.H-E Parts

Brake Supply specializes in key components including cylinders, final drives, differentials and transmissions for heavy duty offroad equipment.

Brake Supply operates rebuild and distribution centers in Evansville, Indiana; Casper, Wyoming; Beckley, West Virginia; and Princeton, West Virginia. The Evansville facility, which doubles as the company’s headquarters, is billed as the largest rebuild center in the world, outside of the OEM.

ACME Equipment to Open 7^th Location in 2025

The Kubota dealership wing of tool retailer Acme Tools has announced its seventh location will open in Bismarck, North Dakota, early next year. Contractor Supply reported Acme Equipment had bought the Kubota dealership rights in the area from three-store North Dakota Case IH dealer Northern Plains Equipment.

The Acme Tools location in Bismarck, North Dakota, is handling the company's Kubota business for now.Acme Tools

The Acme Tools location in the Bismarck area will serve Kubota customers until the dedicated Acme Equipment store is open.