by Jon M. Casey
With a history of integrity and credibility that have helped make Alex Lyon & Son Sales Managers and Auctioneers, Inc. the number one construction equipment auction company east of the Mississippi River, Jack Lyon, president of this family owned business is celebrating 40 years of auctioneering. Having worked alongside his late father Alex, who started the business in 1950 as the Alex Lyon Livestock Company, Jack has overseen the growth of the organization in the construction equipment arena since coming onboard after graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from the University of Cincinnati in 1973. Since that time, the company has grown to include offices in eleven locations throughout the U.S. with its headquarters remaining in Bridgeport, NY.
Today, Alex Lyon & Son Sales Managers and Auctioneers, Inc. have become an industry leader, making use of the latest technologies in an effort to serve their customers, not only for the seller, but for the buyer as well. With equipment auctions in the US, Mexico and South America, Alex Lyon & Son Auctioneers draw buyers from across the globe both in person and online.
By using the state of the art online streaming capabilities known as “Lyon Bid Onine,” Jack says this timely tool enables bidders to buy equipment and sales to take place on the date of the auction, whether the buyer is able to attend or not. More importantly, Jack says his team is always looking for ways to improve. He noted that there is a project currently under way that has advancements that will make their customer’s experience even more helpful.
Jack says that he owes the company’s success to his late father Alex, whose honesty and integrity led the way from the very start. He says that during the early years, while they were still primarily a cattle business, his father built a reputation for being a man of his word. Jack said that Alex made contracts with a handshake back then, and in many cases, he still makes them that way today. Jack says that they are “in it for the long haul,” and that honesty and truthfulness is still the best way to conduct business.
“Our contracts are pretty basic,” he says. “A contract is only as good as the people who make it. We are true to our word and that is what is important.”
One of the things that differentiate Alex Lyon & Son from the rest is that for them, no auction is too small or too large. With a care and concern for their clients unlike most in the business world today, Alex Lyon & Son honors and respects customers who have been a part of their business from the earliest days. “If local friends and neighbors come to us having done business with us in the early days, we will do the best to help them with their sale today. We manage sales for everything from farms and estates to mega-equipment sales for major manufacturers and leasing companies like Caterpillar and Hertz Rental,” he says.
“We are trusted because we make time for relationships,” he says. “We understand what people are looking for when they buy or sell at auction. We work to make sure we maintain creditability throughout.”
What is even more amazing is that while Alex Lyon & Son conducts more than 125 sales annually, Jack is on hand for most all of them. With few exceptions, Jack participates in working with his sales team and the attendees at the sales, to make sure that everything is done with excellence. For Jack, it is a labor of love.
Jack says that he foresees a bright future because the company’s growth comes from the satisfied customers that have done business with them in the past. With the reputation for quality of service that Alex Lyon & Son provides before, during and after the sale, it is no wonder. Jack says that the company’s corporate philosophy is, “If you need us, we’ll be there,” and he demonstrates that every day. For more information visit their website at www.lyonauction.com or give them a call at 315-633-2944.