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E A S T C O A S T E Q U I P M E N T E M P L O Y E E N E W SWINTER 2011-2012

A message from Bryan Dobson, President

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Our East Coast Equipment family shared in many wonderful family and personal experiences as we became Moms and Dads, Grandpas and Grand-mas, celebrated anniversaries, enjoyed our kids sports, school, and church activities, and many exciting events. We also shared each other’s pain as we experienced the aftermath of our summer hurricane, family sickness, and the loss of several friends and co-workers. Our business thrived in 2011 as we grew sales in all three departments. Over 20 community events were hosted and participated in. Our family grew to 229 employees. An addition to the Sunbury parts department storage area was completed along with the wash pit in Washington. We are well on our way in Chesapeake with construction of our new building and we are excited about having a grand opening there in the early spring.

Our newest brand, STIHL, is grow-ing nicely with exciting sales growth spread throughout the stores that carry it. Our new safety program has been embraced by all with enthusi-asm and the focus on safety is one we should all feel proud of. On a personal level, our family at our 13 East Coast Equipment locations is something I am truly thankful for. With Christmas and New Year’s upon us, it is a great time to express a thank you for everyone’s dedication and hard work, and last but not least, friend-ships. Without our East Coast team of employees, we are an empty shell. Your desire to care for our customers and support of each other is what truly makes East Coast Equipment a special company, and for that we are blessed.

December Gary McIntyre 2 KinstonErvin Harper 5 Winterville Bobby Andrews 6 Nashville Bryant Dilda 6 Winterville Tracey Bailey 8 Nashville Brian Hill 8 Wilson Leslie Spencer 8 Fairfield Johnny Page 10 Wilson Ricky Berry 12 Fairfield Brent Layton 12 Sunbury Anthony Jackson 14 EdentonDammion Beachboard 18 Sunbury Charles Haddock 18 Washington George Hill 18 Kinston Vicky Sawyer 20 Edenton Cliff Warren 23 New Bern Phil Webb 23 Wilson Daniel Bradberry 24 New Bern Henry Little 26 WintervilleJoe McLawhorn 26 Winterville Lee Futrell 28 Sunbury Mark Fullerton 30 Washington Wanda Berry 31 Fairfield JanuaryHenry Byrd 5 Smithfield Dempsey Calhoun 5 Nashville John Parker 9 ChesapeakeElizabeth Farley 9 Chesapeake Al Murray 11 Smithfield Wright Stallings 13 Wilson Mark Montgomery 17 Edenton Donald Whitley 18 Kinston Ronnie Jones 21 Kinston Joseph Cox 23 Smithfield Christian Torrence 23 Scotland Neck Brett Rabey 26 Chesapeake Don White 28 Washington John Turner 30 Wilson Troy Hodges 31 Fairfield Leroy Payne 31 Fairfield FebruaryMike Evans 1 Sunbury Brandon Layden 2 Hertford George Phillips 4 Edenton Tammy Langston 6 Smithfield Danny Langston 7 Smithfield Mark Harris 8 Fairfield Brandon Perry 8 Hertford Richard Scott 12 New Bern Pamela Mann 13 Fairfield Lenny Waters 17 Washington G. A. Keeter 19 Edenton J.W. Tomlinson 20 FairfieldTim Fox 21 Hertford Curt Ownley 21 Sunbury Matt Floyd 25 EdentonFaustino Martinez 26 Scotland Neck Tony Nobles 27 Scotland Neck

HappyBirthday!

Merry Christmas &

Happy New Year

“The New Year is upon us and as we look back over the past year we have many things to be thankful for.”

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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1 Edenton 506 East Church St | Edenton, NC 27932 STIHL® 2 Hertford 1591 Ocean Hwy N | Hertford, NC 27944 STIHL® 3 Sunbury 1450 Hwy 158 E | Sunbury, NC 27979 5 Chesapeake 1000 Great Bridge Blvd | Chesapeake, VA 23320 STIHL® 6 Fairfield 9360 Piney Woods Rd | Fairfield, NC 27826 7 Scotland Neck 7232 Hwy 258 S | Scotland Neck, NC 27874 8 Smithfield PO Box 1405 | Smithfield, NC 27577 STIHL®

East Coast HappeningsIf you missed it, here’s the scoop

WINTER 2011-2012

9 Winterville 2112 Central Park Dr | Winterville, NC 28590 STIHL®10 Kinston 1291 Hwy 258 N | Kinston, NC 28504 STIHL®11 New Bern 508 Hwy 70 E | New Bern, NC 28563 STIHL®12 Wilson 1718 Hwy 301 S | Wilson, NC 27895 13 Old Ford 7145 NC 17 Hwy N | Washington, NC 27889 STIHL®14 Nashville 2612 Eastern Ave | Rocky Mount, NC 27804 STIHL®

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LANDSCAPE SOLUTIONS WORKSHOPOn October 21, East Coast Equipment and John Deere Landscapes co-operatively hosted an event at the Winterville location for commercial landscapers. Attendees built a Belgard Hardscapes retaining wall, earned pesticide and irrigation credits and learned about product lines includ-ing Stihl and John Deere. Congratulations to Jason Garner for making this event a successful one and thank you to everyone at East Coast that helped plan and staff the event.

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CHRISTMAS CORRALBottom photo: Every year, the staff in the Chesapeake location dedicate their time and talents in setting up this beautiful toy display. Great job!

Congrats to Garry Jordan, Carroll Skinner (not pictured), and Josh White for earning the best overall display at the 36th Annual Edenton Peanut Festival Parade on October 8, 2011.

Edenton Peanut FestSUFFOLK, VA PEANUT FESTIVALLeft photos: The Suffolk Peanut Festival was a smash hit with 125,000 visitors over four days. The event was held October 6-9 this year and the staff from the Chesapeake store from all areas including parts, admin, service and sales, took turns representing East Coast Equipment through-out the event. Nearly $4,500 in merchandise was sold. The team-work displayed in executing the event was second to none!

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BACK AT THE RANCHCelebrating family, friends and achievements

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Peyton Lott in Dad's plane (C130) watching another one fly by at the MacDill Air Fest in Tampa, FL. Peyton is Jerry Peele’s grandson (Edenton Parts Manager). Salute to the Armed Forces!

After many years of service Tom Green has been awarded his own personal parking space!-Compliments of his Scotland Neck co-workers

“You Ol’ Goat”

Stone Sawyer, son of Vicky Sawyer (Wholegoods Inventory Manager in Edenton) was promoted in October to Cadet Staff Sergeant in the Civil Air Patrol, Wild Eagle Squadrant NC805 of Elizabeth City. The Mayor of Elizabeth City presented the Wild Eagle Squadron with the Mayor’s Meritorious Commendation at a recent ceremony held at the Elizabeth City Armory. Stone plans to join the Military after graduation. “Semper Vigilans”

Shelby Dilda, daughter of Bryant Dilda (Winterville Parts Manger) competed at the SPF South Carolina State Powerlifting Championships. Shelby is 10 years old, squatted 150 pounds, benched 60 and deadlifted 150 pounds.

Brian Croom (Kinston Parts) and wife Amanda enjoyed some better weather during a week-long Carnival cruise to the Keys and Bahamas in October.

East Coast Equipment Customer Appreciation Events Monday, January 23, Lunch Hertford Shop

Monday, January 23, Evening Edenton Shop

Tuesday, January 24, Lunch New Bern Shop

Tuesday, January 24, Evening Kinston Shop

Monday, February 6, Lunch Winterville Shop

Monday, February 6, Evening Washington Shop

Familiar FacesMilestone Anniversaries, January 1 - March 31, 2012

Joining the Team

Herb Davis, Sr. 35 yearsFairfield Service

Al O’Neal35 yearsFairfield Parts

Leroy Payne35 yearsFairfield Service

Bryant Dilda20 yearsWinterville Parts Mgr

Charles HarperWilson Service Manager

Andrew BerryFairfieldParts

Marcus TaylorKinstonService Tech

Aaron WilkinsWashingtonService Tech

Matt FloydEdentonParts

Years of ServiceNew Employees since August 9, 2011

James Rouson10 yearsEdenton Service Mgr

Rickie Armstrong10 years, Scotland Neck Truck Driver

Herb Sasser10 years Winterville Turf Sales

Jay Brinn, 5 years Winterville, Southern Ag Sales Manager

Mark Harris5 yearsFairfield, CSR

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Celebrating 35 Years

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Congrats to those

this Quarter!

Sending out a Warm Welcome!

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Upcoming EventsAnnual Employee Dinner Thursday, January 12, 4 p.m. Bob Martin Ag Center, Williamston

Equipment Clinics January 12 - 13 Bob Martin Ag Center, Williamston

Southern Farm Show February 1 - 3 NC State Fairgrounds, Raleigh, NCwww.southernshows.com/sfs/

Wednesday, February 8, Lunch Smithfield Shop

Wednesday, February 8, Evening Wilson Shop

Thursday, February 9, Lunch Scotland Neck Shop

Thursday, February 9, Evening Nashville Shop

Friday, February 10, Lunch Fairfield Shop

Jason LowersWashingtonService Tech

Gary McIntyreKinstonService

Gary Allsbrook Scotland Neck Service Manager

Danny Waters Kinston Service Manager

Congrats to Matt Moore for his promotion to Parts Manager in Nashville! A big thank you to Ray

Jernigan for his eight years in parts in Edenton. He will retire as a full time employee the end of 2011.

I’m outta here!

Lee Brinson35 Years Wilson Ag Sales

Makaila Skyy Lucas (above)James Lucas (Wilson Aftermarket VP) welcomed his first grandchild, Makaila Skyy Lucas on Sunday, De-cember 18th at 11:40 a.m. Makaila weighed 4 lbs, 6 oz.

Keiran Fox O’Bryan (above)Asheera O’Bryan (Accounts Receivable in Winterville) and husband Patrick welcomed Keiran Fox O’Bryan on December 11. She weighed in at 8 lbs, 3 oz and measured 20 inches long.

Cooper Pendleton (Mandy Pendleton, HR Manager in Scotland Neck) is getting ready for his first Christmas. He will be turn one year on December 29.

‘Tis The Season

Taylor Ann Boyd (below)Josh Boyd (Old Ford Service Technician) and his wife Tanya welcomed their baby girl at 12:25 a.m. on Nov 1. Taylor Ann Boyd weighed 7 lbs, 3 oz and measured 19 inches long.

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Nolan Cade Smith (below)Nolan Cade Smith was born on No-vember 7, 2011 at a whopping 10lbs and 4.4 oz. Congrats to parents Cade (Fairfield Parts) and Kelly!

Stork Report

Keith Byrd (Service Road Tech Smithfield) and wife Star Byrd welcomed Rachel Hannah Byrd on August 30. Rachel was 19 inches long and weighed 6 lbs, 6 oz.

Congratulations to all the new and expecting parents at East Coast Equipment!

Expecting ParentsMaggie McCall (Adv & Promo Man-ager in Winterville) and husband Scott are expecting their first child on May 10. It’s a girl!

Avery and Piper Hale (not pictured) Chris Hale (Scotland Neck Parts) is the proud Grandpa of twin girls! Avery and Piper Hale were born December 5, to proud parents Michelle and Robert. At 30 weeks we are happy to report they weighed in at just over 3 lbs each and are doing well!

Zach’s Toy Chest Above and below: Donnie Leggett (Washington Turf Sales) helped organize Zach’s Toy Chest Motorcycle ride in Washington this fall to raise money for children at Duke and Pitt Memorial hospitals. Over $1,500 was collected.

Rachel Hannah Byrd (above)

Success Stories: SAFE AT WORK

There’s No Better Time Than RIGHT NOW

As we venture into a new year, let safety be top of mind.

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On January 1, 2012, East Coast Equip-ment’s safety department will kick off a brand new program to encourage the use of safeguards at work. It is the goal of East Coast Equipment to provide a safe workplace for its employees. That’s why we are ready to offer a reward for avoid-ing unnesseccary injuries at work.

For every three consecutive months your store does not have an injury, a pizza or sub

sandwich lunch will be provided for everyone at that location.

G O A L : Z E R O I N J U R I E S

We all know that the shop is the most dangerous area of our work environ-ment. There are currently several safe-guards and guidelines put in place to prevent injury. However, most preven-tative measures are made by making good decisions every day. Remember, safety is a goal in all depart-ments, not just service. So keep a con-cern for safety in your day-to-day work. If you see something unsafe, take the initiative to report it or fix it yourself, if possible. Our goal of zero injuries weighs on all of our shoulders and with teamwork, we can meet it!

Edenton Break Room - After

Ivy:

Lenny:

Ivy:

I just want to let you know our break room is finally getting cleaned! We have taken out the nasty stove, bleached the floors, taken out two cabinets, cleaned the tables and the refrigerator, rearranged a little and I thought I just needed to share this info with you!!

Ms. Ivy I am so proud of you and everyone in Edenton. Keep up the great work and thanks again for the great job ya’ll are doing.

I cant believe how much we have thrown away (like three trash cans full). We found dead mice inside cabinets, GROSS! I even washed the door. Also, it needs to be painted, then we will be in business!

The original state of Edenton’s breakroom probably sounds pretty familiar when you start to take a closer look at your own location. Think of all the un-safe situations you can correct right in your own location. Imagine how much better it will feel to arrive in your newly-cleaned workspace every morning. Small changes made everyday to improve your working conditions make a big difference. Take it upon yourself to make these changes and watch as your co-workers follow your lead to start transforming your space.

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Wishing you a Safe Holiday

A few safety tips to keep in mind:

• Don’t drink and drive. Always appoint a Designated Driver for your holiday parties.

• Check first. Make sure the elec-trical cords for your decorations have good electrical plugs and power strips in place.

• Avoid tripping hazards. Do not run electrical cords across doorways, under carpets or mats.

• Don’t overload. NO excessive use of extension or other cords from outlets.

• Unplug. All non-essential electri-cal appliances turned off at night (coffee pots). Let Santa get his own coffee.

• Be careful with lighted candles. Make sure they are completely extinguished before leaving unat-tended.

• Watch the tree! If using a live Christmas tree, keep a good watch on water use and the dry-ness of the tree (a dried out tree burns in seconds like gasoline).

Believe it or not the holiday season is once again upon us. A time to rejoice and enjoy long awaited family time. Let’s all make sure we do our very best to keep Christmas and the New Year as accident free as we can.

Last but not least...enjoy your time with family and friends. Keep the spirit in your hearts and exit 2011 on a very healthy and safe note.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL- Lenny Waters, Safety Director

Success Stories: SAFE AT WORK

Washington Shop This face lift added lines

I think every shop fights housekeeping

That’s the truth when it comes to any service environment. There are always several jobs going on at the same time and a hustle of men and women working hard to complete them. But when Mark Fullerton made that statement, he didn’t use it as an excuse. To battle the never-ending shop clean-up, he and his service techs have devised a solution. In November, the Washington shop pulled together to completely empty, powerwash and equip the service bays with yellow painted lines. The lines act as a way of dividing the shop into work areas and helps minimize the accountability blur that typi-cally takes place in an unorganized shop. “We’ve made a gentlemen’s agreement to clean the bay you’re working in, which closes the responsibility gap,” said Mark. What’s more, this plan not only prevents clutter, but also helps maintain safety in several other ways. For example, if the shop became dark from a power outage or smoky from a fire, the lines act as a map, leading people to the nearest exit.

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For the Love of Green No, it’s not a 14th East Coast Equip-ment. Although it looks like a fully stocked showroom, Connie Davenport’s living room only holds about a quarter of her John Deere collection. Since Connie’s first day at Farmville Tractor on October 3, 1995, she’s been a John Deere fiend for green. She started out as the Administrative Assistant and part of her responsibilities included ordering and selling toys and apparel. Needless to say, she was hooked. This year marks Connie’s 16th an-niversary with East Coast Equipment. In 2001, she moved to Winterville, which became Greenville Turf and Tractor. In 2008, she acquired the Accounts Pay-able role with East Coast Equipment. Connie’s role at East Coast Equip-ment is definitely a big one. From paying the bills to juggling 88 credit card state-ments and 127 fuel cards, she plays a major role in assuring financial accuracy throughout the company. Now, let’s go back to where Connie came from. Connie grew up in the Bells Fork area south of Greenville and graduated

You’ve known Connie for years. But did you know...

This modified planter has four additional outer rows, which stack on top of the middle four for “transport.” This particular model was Connie’s invention.

A rare John Deere NasCar racing car. John Deere made motorsports merchandise only for a few years in the mid-nineties. Chris Little drove the #23 Pontiac Grand Prix for John Deere Motorsports.

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Joseph Ertl is the founder and owner of Ertl toys. Connie received this signed tractor toy box at a national Parts Expo soon after she started working for Farmville Tractor.

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The Davenport family is one that has a lot of history in Win-terville. Davenport Farm Road, which runs along the southern side of the Winterville Shop was named after Maggie Whitehurst Dav-enport and Dolphus Clayton Davenport, Jack’s grandparents. The middle right photo was taken in the early 1900’s, soon after the homestead was founded by Maggie and Dolphus. Jack’s nephew Doug has fully restored the Davenport house (bottom right photo), and is surrounded by family members who have built homes on the original Davenport homestead. Jack and Connie live only a few miles from the original farm. They enjoy spending time with family, including Jack’s two sons,

from D H Conley High School in 1977. She grew up with a house full of siblings - two brothers and two sisters. A third sister died at the age of six in an accident. After graduation, Connie stayed in the Greenville/Winterville area and opened a day care in Winterville. She did that for several years before taking a job at Sunshine Gardens where she became an expert in Eastern North Carolina horticulture and landscaping. After taking her role at Farmville Tractor and moving to Win-terville, she met someone very special in her life. Jack Davenport and his dog Bubba would often visit the store to purchase green John Deere paint. “I would give Bubba treats when he came in and it impressed Jack that I would care for his dog,” said Connie. Connie and Jack began a great friendship. When Connie found out that Jack didn’t even own a John Deere for all the green paint he bought, it sealed the deal. Connie and Jack were married on January 26, 2008. “He says all the paint sitting in his shop was worth it. And it is.”

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Dolphus Clayton Davenport and Maggie Whitehurst Davenport.

Connie Davenport continued...

Todd and Jack Jr., granddaughter Layla (6), Connie’s nephew CJ and his two boys Christopher (4) and Jesse (3). CJ is like a son to Connie so naturally, Christopher and Jesse are spoiled as equally as grandsons possibly could be. Connie says her experience working at East Coast Equip-ment has been a great journey and she looks forward to all the years to come. “I’ve met so many wonderful people. Good gracious, we’ve had some good times!”