During the holiday season, our thoughts turn gratefully to those who have made our success possible. It is in this spirit that we say thank you and best wishes for the holidays and New Year!
Kindly be advised that EZ STAK will be closed for the following days during the holiday season:
(Watertown, NY) – EZ STAK launched a 3D version of the Build Your Own online application earlier this week. The updated application makes it easy for customers to design an ideal interior for a walk-in van or trailer. Currently, customers can choose a vehicle size of 14’, 16’ or 20’, and can simply select from EZ STAK’s standard drawers, cabinets, closets, lockers, shelving, and counter tops, to drag and drop into the vehicle.
Customers have the ability to design the driver and passenger side and view the aisle room to ensure the right fit. Once the customer is done building their ideal layout, they have the option to save it as a pdf or submit for a quick quote.
“We are always looking for ways to make it easy for our to customers find an ideal layout for their van or trailer,” says Paul Lawrenson, EZ STAK’s director of business development. “We understand every fleet department has different equipment and layout requirements, so instead of selecting a standard package, they now have the option to design their own layout.”
EZ STAK has created this interior layout module for anyone to use. Start designing your own walk-in interior today, visit https://ezstak.com/build-your-own-interior/
For more information, contact:
Ashlie Morton | Marketing Manager | 630.994.3300
Founded in 1998, EZ STAK is an industry leader and manufacturer of vehicle interior and exterior storage systems for service utility work trucks, vans, and trailers. EZ STAK’s fleet vehicle upfitting products are used extensively by municipalities as well as large corporations in the utility, telecom, cable, oil and gas, and construction industries.
WATERTOWN, NY – July 16, 2018 – EZ STAK, an industry-leading manufacturer of commercial vehicle storage systems, is pleased to announce the release of four pre-configured van body interior packages to their product line.
EZ STAK has made these packages available through upfitter’s and OEM’s across the United States, making it easier for the end user to select an interior workspace and have it completely upfitted and ready to go at the point of sale. Eliminating the responsibility of designing and spec’ing their interior space.
With the demand for commercial vans, it has become apparent that there is a need for more standardized options for purchasers within the commercial vehicle market.
“We value how essential time is to our customers,” says Paul Lawrenson, EZ STAK’s director of business development. “We’ve paid attention to the designs most frequently requested by our customers and turned it in to four pre-configured layouts, which enables to get the finished vehicle to our customers even faster.”
EZ STAK’s pre-configured packages provide a multitude of benefits. All packages are made of 0.100 North American aluminum, which weighs 40% less than steel, so it will significantly reduce your fuel costs and increase payload. All layouts have been designed with the cost in mind, ensuring that one of these packages will fit within your budget. If one of the four pre-configured packages don’t suit your exact needs, you can build your own desired layout from a list of standard EZ STAK cabinets.
While the standard packages will provide a streamlined solution to the ordering process, EZ STAK will continue to work one-on-one to deliver any configurable solution to meet the unique needs of their customers.
If you are looking for a complete package for your van interior that is both affordable and durable, find the full details including sizing, pricing and how to order here: https://ezstak.com/van-body-interior-packages/ or download EZ STAK’s Van Body Packages Brochure.
For more information, contact: Calvin Lawrenson | 630-994-3300 x 214 | calvin.lawrenson@ezstak.com
Founded in 1998, EZ STAK is an industry leader and manufacturer of vehicle interior storage systems for service utility work trucks, vans, and trailers. EZ STAK’s fleet vehicle upfitting products are used extensively by municipalities as well as large corporations in the utility, telecom, cable, oil and gas, and construction industries.
WATERTOWN, NY June 1, 2018 – EZ STAK, an industry leader and manufacturer of modular interior storage systems for work trucks, service bodies, vans, trailers, and law enforcement vehicles is pleased to announce the official opening of their new facility in Watertown, Jefferson County, New York.
EZ STAK’s new 14,660-square-foot space houses its US manufacturing operations, assembly of products, powder-coating, and upfitting turnkey trailers. EZ STAK currently has eight employees in the new facility but plans to hire up to 30 as they continue to grow.
“We are very excited to announce the opening of our second location in the United States” says Mike Lawrenson, EZ STAK’s president and CEO. “The decision to expand to Watertown, NY was a strategic move that enhances our ability to serve our customers, improve our logistics, and strengthen our growth as a leading manufacturer of vehicle storage systems.”
EZ STAK, headquartered in Kingston, ON Canada, now has two locations in the United States. A sales office in Schaumburg, Illinois, and now a facility in Watertown, New York. “EZ STAK opened its first US based facility in Schaumburg, Illinois. says Mike Lawrenson, EZ STAK’s president and CEO. “This was a great starting position as it is a central location. However, moving the facility to Watertown is a great advantage for overseeing operations, management, and to deliver quality and value to our customers. Even though we moved the facility, the sales office in Schaumburg will remain open.”
EZ STAK is accepting applications for the Watertown facility. All applicants are invited to send their resume to jobs@ezstak.com.
Founded in 1998, EZ STAK is an industry leader and manufacturer of vehicle interior storage systems for service utility work trucks and vans. Its durable, secure and lightweight aluminum storage drawers, cabinets, hardware and shelving units create organized, efficient and secure mobile work environments. EZ STAK’s fleet vehicle upfitting products are used extensively by municipalities as well as large corporations in the utility, telecom, cable, oil and gas, and construction industries. Please visit www.ezstak.com to learn how EZ STAK can help with your next vehicle upfit.
When it comes time for a utility company to replace a mobile support trailer, there are two options.
The challenge with option one is caused by having multiple upfitters install separate components, as they might not work together seamlessly, and if issues arise, each upfitter may point at the other as the culprit. With option two, however, those problems don’t come into play because there is only one upfitter working on the project.
Surprisingly, there are only a handful of ‘one-stop-shop’ trailer upfitters out there, and EZ STAK is one of them.
One of the reasons why EZ STAK has been so successful in this niche market is due to the company’s consultative process, says Paul Lawrenson, EZ STAK’s director of business development. “Fleet managers usually know they need a trailer, but there are a lot of moving parts to the process,” he says. “So when the opportunity arises, we roll up our sleeves and get in there. We take the time to understand what the trailer is going to be used for, who’s going to use it and what it’s going to be carrying. We think about weight and power capacities as well as tool requirements. We also consider what kind of vehicle is going to be towing it and what kind of climate it’s going to be working in. We put a lot of thought into ergonomics and safety.”
In the summer of 2016, K-Line was ready to convert their 22-foot trailer into a mobile workshop, but they ran head-on into one a familiar problem: trying to buy components from different suppliers and make them fit seamlessly together inside a single trailer.
“They were going to try to piece together their own trailer with toolboxes, shelves, a workbench, cabinets, from one of these industrial catalogues,” says Lawrenson. “And when I met with them, they were getting frustrated and didn’t know how they were going to lay it out.” So, I offered to take the dimensions of the trailer, along with all of the users’ input, and come back with a three-dimensional concept of his recommendations.
And what he came back with was a concept of a trailer with fully-insulated and polyurethaned walls and ceilings, an electrical panel and shore power capabilities, and a long maple workbench where K-Line could mount a drill press and a vice. It also had drawer units, overhead cabinets, closets with perforated doors and even a whiteboard in the office area near the front.
According to K-Line’s fleet manager, K. Wetzel, they really liked what they saw. “So I said, ‘Look, we don’t want to just provide the design and the cabinets, we want to do the job, too,’” says Lawrenson. “‘We want to take delivery of the trailer, do the work, and send it back to you ready to put to work in exactly the way you need it.’ And they thought that was a good idea.”
But first, Lawrenson reviewed K-Line’s needs again with Wetzel and the various user groups at K-Line to ensure they’d all be happy with the final trailer. They came back with a few minor tweaks that included the addition of a couple of doors and a change to the depth of the drawers to accommodate all of their tools. They also added racks in the back to secure tanks, fuel cans and a generator.
With the final design in hand, the EZ STAK crew got to work at the company’s facility on the outskirts of Kingston, ON. As with all of their projects, they used EZ STAK’s own standardized products, including cabinets and drawers made of lightweight and high-grade aluminum. These drawers also come with heavy-duty ball bearing drawer slides and the company’s EZ Latch mechanism, which allows technicians to easily open a drawer with one hand.
Ten days later, the trailer was ready for delivery to K-Line. Wetzel and his team could not have been happier with the final result.
In a written statement, Wetzel said, “We weren’t sure how we would design the layout of our mobile work trailer, but EZ STAK helped us lay out and utilize every inch of space. We were amazed and ultimately very pleased with the quality and workmanship of their modular interior storage solutions. Would we recommend EZ STAK? Absolutely.”
It was a successful project for a number of different reasons, says Lawrenson. “We worked well with the customer and were adaptable, especially with a user-supplied trailer — which always means you have to be a little bit nimbler than if we were to supply the trailer. It also showed that we can hit tight deadlines. Ten days is pretty quick, but we had a lot of the components ready to go ahead of time, so it wasn’t too much of an issue.”
Finding time to get the job done efficiently is a never-ending battle. History has been inundated with cookie-cutter solutions to problems that are not “one size fits all”. As the world continues to enhance, so do the specific needs of your day-to-day work tasks.
The need for unique designs is becoming more prevalent in all aspects of life and business. Consider your cell phone, once a small screened device used for making phone calls is now a multi-faceted mini computer ready to follow your every demand.
The key to success lies in the ability to make your work day as efficient as possible. To ensure your next vehicle upfit is ready for the job, consider the following:
1. What are your Current Challenges?
What are the challenges you are facing with your fleet? Be sure to obtain feedback from your end users, drivers and field technicians. Whatever challenges the team is facing, make a list of improvements you would like include in your “ideal” mobile workspace. Some challenges to think about:
2. Is your upfit partner known in your industry?
There are many manufacturers and upfitters to choose from, so how do you select the right one? Based on the challenges you listed above, research and select your top three potential partners for further consideration. Before moving forward ask yourself:
If you uncover that the potential upfitters you chose are not a good fit, go back to the drawing board. Find a partner that will work one-on-one with you to develop a configurable storage solution that suits how your team works in the field – nothing less.
3. Configuration is Key
What’s important to remember is that no two fleets are exactly alike and each vehicle is suppose to fit the end-users day-to-day job. Configuring a design that is based on the work-flow of your end users will make a big difference in terms of efficiency and productivity. To properly configure your layout consider the following:
You may have one, or a multitude of challenges that can be solved through a custom-designed interior workspace. From size, to layout, to special features – configuration is key and there are partners out there who will deliver the right solution for your fleet.
EZ STAK provides aluminum interiors and turnkey solutions for any vehicle in the utility, construction, oil & gas, and communication industries. Whether you are looking for a full electrical installation, interior cabinets, or a custom service body drawer, our design team will work with you to make sure your needs are being addressed down to every inch and dollar.
Call Paul Lawrenson at 630-944-3300 x207 or send us an email to get started.
Depending on the size of your fleet, it can cost tens of thousands of dollars to upfit your trucks, trailers or vans with storage units and interiors. You need to know that your upfit will suit exactly how your team works in the field. So how do you do that? Plan properly.
1. Know What You Need
The first step in planning for an upfit is identifying how and where your vehicles will be used.
“Think about weight requirements, equipment requirements, electrical and power needs, and the space and size of the vehicle,” says Paul Lawrenson, EZ STAK’s Director of Business Development. “If it’s going to be used in rural Illinois versus downtown New York, well then you have more space to work with.”
Then it’s a good idea to meet with the people in the company who will actually use the vehicles. Since some may use those vehicles every day, those user groups will likely have the best idea of what’s needed. Plus, with that initial buy-in the likelihood of later displeasure is greatly reduced.
2. Find Your Upfitter
Though there are relatively few companies out there specializing in vehicle upfits, no two are exactly the same. And some will be more attuned to your needs than others.
“When you’re looking for an upfitter, what’s important is the stability of the company,” says Lawrenson. “Have they been around for a while? Have they done projects like yours? You want to make sure their business is sustainable and that they can handle large projects.”
Some can’t even handle the financial side, adds Lawrenson. Find out if that’s true with the upfitters you’re considering by speaking with their past customers. They should also be able to tell you about the quality of the products, warranties and service, and how the upfitter handled customization requirements and timeframes.
3. Stay in Touch
If you’ve done your homework and found a capable company that’s designed an upfit that works for you, you should be good to go. But remember that the process from initial contact with an upfitter to fleet delivery is a long one. A year in some cases. Stay in touch to make sure you get exactly what you want.
Even after you’ve signed off on a design, it’s a good idea to make sure timelines are being met and that you get answers to new questions or ones not previously addressed.
Remember, too, that needs can change in a year. You may be able to make tweaks to a design in the early stages of the manufacturing process. Having open lines of communication makes this easier.
EZ STAK may just be the upfitter that works for you. Visit ezstak.com or call us at 630-994-3300 to find out how we make upfitting your next vehicle EZ.
(Schaumburg, IL – October 19, 2017)
EZ STAK customers have always told us that they believe our products are the highest quality on the market. Now we are backing that up with lifetime warranties on most newly purchased products.
That means that when a customer makes a purchase, they can be assured that if they remain the original owner, EZ STAK will fix or replace the product for free if it ever becomes defective due to materials, workmanship or manufacturing. In short, as long they own the EZ STAK product, it is covered by our warranty.
“We’ve always talked about the fact that the quality of our products can’t be beat, but customers want proof, not just talk,” says Mike Lawrenson, EZ STAK’s president and CEO. “The lifetime warranty is just that. Our customers now know that we’ll stand behind our products for life.”
While the lifetime warranty will be particularly appealing to new customers, it will also be welcomed by those who know EZ STAK’s products well, says Paul Lawrenson, the company’s director of business development.
“Based on our customer surveys, we know our customers choose to return to us because they believe our storage solutions are best in class and stand the test of time. Now we’re backing up that level of confidence with the lifetime warranty.”
For the full details of the lifetime warranty, including what’s covered, what’s not and how to make a claim, click here: Full details of the new limited lifetime warranty.
Download the PDF version:
For more info, contact:
Andrew Kole, Controller
EZ STAK INC.
550 Albion Avenue,
Schaumburg IL 60193
630.994.3300
Andrew@ezstak.com
Media Inquiries:
Lisa Miller, Marketing Manager
EZ STAK INC.
550 Albion Avenue,
Schaumburg IL 60193
630.994.3300
lisa@ezstak.com
About EZ STAK
Aid agencies are working around the clock on the Gulf Coast right now, and they need our help more than ever. In Houston alone, over 180,000 homes have been badly damaged, and almost 5,000 people are still in emergency shelters. EZ STAK is supporting, through monetary donations, Rapid Relief Team USA so that essential supplies could be delivered to the victims of Hurricane Harvey who need them most. We encourage you to do the same.
The Rapid Relief Team is an international organization that works with teams of volunteers to deliver aid during natural disasters and other life crises. In hardest hit areas, they’ve been distributing thousands of refreshment pails filled with much-need supplies like water, snacks and soap.
To support their efforts, visit myevent.com/rapidreliefteam.
The EZ STAK team will make its return to the International Construction and Utility Equipment Exposition (ICUEE) in Louisville, Kentucky and we have 3 reasons for you to stop by and see us at BOOTH 2839.
Set for October 3 – 5, ICUEE is the premiere tradeshow for the utility industry in the United States. Held every two years, it’s where utility professionals go to learn about the latest and greatest technologies, innovations and trends affecting their industry.
Let us show you how to make your fleet work-ready. On October 3rd and 4th at 10am, we’ll offer tours of one of our work-ready trailers. These turnkey mobile workspaces are designed to suit exactly how your utility team works in the field. So whatever your storage needs are, or if you need a workbench, HVAC or even a power supply, we’ve got you covered.
We’ll also have one of our lightweight aluminum underbody drawer units onsite for you to check out. Designed for walk-in and van interiors, these drawers provide ample storage on the exterior of your vehicle while protecting your equipment from the elements. And like all of our products, these have, on average, a 12-year life expectancy.
You need a service body drawer system. These stacked drawers are uniquely designed to fit any service body. Plus, we make them with aluminum or galvanized steel and heavy-duty ball-bearing drawer slides, meaning they’re tough and durable enough to organize all of your parts and tools.