ABOUT US
Solanum provides "service solutions that fit your fleet". Flexibility is the core philosophy behind everything we do.
What we service:
We service mostly mobile equipment- heavy trucks, medium-duty trucks, "yellow iron" (trackhoes, bulldozers, etc.), forklifts, and tractors. We can also service most other machinery you depend on to run your operation- and have serviced everything from jewelry polishing machines to peanut roasters. We can service passenger automobiles if they are part of a fleet or incidental to your business operation. Our unique specialty is working with legacy agriculture & industrial engines with points-and-condenser ignition, Stanadyne injection pumps, and other such technologies which have largely been abandoned by dealer service departments but which are still in widespread commercial use in the vegetable industry.
How we add value:
In-field service can help you avoid losing business while waiting in line at a brick-and-mortar shop. In most cases we can service your truck or machine wherever it sits now, even if that's off the beaten path- which may save you a substantial towing bill. Lastly, we're much more flexible than an in-house service department, so you won't be left with legacy overhead costs if your volume of business changes.
Who we work with:
We work with small, medium, and growing fleets. Our experience has been that our work is most valuable when there's a gap between internal resources and the service needs of the fleet- such as when an in-house service department is stretched thin or when the fleet isn't yet big enough to take on a full-time in-house mechanic and the overhead costs that can bring.
Who we are:
Our team is headed by Curtis McKittrick, a fleet management professional with 10 years of experience managing small and growing fleets. Curtis holds Michigan Master Automobile Mechanic certificate M293895. Field operations are handled jointly by Curtis and a team of both in-house and contracted personnel with specialties ranging from lubrication, to powertrain diagnostics, to hydraulics repair.
Where we work:
We work anywhere in New Jersey, and anywhere within 50 air miles of NJ's border. We can reach almost any location that your machines can, and most of the time we work outside wherever the machine happens to be when you call us. Over the years we've become very good at the ins-and-outs of good, fast service outside the controlled environment of a shop. About half the work we do is, quite literally, in fields.
Where we are:
Yard & office at 152 Frenchtown Rd., Milford NJ 08848. Service is provided at customer site only, we do not bring machines back to the yard.
When we work:
Service is available 24/7, and many of our delivery & short-haul customers save considerable downtime by scheduling service overnight. Generally we can provide emergency breakdown service within 24 hours of your call, and work with a large network of local parts suppliers to deliver on tight schedules. Preventive maintenance and comprehensive major repairs are usually available on a 3-5 business day lead time.
How we work:
Our standard practices are explained in detail in the "FAQ" and "Standard terms & Conditions" documents available under the "DOCUMENTS" tab. For most accounts we bill in arrears on a net-30 basis, for certain emergency calls or situations where a large purchase of materials is required upfront, we require a deposit and/or immediate final payment. We aim to be brutally transparent about what we are and aren't good at, as well as our pricing structure, and a comprehensive list of the items we charge for and when we charge them is published once per quarter on this website.
Where the name came from:
Solanum is the genus that contains potatoes (S. tuberosum) and tomatoes (S. lycopersicum)- we believe commercial machinery should be as important yet unassuming as a potato, and the name stuck.
