Founded in 1998 by John Freundschuh, a veteran and lifelong equipment salesman, Upstate Equipment is a second-generation dealership that has grown from a single Bobcat store in Buffalo, NY, into a trusted name in compact construction equipment.
Today, John’s dream lives on through the hands of his children, who continue to run the business with the same passion, integrity, and commitment to service that defined their father’s life.
We sat down with Joe Burns, Director of Parts & Service, and Wally Staniszewski, Branch Manager at Bobcat of Buffalo, to hear how Upstate Equipment is taking steps to modernize its service operations using ASPEN Mobile while staying true to the values that made it a trusted name across Western New York.
What are your favorite features of ASPEN mobile so far?
Joe: “The ability to upload photos directly into ASPEN is a big one—huge potential for improving efficiency. Also, the voice-to-text note-taking feature has been very successful with our technicians.”
Wally: “For me, syncing the photos is the biggest benefit. I love that we can take pictures instantly, which is something Joe’s been trying to implement across all teams.
Looking ahead, I think the mobile app has strong upsell potential for our service admin team. It also helps shape the perception that we’re a technology-forward dealership—not just stuck behind a desk. Being able to walk out to the yard with a tablet and open a work order in front of a customer really sets us apart.”
Joe: “I agree. Another area we’re working on is giving technicians visibility into their labor time on a job versus the quoted time. Before the app, there wasn’t a clear way for them to see that. ASPEN Mobile could help bridge that gap and significantly improve our shop efficiency over time.”
What challenges were you facing before implementing ASPEN Mobile?
Joe: “We’ve been using Trello for quite a while. It’s what we relied on for everything from photo uploads to internal communication. But, it wasn’t designed for dealership operations, so we were constantly trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, and we’ve been entering data multiple times across different systems, duplicating work, and often missing details when trying to consolidate everything.”
How has the app been for your team to use?
Joe: “I think it is very easy to navigate. Things that are out of your control, like connectivity, has an influence on how quickly the system operates. But by and large, navigating the app is simple.”
If another dealer came to you for advice about ASPEN Mobile, what would you tell them?
Joe: “I would say list your challenges, your problems, your issues, and then look for a product that checks those boxes.”
Looking ahead, how do you see ASPEN Mobile supporting your dealership’s growth?
Joe: “I see the full-time application of it. I think it will afford us the opportunity to scrap some of our other platforms and consolidate onto one, relying entirely on the ASPEN product. I think it’s got great benefits and I think it is the key to our future for sure.”
