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Pino Natale named Spartan salesman of the year

Feb. 21, 2013 – Canadian fire-truck builder Pino Natale of Dependable
Emergency Vehicles has been named Spartan Emergency Response Vehicles'
(ERV) salesperson of the year.

Natale, who is the director of emergency response vehicles at Dependable in Brampton, Ont., received the award at Spartan Motors’ annual awards banquet earlier this month. Spartan Motors is the parent company of fire-truck manufacturer Spartan ERV.

Dependable is the largest Spartan dealer in Canada, representing about two-thirds of the country. In addition to selling Spartan ERV trucks, Dependable builds custom apparatus for departments and often turns to Spartan chassis and other Spartan parts.

In 2012, Natale sold 42 Spartan units.

“Pino Natale’s attention to detail is something we have all taken notice of at Spartan ERV,” Dennis Schneider, president of Spartan Emergency Response, said in a press release.

“Pino has the ability to effectively impact multiple markets, from metro to rural, with his customer-first attitude. Individuals like Pino make it easier for our company to reach our desired audiences and provide an excellent purchase experience.”

Spartan employs about 1,700 people at its facilities in Michigan, Florida, South Dakota and Pennsylvania. Its emergency response vehicle division has three dealerships in Canada and has been manufacturing a range of ambulances and fire trucks – everything from pumpers and tankers to rescue trucks and aerials – for more than 130 years.

Dependable, meanwhile, has remained a family-operated business since its founding almost 40 years ago. The Canadian company manufactures fuel and water trucks, and designs and builds custom applications, specific to the unique needs of each department. In addition to manufacturing pumpers, rescue units, hazmat trucks and command vehicles, among others, Dependable provides full-service repairs. The company’s 30-bay repair facility provides a variety of services including bodywork and truck repairs.

“Spartan and Dependable both share common goals and drive to innovate the best products on the market,” Natale said. “In order to grow, companies need to . . . constantly improve products and services.

“Most importantly, Dependable and Spartan both build reliable and high-performance fire apparatuses – that’s what makes the two companies a great fit.”

A volunteer firefighter for the past 12 years, Natale takes his experiences in the hall and applies them to the design of trucks for his clients.

“Extensive training and constant fire-industry exposure has helped me to better understand and meet the needs of our potential and current customers,” he said in an interview.

Among his 2012 achievements, Natale sold five units to the Bruce Power nuclear generator in Tiverton, Ont.

“I’ve worked with Pino for many years and I’ve watched him go to where he worked on the shop floor to his current position,” explains Bruce Power Fire Chief Brian Cumming. “He’s very understanding and he goes to great lengths to help the customer.”

Two of the trucks that Bruce Power bought from Natale were traditional style pumpers, carrying up to six people with a 12,000 litre-per-minute pump. The other three trucks needed not only pumping capabilities, but a larger capacity for carrying water, as well.

“[Pino] provides excellent input from a design end,” Cumming added. “[Buying a truck from him] is a very good experience.”