Truckin' through

Ron Labbe's truck saved his company.

As the recession wiped out the homebuilding industry, Labbe's re-engineered truck helped Naples Lumber and Supply weather the calamitous years. That's because the trucks are marvels of efficiency that can be operated by a single person, saving the company labor and time.

But getting there required a labyrinth of trials that included getting manufacturers to engineer new parts and legislators to approve new laws. “We had to modify everything to make it all work,” says Labbe. “This is pretty groundbreaking in our industry.”