Cat Dealer H.O. Penn Renovates Service, Parts and Retail Department

H.O. Penn, a 93-year-old construction and industrial machinery, rental and sales company, and one of the country’s oldest Caterpillar dealer, has completed the expansion and renovation of its parts and service departments as well as its retail area. The 5,000-square-foot renovated space is located on the first floor of the company’s 42,000-square-foot, two-story building in Holtsville, N.Y., on Long Island.

Stalco Construction was construction manager and Roseberry Architectural Studio was architect on the project.

In addition to Caterpillar equipment, H.O. Penn sells, rents and services Metso crushers and screeners, and Crane Carrier trucks. H.O. Penn operates six full-service facilities, including two in Holtsville; Bronx, Bloomingburg and Poughkeepsie, N.Y. in the Lower Hudson Valley; and Newington, Conn.

“The renovation has significantly improved the quality of our customers’ experience and allowed us to upgrade the point of sale area,” said H.O. Penn general parts manager Lisa Katz. “Equally important, the renovation improved the work environment for our personnel.

“Stalco accelerated the project’s construction schedule to limit disruptions to H.O. Penn’s operations,” said Stalco principal Kevin Harney. “For example, the service department was completely renovated during one weekend.”

Rosebery Architectural changed the layout of the dealership as well. “The old layout was very inefficient,” said Jack Rosebery, principal of Rosebery Architectural Studio. “It lacked a defined reception area, the retail section was hidden, and it didn’t allow for proper customer traffic control. Our design work focused on improving the functionality of the space, giving it a modern and open feel, and highlighting the firm’s affiliation with Caterpillar through branding, color and materials selection.”

Now visitors enter the retail and parts department through the company’s main reception lobby, which received a new reception desk, finishes and a stone feature wall. The new retail section is highly visible, displaying branded Caterpillar accessories, parts and toys.

A stone tile wall, nine feet high by 12 feet wide, is installed behind the reception desk and serves as a background for a prominently displayed company logo

“The construction team had to address several logistical challenges. For example, the service department, in charge of shipments, is crucial to the operations of the company and could not be shut down during regular operation hours,” said Jason Vasquez, Stalco project manager. “To accommodate H.O. Penn, Stalco performed demolition on Friday evening and completed the renovation and finishes of the entire service department on Saturday and Sunday. The department resumed its operations on Monday morning without any interruptions.”