By Roberto Hugo Gonzalez
As originally published in Texas Border Business newsprint edition October 2018
Yes, you read correctly, Cummins Inc., the American Fortune 500 corporation that designs, manufactures, and distributes engines, filtration, and power generation products, was present at the first annual Pharr International Trucking Expo. This company is considered a global power leader and ranks 159 as a Fortune 500 corporation.
If you were not there, don’t miss it next year because it’s going to be better. According to Sergio Sifuentes, the fleet account executive for this corporation, he says, aside from selling brand new motors for trucks, Cummins also services engines and related equipment, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emissions control, and electrical power generation systems.
“In simple words,” he said, “Cummins parts and engines.” He added that in Texas they have a great market selling engines and that includes the Valley. “All of the trucks that you see out there on the road, they all can have the Cummins engine,” Sifuentes emphasized that they carry different sizes of engines for various applications, and he is the representative for Cummins in this area.
Do you have offices in Pharr? “No, they are in Arlington Texas; however, we often come to this market representing Cummins.”
Sifuentes has learned a lot about engines, he has worked for the company for fifteen years. He pointed out that he has been in different areas representing Cummins.He said, “I started working for Cummins in Saltillo, Mexico, and then moved to Columbus, Indiana, which is where the Cummins’ headquarters are. And now I’m here in the South of Texas area.”
In this company, do you actually change engines as in a mechanic’s shop?“No, we work through our distributors. So, for the truck that you see out there on the road, the only part that we sell is the engine. Now we as Cummins, also certify the mechanics that work with all Cummins distributors.”
Are these engines new or rebuilt?“We have both, brand new or rebuilt,and whatever is best for the customer.”
What makes you different from your competition?“It’s product and service.” He said, “Cummins serves customers through our network of 500 company-owned and independent distributor facilities and approximately 7,500 dealer locations in more than 190 countries and territories. This is the biggest network that you will find.”
In 2017, Cummins reported $20.4 billion in revenues, with a net income of $1 billion. Cummins currently employs 58,600 people worldwide.
“I would like to highlight that we are representing Cummins in the South of Texas, and we are proud of our products and our service, and all of the customers that we have, are happy with the products and service,” he finalized.
