Whit and Sarah Taylor say their love of community means helping people, organizations, and causes

by | May 7, 2021

For Whit and Sarah Taylor, it was a match that played to their strengths.

She was on the number side of things, he was into people. Together they knew how to build a team and develop and evolve a business that focused on the customer. So when the outdoor power equipment company Commercial Cutting Equipment in Maryville, Tennessee, came up for sale, the couple jumped in and bought it. 

They both grew up here. Whit’s dad and uncle were original owners of the business. 

“They had built a really good foundation and a great reputation,” Whit said, “but it needed a facelift. To grow the business and take it to the next level, we knew we had to make some changes. We said this is a brand new business with a 25-year old name, so we got to work on building upon the reputation they had established.” 

 

 

 

 

First, they moved Commercial Cutting Equipment across town to a location with a splashy retail space, better visibility and more access. 

“Cool thing about it is we moved into the building that my grandfather built in 1946 for our family’s auto parts store. So, it was a homecoming and a natural fit for us.” 

Next, Whit and Sarah signaled to the community that they were going to broaden the independent dealership into a full service operation that would cater to both residential customers and professional landscapers. 

“We wanted to create an experience for all of our customers that they would get value and service they couldn’t get anywhere else.” 

Whit, who back in college had ideas of becoming a teacher, now focused on educating people on the sales, parts, and service that Commercial Cutting Equipment offers – everything from the products they carry to the way they run their service department. 

“People coming in here may be only buying a $150 handheld blower or maybe they’re buying a $15,000 mower or maybe a fleet of six of them,” Whit explains, “but I don’t care how much you’re spending, you’re going to get the same experience.” 

Whit admits that he’s not mechanical, even jokes that he’s the last person in the building you’d want to repair a piece of equipment, but he’s comfortable building relationships, working with people and solving their problems. 

“I am not looking for a quick strike on just selling you this one time. I want to be able to form a relationship with you that is mutually beneficial to where you buy equipment here, and that you are going to come to us for support on that piece of equipment for many years to come.” 

Some dealerships don’t service equipment they didn’t sell, but Commercial Cutting Equipment takes a different approach. 

“It doesn’t bother me if you bought a lawn mower somewhere else,” Whit said. “You still have a need that we can serve and we’re going to treat you the same as any customer. 

“If we’re able to serve that need repeatedly, maybe next time when it’s time for you to buy your next mower, maybe it’ll be from us. Even if it’s not, that’s okay, too.” 

Whit says he hires employees who have a servant’s heart and he’s confident that customers will get a better experience than anywhere else. 

“We are able to offer more than just equipment sales. We can support that piece of equipment from beginning to end with parts and service. Even if you go to a big box store, at some point you are going to need support whether it be parts or service and they can’t offer that.” 

 

Whit is proud to be building on the business that his father and uncle helped start, in the place where he and his wife grew up. 

“We’ve seen dramatic growth and we have plans to continue to grow,” Whit said. “I’m not talking about making money – every business needs to make money – but when I talk about growth, when I talk about success, it’s far more than simple dollars. I’m talking about growing in ways that better serves people, our employees, and better serves our community.” 

Whit says he and Sarah love their community and put a premium on helping people, organizations, and causes that they are passionate about. 

“We believe that is part of what we are called to do: support local organizations either with our time or are resources to help give back in some way. We’ve been given an opportunity to do that through the business and that’s just who we are.”