Conversations pique Drew Ritter’s interest in heavy equipment, lead to rental manager role for KSM’s West Texas branches

Drew Ritter started in the equipment industry about five years ago — despite not knowing anything about it.

“I had some buddies that worked for a heavy machinery company, and they kept telling me how much they loved their jobs,” said Ritter. “That really piqued my interest. Once I got into it, I started to love it too.”

Ritter pursued a position as a rental coordinator for an equipment dealer after spending several years in various roles with the local branch of a national tire chain. He worked his way into management during his time at both companies.

“That gave me good preparation for this role,” stated Ritter, who joined Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc. (KSM) in February as the rental manager for the Lubbock and Amarillo branches in Texas. “I handle the day-to-day operations of rentals and help out with other areas such as sales. It comes down to making sure everyone is taken care of in a timely manner.

“We have a wide array of equipment, from towable air compressors to 100,000-pound-plus excavators to handle practically any need,” Ritter added. “Cranes, screens, crushers, pavers — you name it, we have it. We can service every industry, from general construction to oilfield to wind and solar.”

‘Outstanding reputation’

Ritter learned about KSM during his previous job.

“Kirby-Smith has an outstanding reputation for taking care of customers and for being a great place to work with lots of opportunities,” Ritter commented. “I talked to several current and former employees over the years, and they encouraged me to check it out. I saw right away after starting here what they meant. I am encouraging others to do the same.”

Ritter is based out of KSM’s new Lubbock store. The Kingwood, Texas, native came to the city about 15 years ago to attend Texas Tech University where he earned a general studies degree and met his wife, Kristen, who is originally from the Austin area. The coupled married in 2018 and have a one-year-old son, Kohen.

“We decided some time ago that we wanted to stay around here,” said Ritter. “It’s a great place to raise a family. Some of our family has moved out here too. That’s great because we love hanging out with them and our friends as much as possible. I also enjoy sports in general, and I like to hunt.”