The Future of the Industry Depends on the Big Dogs

Everyone wants to be the big dog. To be noticed, appreciated, valued for hard-won experience. To have something to give, to guide others, to provide. But few want the years—sometimes decades—of underdog work. The humility to learn, the grit to grow, the patience to master a craft. 

For Yancy York, now a Light Duty Technical Support Expert and instructor at Rotary Solutions University, the journey began 29 years ago. He was a mechanic at the local K-mart, with knowledge from vocational school, and with experience servicing Rotary Lifts. This naturally led him to consider working for their factory just down the road in Madison, Indiana. And he did, stepping onto the factory floor before sunrise on his first day. 

Bull Sanders arrived at 5:30 a.m. “Mr. York?” Sanders asked. York quickly responded, “Yep,” before being called to follow Sanders. Together they walked into the factory’s arm cell, side by side, with no orientation, just straight to work. 

Yancy was introduced to his Supervisor- Dennis Cloud. “He was a good guy,” York said, voice soft with memory. Cloud showed him what it meant to work hard and lead by example. 

York started as an assembler. Seniority kept him off the paint line and the Shot Hole—jobs he was glad to avoid. “God forbid if you have to go to the paint line,” York laughed. “That’s not what you want to do—at least back then.” 

He moved to powder coating, then to welding on second shift, then to third-shift laser work—“a wonderful thing”—and finally to customer service on day shift. By then, he’d “run them all,” every job but painting and shipping. This breadth of experience, paired with his knack for servicing lifts, made him a natural in customer service. 

“I did installs, went out to help RAIs locally, showed them how to do something,” York said. “I went down to Louisville, to big Sam Swope Honda, showed guys how to yank Rotary Smartlift® guts out.” 

That’s how York became the big dog in all things Smartlift. 

“I did everything in SmartLift. Welded arms, welded frames, powder-coated plungers, cut plunger pipe, welded. I don’t know that there’s anything on Smartlift I haven’t done.” 

Smartlifts, he explained, reminded him of the old in-grounds he grew up with. “They take up less space,” he said. “They look neater in the shop.” 

As years passed, York’s knowledge deepened. He became the leader of Rotary’s Light Duty Technical Support Team, handling anything under 30,000 pounds—from SM30s to SPOA7 pad lifts. Then, on top of his leadership role, he was asked to teach all things Smartlift—high-pressure in-ground and traditional low-pressure in-ground—while also occasionally filling in for other instructors. To provide a deeper learning experience for new RAIs, York began providing plant tours, sharing history with new workers and RAIs. 

“My job is to make sure you leave here able to make money,” York explained. “I need my distributors to make money—it keeps us in a job. And it’s not just a job. It’s teaching these guys how to be safe, how to make a living for their family. It’s a big deal.” 

“I’m older than most guys who come to class,” York said. “I’ve been here longer than they’ve been alive.” 

Why stay so long? “Because I love it,” he said. “You can’t go to college to learn everything about a lift. Here, you get seasoned people who know what they’re talking about. We give all the tips and tidbits to make you successful and profitable.” 

For new students in Rotary’s RAI program, the benefits are clear: “They get to see the product, see how it’s built, and we gear it to their education.” For seasoned or mixed groups, York adapts, encouraging more experienced students to share their knowledge and expertise. “We want students to learn best practices from each other.” 

“Everyone wants to feel good,” York said. “Everyone wants to be the big dog.” 

Yet, to Yancy, the only way to become a big dog of any value is to build up the next generation—to share what you know with the inexperienced, to mentor, and to lead by example.