Grateful Dead fan loves truckin`

VOLUME 29, NUMBER 21
WWW.RBJDAILY.COM
AUGUST 16, 2013
PROFILE
Grateful Dead fan loves truckin’
Photo by Kimberly McKinzie
DeCarolis Truck
Rental president
Michael Margarone
sees growth ahead
for longtime firm
By VELVET SPICER
D
ozens of model tractor-trailers line
the walls of Michael Margarone’s office, interspersed with family photos
and company plaques and awards, giving
visitors a glimpse into the psyche of
DeCarolis Truck Rental Inc.’s president.
He loves his job.
“I enjoy the industry, but more importantly I enjoy the company,” Margarone
says. “Every day is different, and it is fun
to come to work and continue to grow the
business.”
Margarone declined to be specific about
revenues but said the company annually
posts 8 to 10 percent growth. DeCarolis
has some 150 employees at seven locations
in Western New York, including roughly
50 in Rochester. It also has a nationwide
affiliation with NationaLease, a buying
group made up of more than 165 independent businesses and 600 service locations
throughout the United States and Canada.
DeCarolis specializes in full-service
lease, rental and maintenance of trucks,
tractors and trailers as well as student
transportation. The company operates and
maintains some 2,000 vehicles and has a
heavy-duty parts division to supply fleets
Reprinted with permission of the Rochester Business Journal.
with truck and trailer parts.
While DeCarolis competes with national companies such as Ryder System Inc.
and Penske Truck Leasing, each with more
than 200,000 vehicles nationwide, Margarone says the company continues to grow
because of its personalized service and its
employees.
“I think people like dealing with a local
company and local ownership … not being
a public company run by shareholders,” he
says. “I think the big advantage we offer
against the nationals is flexibility to our
customers and being able to turn on a
dime.”
As one of just a handful of family-owned,
Tragedy struck f ive years later when worked at a hardware store in his homelocal truck leasing companies in a highly Louis was killed in a plane crash. His town, Endicott in Broome County. The job
competitive market, Margarone says, brother came out of the shop to assume the gave him insight on customer service and
DeCarolis is here to stay and has no inten- presidency, continuing his father’s and building relationships with customers.
tion of being gobbled up by its national brother’s progressive thinking and deter“Also, (it) being a small, privately owned
competitors.
mination to become a leader in transporta- store, I could see the challenges and re“I’m not going to say they haven’t called tion services.
wards an owner deals with, having the reand they don’t look at a company like us,
In 1968 DeCarolis began to phase out sponsibility of running a business,” he says.
because they do. But our owner, I can clear- much of the sales and outside service busiEthics and leadership
ly say, it’s his life,” Margarone says of ness of his company to concentrate excluWhile he learned a lot from that experiChairman Paul DeCarolis. “He enjoys the sively on the rental and full-service leasing
ence, his work ethic was handed down from
business. He’s here every day.”
side.
DeCarolis says he serves as a mentor to
“From the beginning, Louis DeCarolis his father, Margarone says.
“He is the most honest, hardworking man
the different departments within the com- Sr. knew that the only way he could suppany and adds that as long as he is healthy port his customers’ needs was by expanding I know. He has character and is committed
and can be an asset to his business, he in- DeCarolis Truck Rental’s multidimension- to integrity,” he says. “That gave me the
tends to keep working.
al image with a wide range of products and proper foundation to strive to always do the
“I work half days,” DeCarolis says with services,” Margarone explains. “Truck right thing.”
Glen Moorhouse, lease
a snicker. “It’s either the
“Truck leasing, once the domain of giant companies,
account manager and onefirst 12 or the second 12.”
DeCarolis’ son Louis has become big business for a host of small, regional firms.” time DeCarolis customer,
says Margarone enjoys his
has worked for the company some 30 years, while his son John leasing, once the domain of giant compa- job and works hard at striking a balance
came on board recently. Both sons work less nies, has become big business for a host of between working hard and having fun doing it.
on the corporate side and more on the tech- small, regional firms.”
“You’ll find Mike in a suit and tie one
nology end of the business, DeCarolis says.
In recent years, he adds, changes in the
DeCarolis Truck Rental was founded industry have spurred the decision to drop hour and then he’ll be in a truck, taking it
some 75 years ago when Louis DeCarolis internal fleets of trucks in favor of leasing from point A to point B,” he says with a
Sr. bought a truck and used it to transport from national and local truck rental com- laugh.
Director of Sales Patrick Herron says
laborers to and from farmers’ fields in the panies.
Rochester area. Before long he was being
“Leasing became an option of enhancing employees have fun doing what they do.
“It’s terrific fun. It shows in the people.
asked to haul produce to processing plants, their financial bottom lines by eliminating
and in 1938 he created a small carting com- excessive payroll and business expenses,” Mike has helped create that,” he says.
“Mike’s philosophy is we’re going to have
pany called DeCarolis Trucking Co.
Margarone says.
fun doing it.”
In the company’s formative years, it speCompany veteran
Margarone says the best part of his job
cialized in heavy-duty trucking and outside
Margarone has watched DeCarolis is having the privilege to lead a group of
repairs, sometimes renting out its own
equipment to customers. Later the firm change and grow in his nearly three de- talented, dedicated people who share the
added a truck terminal and expanded into cades with the firm. He joined the com- goal of achieving customer satisfaction.
pany in 1987 as a lease account manager
“I love to see a plan work,” he says.
warehousing in the 1950s.
Margarone’s sales background and outThe business grew quickly with the ad- after a short stint with a national truck rentgoing personality mean he can do without
dition of a truck stop, a Diamond Reo truck al and leasing company.
He served as a branch manager at DeCar- the paper pushing and being tied to a desk,
dealership, a Thermo King Refrigeration
franchise, and a rental and leasing com- olis and in 2001 was named vice president he adds.
“There are stats and reports that need to
pany. Louis DeCarolis Sr. died in 1961 and of sales. In 2008 he was named executive
was succeeded by two sons, Louis and Paul. vice president, and he took the helm as be reviewed daily, but I like to be out in the
president in 2009 when then-President shops and in front of customers,” he says.
Wayne Bowser retired.
DeCarolis notes that Margarone’s manThe transition was not as hard as he ini- agement style complements his own well.
Title: President, DeCarolis Truck Rental
tially thought it would be, Margarone says.
“He’s very strong on sales and the opInc.
“I was a little nervous, but I’ve worked eration side,” he says. “He’s a good people
for Paul DeCarolis since 1987,” he recalls. person. He does an excellent job for the
Age: 50
“We’ve always had a great working rela- company and our customers.”
Education: B.S., business management,
tionship. I’ve loved working for him, so it
Margarone calls himself competitive and
University of Tampa, 1985
was pretty easy.”
goal-oriented but says his biggest weakness
Margarone describes his own leadership is impatience.
Family: Wife Trisha; son Austin, 19;
style as hands-on.
“I am results-driven but understand the
daughter Amanda, 16
“I
believe
you
lead
by
example
and
alchallenges
that our staff face to meet our
Home: Webster
ways give a clear direction, then surround objectives,” he adds.
Hobbies: Grateful Dead, skiing, family
yourself with people that share the same
Goals for the company include continupassion
and
vision,”
he
says.
“I
would
not
ing
to refine its programs, looking for opQuote: “Individually we do not have all
ask anyone on our staff to do anything I portunities in new markets that fit DeCarthe answers, but as a group we can
wouldn’t do.”
olis’ business model, and being the premier
take on anything.”
As a junior in high school, Margarone transportation solution in its markets.
Michael Margarone
Reprinted with permission of the Rochester Business Journal.
“As fleet maintenance and regulation become more complex, we see this as an opportunity to further grow our lease and
contract maintenance business in new markets,” Margarone says.
Expansion and acquisitions are possibilities, he says, though the company is not
actively seeking to add to its portfolio.
“We’re always looking at new markets.
If it’s the right fit for the company and the
customer, it’s something we look at doing,”
he says.
The company’s customers include Big
Apple Deli Products Inc., Jacobstein Food
Service LLC, RIST Transport Ltd. and
C&M Forwarding. DeCarolis offers everything from maintaining trucks to having a
full-time safety director to road-testing
drivers to completing tax paperwork.
What makes DeCarolis successful, Margarone says, is its people, backed by strong
technology.
“Individually we do not have all the answers, but as a group we can take on anything,” Margarone says. “Employees are
empowered to make decisions, and giving
them that authority allows them to grow
and better serve our customers.”
Longtime friend and customer Jeff Shapiro says the company stands out from its
competition because of its leaders.
“Mike really just goes out of the way, and
that’s what it takes,” Shapiro says. “It’s not
just about taking care of the customers. It’s
making sure that the shop is run the right
way, the vehicles are in top-notch condition.”
Margarone has high integrity and good
ethics, Shapiro adds.
“I’ve been with Mike and a customer will
call. Mike will stop whatever he’s doing to
take care of the customer,” Shapiro explains. “First and foremost he’s a very customer-focused kind of guy. I think in that
business, what it really takes to stand out
and stand above the competition is someone that’s going to go out of the way and
take care of the customer.”
Sales Director Herron says DeCarolis
tries to keep its department managers involved in all aspects of the company.
“Our goal is to build a culture where everyone has importance, everybody has an
impact on the success or failure of the company,” he says. “We want everybody to
know that what they do each day has an
impact. Empowering our people is part of
that program.”
Several factors make the company successful, Moorhouse says.
“We’re always focused on doing the right
thing for the customer. We offer a unique
product and service,” he says. “We have
history and credibility on our side after 75
years.”
Margarone says the biggest challenge the
company faces is recruiting qualified diesel
technicians because of an industrywide
shortage.
“It certainly isn’t glamorous, but you can
make a good living,” he says of technicians.
“As far as I’m concerned, if you’re a good
diesel technician, you’re never out of
work.”
Another challenge is meeting the government’s regulations for emissions. While
reducing emissions is beneficial for the environment, Margarone says it has put a
strain on the industry.
“The challenge has been they forced the
regulation so fast, as far as the timetable
to have that completed to the manufacturers, that there have been maintenance problems plaguing this industry and anybody
operating trucks,” he explains.
That has led to increased costs, both in
buying new vehicles—a tractor that was
$100,000 five years ago has increased to
$130,000 due to government standards—
and in maintaining vehicles that were hastily manufactured to meet those standards.
“The most expensive truck is the one off
the side of the road, for both us and our
Reprinted with permission of the Rochester Business Journal.
customers,” Margarone says.
What makes him want to pull his hair
out are the things he cannot control that
affect the company.
“The biggest is what is going on in Washington and how to navigate in an environment of increased costs and regulation,” he
says.
Margarone says his chief accomplishments are setting goals and expectations
and achieving them.
“It’s not just growing our company but
also developing our people to be the best
they can be,” he says. “I take great pride
in watching them excel.”
He says the best business advice he can
give is not to sweat the small stuff.
“You have to manage by the numbers,
but if you take care of the customers and
your employees, the rest will fall to the
bottom line,” Margarone adds.
Off the job
Fifty-year-old Margarone lives with his
wife of 26 years, Trisha, in Webster. They
have two children, Austin, 19, and Amanda,
16. His favorite family memories are their
annual spring-break trips.
“I have fond memories of spending time
watching the kids grow from year to year,”
he says.
Margarone also enjoys boating and traveling in his spare time and is an avid skier.
Shapiro vividly recalls skiing trips he
has taken with his friend through the years.
“Mike is the guy who as soon as the chair
opens is out on the slope, who’s out there
until the slope closes,” he says.
Margarone also is a die-hard Grateful
Dead fan who has been to more than 100
shows and once dreamed of being either a
rock star or a professional athlete.
“Not a bad gig, to make money doing
something you do in your leisure anyway,”
he says. “But I can’t sing or play football.”
[email protected] / 585-546-8303