I'll say it straight: Kleemann's approach to small operators is not just fair—it's financially smarter for everyone involved.

Over the past 8 years of tracking every invoice in our procurement system for mobile crushing and screening equipment, I've analyzed roughly $2.3 million in cumulative spending across 47 orders. I've negotiated with Metso reps, Sandvik dealers, and Terex distributors—but I keep coming back to Kleemann. Not because their machines are the cheapest upfront (they're not), but because their willingness to treat a $50,000 order the same as a $500,000 one has saved me money in ways most procurement managers overlook.

This is a personal opinion based on my experience in the aggregates industry in the Mid-Atlantic region. If you're running a 200-person mining operation in Australia, your mileage may vary.

The myth: 'Small orders get worse service, so you should consolidate'

It's tempting to think that buying one big machine from a single vendor gives you leverage. But the oversimplification here ignores how maintenance costs actually accumulate. Let me give you a concrete example from Q2 2024.

We needed a Kleemann MSS 802 for a specific screening job—a relatively small piece of equipment compared to the giant plants. One competitor (let's call them Vendor X) quoted us $180,000 for a comparable machine but added $4,500 in 'setup and training' fees and charged $1,200 per day for their technician. Kleemann's quote was $185,000—$5,000 higher—but included everything: delivery, commissioning, and training. Total cost of ownership? Kleemann was actually $2,700 cheaper.

Here's the kicker: The MSS 802's tire configuration (it runs on tires, not tracks, which matters for mobility on soft ground) was exactly what we needed. Vendor X's sales engineer kept pushing a track-mounted unit that was 'better value'—except our site is a mix of pavement and gravel, and tires gave us lower rolling resistance. Kleemann's rep didn't try to upsell us. He listened to our needs—a small operator with a specific application—and recommended the right machine.

The 'eddie near me' lesson: Local responsiveness matters for total cost

When you google 'eddie near me'—and yes, I literally typed that when searching for a dealer—you're looking for someone who won't ghost you after the sale. I found a Kleemann dealer 45 miles away who actually responds to emails from a $180K client the same way they do to a $1.8M client. That's rare.

In my first year as a procurement manager (circa 2017), I made the classic rookie mistake: I chose a vendor solely on unit price. Cost me a $14,000 redo when the 'cheaper' machine couldn't handle our material hardness and we had to buy additional wear parts. That was the year I learned that tires (and tracks, and liners) are a recurring cost that dwarfs the initial purchase price.

'Today's $50,000 customer could be next year's $500,000 customer—if you treat them right.' — Kleemann dealer, 2023 meeting (paraphrased)

But what about the 'henry vs bills' comparison?

Every procurement person I know has a mental 'henry vs bills' framework—comparing two competing suppliers head-to-head. For me, it's often Kleemann vs Sandvik or Kleemann vs Metso. And the conventional wisdom says you should always pick the market leader. But here's what the numbers say after three years of tracking both:

  • Part availability: Kleemann's parts distribution (for EVO2 models like the MC110 and MR130) had 94% fill rate within 48 hours in our region. Sandvik was 88%.
  • Wear parts cost: Kleemann's genuine wear parts for the MSS 802 were about 15% cheaper than equivalent for comparable Metso screens—surprising, because you'd expect German premium pricing.
  • Resale value: After 4,000 hours, a Kleemann mobile crusher retained 62% of its original price (based on auction data from Ritchie Bros., 2022-2024). Industry average for similar class is 55%.

Now, I should note that I'm comparing Günter Kleemann's company to major multinationals—and the founder's name on the brand isn't just marketing. The engineering decisions (like using standardized tire sizes across multiple models) directly reduce inventory costs for small shops.

Responding to the expected pushback: 'You're biased because you're a small shop'

You might say: 'Of course you like Kleemann—you're a small customer. Try dealing with them when you need a $2 million plant.' Fair point. I've only worked with Kleemann on orders ranging from $80,000 to $600,000. I can't speak to how corporate accounts are treated. But here's the thing: every large account started small. And Kleemann's public strategy (stated at Conexpo 2023) explicitly focuses on the 'mid-market'—operations with 10-50 employees. That's me.

Also, the FTC's advertising guidelines (ftc.gov) require that companies substantiate claims like 'best service for small customers.' Kleemann does: they publish their parts availability data and offer a three-year warranty on EVO2 models—not just for the first owner but for subsequent ones too (transferable). That's auditable.

My final point: When you calculate total cost of ownership, the vendor's attitude toward small orders isn't a soft metric. It predicts how quickly you'll get parts, whether you'll be charged hidden fees, and whether the machine will actually fit your application. Kleemann's MSS 802, tires and all, proved to me that a German manufacturer can still act like a local partner—even when you're searching for 'eddie near me' or comparing 'henry vs bills' on a spreadsheet.

And that's not just nice—it's profitable.