june 2023

Ken Clark passed away on May 23rd, 2023. He is survived by his wife of 26 years, Jan Wright Clark, and their children, Jason Clark, Gabe Clark, and Ken Bishop. Ken served in the Navy, enjoyed hunting and fishing,  was a member of Kiwanis Decatur, and Grace Episcopal Church. Ken Clark was the Vice President/ Engine Division and retired in June 2014. 

"Ken Clark, a remarkable leader, brought life to every room he entered. His visits to our Miami operation were filled with unforgettable moments. I'll always treasure the laughter, camaraderie, and lessons he shared. Personally, I'm grateful for observing his customer interactions, learning what to say and what not to say. Ken's legacy as an inspiring presence will be deeply missed, yet his impact will continue to motivate us as we move forward."

                    - Chandler Cleveland / VP of Product Support

"I will always have a lot of love for KC.  He was a mentor to me throughout my career at Louisiana Cat.  He was not only interested in my career but always took the extra time to make sure that my family was ok.  Away from work, he taught me & my son how to bass fish!!.  After his retirement, I always looked forward to getting a phone call from KC to check up on me, my family & work.  I already miss him & our monthly phone chats.  He was a great man & a great friend!"

                   - Lance Peltier / Petroleum & Industrial Sales Manager

"I knew from the first time that I met Ken Clark that he was someone special.  Ken had a charismatic personality coupled with the patience to teach others which made him a natural and effective leader.  KC, as many of us referred to him, was committed to his team and he truly cherished seeing them be successful.  He was full of life, laughter and could always find the positive in every situation. 

Ken had an outstanding career at Louisiana Cat as Vice President of Power Systems and he was an active member for many years on the Company Governance Board.  Ken also served as a mentor to many of us throughout his career, he truly enjoyed listening and providing guidance and taught me so much personally.  I can still hear him belting out one of his favorite sayings, “Buy low and sell high my boy!” Ken’s spirit and enthusiasm will be missed but never forgotten."

                  - Mike Cain / Director of Business Development

"KC was a great friend and mentor. On my first day of employment with Louisiana Machinery, KC was the first person Bobby introduced me to and I quickly learned that we both had so much in common, one was getting up and starting the day early. For the next several years KC and I would have hundreds of early morning meetings discussing LMC, Customers, Family, his time in the Navy, and Life. No matter his situation or what he had going on, he always made sure to ask how my family was doing and in particular about my mom and dad. I didn’t realize it until about 5 years ago, but those hundreds of meetings helped prepare me for the position I hold today, the position Ken held during his time at Louisiana Machinery. Some grandfathers go by ‘paw-paw’, ‘grand-paw’, ‘grand-dad’, etc., but not KC; for him, it was Ogo (Oh Great One)!"

                    - Troy Matherne / VP/ Power Systems

A message from Craig Fisher, Director of Safety:

I would like to thank you for your exceptional work through the first half of the year. We have only had one recordable injury and we currently have the best safety numbers we have ever seen through the first half of a year. We have not sustained a single lost time incident, which is a great accomplishment for our company. Going forward, we have a few things we would like for everyone to keep in mind.

Firstly, if you haven’t watched the safe driving/near miss video, please take the time to do so by using the link below. We have been doing a much better job of driving safely and we want to continue that trend.

Second, please continue to report any and all first aid, near misses, and incidents to the safety department. Quick reporting has greatly helped us in managing incidents and keeping people safe.

Lastly, it is currently very hot, and the temperatures will only continue to rise over the course of the summer. Keep hydrated, take breaks, and keep watch over your fellow employees. Heat Stress is very dangerous, and we want to keep everyone’s awareness at a high level.

Thank you again for your safe work and dedication to Safety. Please let the Safety Department know if you have any questions or if we can help in any way.