Cowboy, Surfer Makes Name for Himself in Equipment Biz

Mark Gustin, a former cutting horse trainer turned heavy equipment businessman, owns Armadillo Tractor Inc. in Waller, Texas. His passion for surfing led him to refurbish late-model machines, selling to end users and new equipment dealers, specializing in dozers, graders, excavators, and more. Armadillo Tractor operates globally, focusing on providing quality machinery for various construction needs.

Tue August 20, 2024 - West Edition #17
CEG

*Source: Construction Equipment Guide

Mark Gustin is a man with many interests and passions. At various stages of his life, he has been a cutting horse trainer, an avid surfer and low handicap golfer.

Today, those interests take a back seat to his career in heavy equipment as owner of Armadillo Tractor Inc. in Waller, Texas. That has not always been the case, though.

"All my life, I had trained cutting horses," Smith recalled, adding that many of those years were spent at King Ranch.

"My body was giving out on me slowly," he said, "after surgeries on my ACL, elbow and back. I knew I had to do something else.

"I walked into Mustang Cat on crutches after my ACL surgery, intending to buy a dozer and go into business," he added. "The guy I spoke with said, ‘hey, you should sell equipment yourself. There's a guy down the street that needs a salesman.'"

The "guy down the street" was the owner of a now defunct dealership and Gustin was hired on the spot.

"I was both top salesman and top buyer," Gustin said of his early years at the dealership. "After 10 years, I decided to get my own credit line and rented a yard out in Tomball. I sold and rented equipment from there until I found seven acres in Waller, where I still work out of."

Buying quality used equipment required intensive travel at the time and eventually, according to Gustin, "my wife was getting poochie lipped about me traveling so much, so I took up surfing."

The waves are not all that good on the beaches near Houston. So, in typical Gustin fashion, he looked for an adventure to combine with his newfound passion. He discovered the Mexican beaches north of Ixtapa, where he escapes to this day for the thrill of riding the waves, but now is accompanied by his wife, Julie.

"I still sell equipment to support my lavish lifestyle of golf and surfing," Gustin said with a laugh. But his business is certainly no laughing matter to the 35-year veteran of the equipment world.

"My job is to help the buyer purchase the right machine for the job," he said of yet another one of his passions. "There are a few different ways for a contractor to get a machine he needs on site. He can go to auction and roll the dice. He [or she] can call a dealership and sign up for a new machine. He could rent a machine for the job. Or they can buy a refurbished machine from me at half the cost and then sell it back to me after the completion of the job. There is tremendous value to the contractor in a used machine that has been fixed up and is in great running order. That's where I've found a niche in the industry."

Gustin has built his business doing just that – buying late-model, low-hour machines, refurbishing them and making them retail ready. He sells to end users, but also has a demand from new equipment dealers adding to their used inventory. According to Gustin, they trust his refurbished equipment.

Armadillo specializes in dozers, graders, excavators and compaction equipment. His sweet spot on dozers is D5-D8, while his excavators typically are in the 35,000 lbs. to 150,000 lbs. range. He also deals in rough-terrain cranes and water trucks.

Underground utility and site preparation contractors also make up a large part of his business, along with dealers.

About Amarillo Tractor

Armadillo Tractor Inc. is a worldwide source of late-model heavy construction equipment. Owned and operated by Mark R. Gustin and drawing on 34 years of professional heavy equipment transactions, their customers' interests are a top priority.

Their operation is based in Waller, Texas, approximately 30 mi. northwest of Houston. It services the majority of the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central & South America. It ships internationally from the Port of Houston.

With access to top technicians, mechanics and paint crews, it has knowledge and the technology to do any necessary work on today's newer machines.

Armadillo Tractor strives to direct its clients and customers to the best earthmoving machine for the best price for the job they require.