Guy Ramsey

Few can argue that Brown was not only a key to the success that Genie Industries enjoyed for so many years but also one of the few players in this industry that truly understood and successfully penetrated and expanded the global access market.  His efforts not only benefited Genie but the entire access industry. While this industry has surely benefited from all the new blood that has been pumped into Genie, there is little doubt in my mind that one of the last spokes in the wheel to the company’s impressive rise to the top is being lost. Brown has weathered many storms the AWP industry has experienced but none as significant as the one we currently face. 

I called Brown to learn why he decided that now was the right time to retire. “I originally planned to do this a year ago but decided to stay around to help us navigate through the tough times, something I believe we have now seen the worst of,” he said. Brown pointed out the current downturn is the worst he has experienced in his 31 years at Genie—but also feels that things are looking up. “I am modestly optimistic that we are now in an upward trend,” he observed, going on to state that the biggest hindrance to recovery would likely be the inability of vendors to supply components. 

Reflecting on the past, I asked what were his biggest surprises and disappointments over the years. Brown quickly responded that he, along with everyone else at Genie, was taken back at how quickly the industry evolved from a true distributor driven model to an open distribution one.  He feels that selling directly to the rental market propelled its growth.  Brown also said he believes this distribution model will continue to propel the rental industry. Additionally, he said he continues to be surprised by the tremendous acceptance of powered access equipment globally. “Even in a down economy, I see lifts everywhere,” he said. On the flip side, the only real disappointments Brown said he has faced have been those times when the economy has forced downsizing, and he has suffered in the pain of laying off team members.

When I asked what he sees as the AWP industry’s biggest challenges or threats, Brown responded in his typical upbeat tone that he didn’t view anything as a threat, noting that any challenge can become an opportunity. Specifically, he focused on the fact that the industry must continue to be a more cost-effective producer. “We must do a better job of not only producing the right products for specific markets, [but] we must also build them, where appropriate, closer to those markets where they will be used,” he said.

Brown said he will remember his years at Genie and involvement in the powered access industry fondly and commented on how the past 31 years have gone by in a flash. Reflecting on his career at Genie, he shared that “it seemed like weeks not years since it all started.”

Roger Brown was a key part of the culture that made Genie what it was and is today, and he will be hard to replace. Although Genie is in capable hands, the retirement of Brown and the recent departure of Roger Curtis seem to signal the final steps in the long-term redevelopment of Genie’s business model. His retirement is truly the end of an era.