Five Decades of Partnership and Growth: Hytrol and Cisco-Eagle
Parallel histories and commitment to excellence
Above: Hytrol President David Peacock (right) presents a 50th anniversary award to Cisco-Eagle CEO Darein Gandall (left)
On November 5th, 1970, Warren Gandall booked the first order in Cisco-Eagle history. Richard Nixon was president that day and if you pumped a gallon of gas, it set you back 36 cents. The company, Eagle Material Handling, was primarily a shelving and rack distributor with only three full-time employees. One of the fledgling company’s most important days—the day it became a Hytrol Conveyor integration partner—wouldn’t come until 1972.
Partners for five decades
Cisco-Eagle grew to its current size—over 140 employee-owners with offices in seven states and installations around the world—in partnership alongside our Hytrol partners. We developed an advanced systems integration group and became a conveyor systems solution provider for many manufacturing, distribution and commercial operations.
With Hytrol, the relationship is deeper than a typical manufacturer-distributor partnership.
“We grew up with Hytrol,” said Cisco-Eagle president Darein Gandall. “This relationship has been at the core of our company since the early 1970s, and it’s been wonderful for us. Hytrol is an invaluable partner, for many reasons above and beyond its great conveyor equipment and commitment to service. We have decades-long friendships with many Hytrol employees, and that’s something you don’t always see between partners. It’s special.”
Cisco-Eagle Employee-Owners – above, left to right: Oklahoma Sales Director Cameron Wilson, Arkansas Sales Director Rodney Freeman, President Bryan Gauger, Vice President of Sales James Murphy, President Darein Gandall
Cisco-Eagle developed its systems integration group as it grew. Many of our employee-owners in systems integration, sales, field services, marketing and other areas have trained at Hytrol’s facility in Jonesboro, Arkansas, taking advantage of Hytrol’s commitment to help its partners create better solutions and offer superior service to customers.
“We’re grateful to Hytrol,” Gandall said. “I can’t wait to see what our future holds.”
Read more:
- Conveyors: all types
- Cisco-Eagle Blog: Conveyors and Automation Articles
- Conveyor Systems: Frequently Asked Questions
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Scott Stone is Cisco-Eagle's Vice President of Marketing with more than thirty years of experience in material handling, warehousing and industrial operations. His work is published in multiple industry journals an websites on a variety of warehousing topics. He writes about automation, warehousing, safety, manufacturing and other areas of concern for industrial operations and those who operate them.