About ACS
For more than 35 years ACS has been providing world-class attachment solutions that enhance performance and safety on the job site.
Our attachment solutions are specific to your needs and are designed to fit together and work together guarantying you maximum machine efficiency and the lowest delivered cost. Our team of equipment professionals has extensive experience over a wide array of applications and can provide the correct attachment solution for your needs. Top-notch customer support backs all products and services assuring a happy outcome when you deal with ACS.
We are easy to do business with. Take care of all of your construction attachment needs with the best solution provider in the industry, ACS.
ACS Products cover a wide array of machine attachments, from general material handling to highly specialized, industry-specific solutions.
ACS Industries is the fastest-growing attachment company in the United States. The Company’s foundation is built upon its financial strength and exceptional culture of achievement.
As President and CEO, Joe Zeno focuses on his vision for bringing value to the company’s customers and how to make that vision a realty for ACS and its strategic partners. Under Joe’s direction, ACS Industries has become the national leader in heavy machinery attachment solutions, helping customers to work safer and more profitably for more than 35 years.
Joe is a recognized expert in business strategy in the attachments industry. He has lectured extensively at the university level on the philosophy and practice of leadership.
An experienced pilot, he flies a Citation Jet to develop and support the Company’s customers. He is an alumnus of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and is active in numerous trade and civic organizations.
ACS Global Management Team
Joseph R Zeno, President and CEO
Bob Willoughby, VP of Operations
Bill Donohue, National Sales Manager
Ron Eaton, General Manager - ACS Northwest
John Purdon, Chief Financial Officer
Mel Schindler, Manager of Inside Sales
Bill Silk, Manager of Engineering
Richard Bailey, Hydraulics Engineering Manager
“We’ve put a strong emphasis on becoming more competitive, innovative, and easier to do business with. We are a team of motivated, like-minded professionals always seeking to improve, to exceed expectations, and serve our customers each and every day.”
- Joe Zeno
Our History
ACS Industries, Inc., previously known as American Coupler Systems, was incorporated in Ravenna, Ohio, and, has been in continuous operation since it's founding in 1968. The company's original scope of operations was limited to sales and engineering functions only with the ultimate goal of successfully selling a proprietary wheel loader coupler system and a limited line of attachments. Early activities can only be described as missionary in nature, and, while the company somewhat succeeded in selling it's products, business was not sufficient enough to allow the company to be profitable.
Present management assumed operational control of the company in September of 1974 with the goal of moving the company to profitability and establishing the company's presence in the marketplace. Through conscientious management, and, with the help of favorable markets, ACS turned profitable for the first time in 1976 and has remained profitable each succeeding year since then.
In 1977 the company commenced manufacturing operations in rented space in Kent, Ohio. Business and profitability both accelerated, and, in 1979 the company built and opened a new factory also in Kent, Ohio. Continuing it's growth, in 1981 ACS made it's first acquisition of Asbury Industries, a high quality specialty bucket manufacturer in Bridgeville, Pa. Subsequently, all of Asbury's operations were moved to Kent, Ohio. In 1983, the company doubled the size of the factory. In 1986 the factory was expanded by 35% and the office doubled. And finally in 1996, and again in 2005 ,the office and factory was enlarged to it's present size of 100,000 square feet.
It has always been the long term goal of ACS to expand its product line through internal growth and acquisitions. With that in mind, in 1989, ACS purchased Sabine Metal and Machine of Houston, Texas, a highly regarded manufacturer of excavator buckets and rippers for dozers. Manufacturing continued in Houston until 1992 when the factory was sold and all operations moved to Kent.
Seeking to become the first, independent national competitor in the construction attachment industry, in mid 1999 ACS purchased Mann Corporation and Progressive Attachments Corporation in Seattle, Washington to broaden it's product offering further and establish a base of operations on the west coast. In 2001 the company, which is known as ACS Northwest, built and occupied a new office and manufacturing complex in Arlington, Washington, just north of Seattle.
Today, ACS Industries is firmly entrenched as the national, independent leader in the construction attachment industry. It has enjoyed many firsts, not the least of which was the introduction of attachment changeover technology to the construction equipment industry. This innovation as well as the introduction of the first single point, self aligning wheel loader coupler system and the first front locking excavator coupler system has kept ACS at the forefront of the construction attachment industry in providing innovation and value to its customers.
With two full service east and west coast locations, products preferred by most professionals, a strong balance sheet and a culture of achievement as its operating cornerstones, ACS is poised to continue its growth and market dominance into the future. ACS Industries is firmly entrenched today as the market leader. It has earned that reputation with exemplary service and the best construction attachments in the world.
Milestones
- 2008
- Added robotic welding capability
- 2005
- Enlarged Ohio factory and office space to present size of 100,000 square feet. Added fully CNC machining capability.
- 2001
- Enlarged Ohio factory and office space to present size of 100,000 square feet. Added fully CNC machining capability.
- 1999
- Acquired Progressive Attachments
- 1999
- Acquired Mann Corporation
- 1989
- Acquired Sabine Metal and Machine. Continued the manufacturing of quality excavator buckets under ACS brand.
- 1983
- Doubled size of factory.
- 1981
- Acquired Asbury Industries and continued manufacturing high quality Asbury Buckets.
- 1979
- Built and opened new factory in Kent, OH.
- 1968
- ACS Industries, Inc incorporated in Ravenna, OH.
ACS President and CEO Joe Zeno was recognized as a visionary at the SmartBusiness 2010 Innovation in Business Awards for his innovative approach to reshaping ACS Industries.
He was asked by the editors at SmartBusiness to name three common themes among innovators. Following is his response:
Thinking things over
By Joseph R. Zeno, President and CEO of ACS Industries, Inc.
Originally published at SmartBusiness Online December 2010
Being honored as a business visionary by Smart Business was truly a memorable night in my career.
During the award presentations, I paid particular attention to each acceptance speech to see if there were core attributes that were being identified as the keys to innovation.
It became clear that each honoree touched on three key elements that played a major role in their success. Here are the key elements.
Love
Without the love and support of your mate and indeed all of the people surrounding you, it is highly unlikely that over time you will make it in life. All of the honorees acknowledged the critical role their mates, in this case, wives, played in their success.
The pathways to success are long, steep and can be perilous. There are always disappointments and setbacks interspersed with personal compromises and inconveniences. If your relationship is creating obstacles, fixing that condition should be the No. 1 priority. Honest, forthright, two-way communications directed to build a foundation of mutual understanding and trust is a good place to begin.
No matter how you characterize your relationships with the people surrounding you, two principles vastly improve relational outcomes: It’s not just about you; it’s bigger than that. And, if you always put in more than you take out, the chances of a happy outcome are significantly enhanced.
Innovation
What is this concept called innovation to which we all pay homage? Can anyone innovate? Absolutely. Is innovation really that important? Yes, it is critical if you want to move forward or stay out in front of your competitors. Do we go to the office thinking, well it’s Tuesday and that’s my day to innovate? Probably not. So, how do we create innovation?
My experience tells me that the best innovators are those that, first and foremost, are always seeking opportunities or identifying problems and are unafraid of failure.
They become experts at asking probing questions and listening intently. They value openness and evaluate the answers through the framework of their education, experience and perspective to help connect the dots, see things that others didn’t see or see the same things but create a different awareness. They become proficient at collaboratively developing best solutions that can result in workable, innovative solutions or useful tools. They uniquely understand that, to be successful, innovation must be defined into a vision, supported by an action plan and achieved by cooperating people with the resources for plan execution.
Anybody can do this, and, with practice and commitment, success can be achieved in both good markets and bad. And the really cool thing — you can start your journey today.
People
The world is full of very smart people who have thought up innovative ideas that go nowhere. Why? The lack of an effective written vision and strategic plan of accomplishment and a failure to put together teams of effective, cooperating people capable of turning the vision into reality.
No matter your mission, it is absolutely essential to surround yourself with creative people and mold those people into effective teams. Effective leadership and creative leaders are essential not just at the top but at all levels within the organization. Great leaders make great teams that comprise cooperating, creative professionals. Great leaders help develop a shared vision, provide resources, responsibility, accountability, and the recognition and rewards to get the job done. It is great teams of creative, effective people that make great, innovative organizations.
In reality, innovation is not just about big ideas. Few of us generate big ideas and no one does it on a consistent basis. It is really about little ideas that, over time, can be developed into exciting innovation.
Understanding what creates innovation and the role love and people surrounding you play in its implementation significantly increases the probability of your success.