Competition is a good thing, right?
Absolutely, says Jennette Espinosa, Executive Director of the Little Elm Economic Development Corporation.
And it is a good thing in Little Elm.
“Competition drives business, which yields big benefits and a big impact for Little Elm,” Espinosa said.
The premise of competition is precisely why the Little Elm EDC sought out ASCO Equipment.
Headquartered in Lubbock, Texas, ASCO Equipment, sells, rents and provides parts and services for agriculture, construction and material handling equipment in 23 locations throughout Texas and Eastern New Mexico. ASCO represents CASE, CASE IH, Sennebogen, Genie, K-Tec, and several other lines of well-known and respected equipment lines.
The company is a family owned company that has operated under the core values of Honor God, Develop People, Pursue Excellence, and Grow Profitably since 1960.
Espinosa’s vision for ASCO in Little Elm placed them near another heavy equipment merchant, on U.S. 380, which opened in 2015.
But, why put ASCO so close to another competitor?
“When businesses compete, stakeholders get the best possible prices, service, and quality,” Espinosa said.
ASCO also liked the idea, which moved them to purchase the property in Little Elm in March 2015.
When asked why the company chose Little Elm, ASCO North Texas Vice President Darren Albus responded that in addition to be a great location with regard to population growth and other ASCO locations, Little Elm was a great place.
“We saw Little Elm as a community that would welcome ASCO, being business and development-friendly,” Albus said.
The facility was initially slated to be 20,000 square feet, and at the time, the company expected to create 20 jobs, but the scope of the project was revised in 2019. The revised agreement updated the building size to 48,809 square feet and an expectation of creating 58 jobs within the first five years.
Besides bringing jobs and additional sales tax to Little Elm, ASCO’s development improved that property by more than 15 million dollars.
The company has specific goals for its new Little Elm location, too.
“First, we believe this new location will allow our customers to recognize our commitment to their business and the construction machinery market in the Metroplex. Second, our new facility will increase our ability to provide the superior level of customer service in sales, rental, parts, and service our customers and we desire,” Albus said.
The Little Elm location will also help fill in a geographical gap for the company.
“We are looking forward to serving our customers in the North portion of the DFW Metroplex and Denton County. ASCO currently has locations in Euless, Sherman, Terrell, and Wichita Falls, and our Little Elm location will fill a vacant spot in serving our customers,” Albus said.
Albus is excited about ASCO becoming a part of the Little Elm community.
“One of ASCO’s core purposes is to be a blessing to our communities. We look forward to being involved and supporting philanthropic causes in Little Elm and having our local team members supporting causes that make a difference,” Albus said.
The project was a partnership between ASCO, the Little Elm EDC, the Town of Little Elm, Denton County, and the Mustang Special Utility District.
Albus touched on his experience with the Little Elm EDC.
“Our experience with Little Elm EDC has been excellent. The EDC supported our project from the beginning. They have been essential in coordinating meetings and decisions from stakeholders at the town and county levels, along with other parties. Jennette and her team’s enthusiasm and professionalism are greatly appreciated, and we look forward to continuing to work with them on this project,” he said.
