LE SILLON
A John Deere PublicationBayonet
Spring 2025
Full Circle
Perfecting the Art of Start-to-Finish Service
5 MIN READ
Lee Cowles and Tara Garner Have Succeeded With the Help of Their Company's Founder. Today They Continue to Pay It Forward.
Lee Cowles, the fleet director for Bayonet Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, possesses that rare quality: grace under pressure.
At a residential development site just northeast of Tampa, Florida, Cowles can sense the builder is nervous about an afternoon inspection. He calmly reassures him everything is on schedule and up to code.
Bayonet started installing plumbing at the development last spring. Now eight months later, nine townhouses have been built. Today the company is doing start-to-finish rough plumbing for another six-unit home. With the inspection looming, there's no time to waste.
Bayonet's crew confidently and quietly goes about its business. The two lead plumbers run John Deere compact excavators, a 17 P-Tier and a 26 P-Tier, to dig trenches while two helpers install pipe. The machines deftly navigate a quickly expanding network of trenches and a grid of strings that mark where walls will go in.
"John Deere compact excavators are simple to run," says Lead Plumber Aaron Nichols. "Their reduced tail swing and compact size allow us to slip into tight areas and maneuver around obstructions. We used to do all the digging by hand, but mini excavators help us minimize the amount of physical labor, so we are more productive."
"We stand by the people who stand by us."
Stay Calm and Carry On
Robert Blankenship founded Bayonet in 1977 not far from the company's current main shop in Hudson, Florida. Over the years, the company has grown to more than 1,100 employees. Today Bayonet has nine shops throughout the state of Florida, handling jobs from Fort Myers up to Jacksonville.
With the help of Fleet Manager Tara Garner, Cowles manages over 600 trucks and other vehicles, including almost 50 John Deere compact excavators. It's no small task.
"Everything with an engine and wheels or tracks falls under the two of us," he says, "from procurement to maintenance to disposal. We never know what's going to happen when that phone rings. But we know we need to keep calm and make the best decisions we can."
When he started at Bayonet in December of 2004, Cowles worked as a ditch digger on a sewer crew. "I was a mediocre plumber, but in my spare time, I dabbled with the fleet," he recalls. "Robert saw potential in me and thought I would be better suited working with the fleet. I worked my way through the ranks and took on more and more responsibility."
Blankenship never failed to give him the right tools and support. "He told me he'd give me what I needed to reach the next step," recalls Cowles. "I just needed to provide the motivation."
Welding tools allowed Cowles to build custom trailers and trucks, so employees could do their jobs easily and efficiently. Workers can simply grab pipe and other supplies with less effort. The trailers are also designed so compact excavators can be loaded quickly and securely for safe transport.
Cowles knew that compact excavators would be a major boon to the company. Until recently, all digging was done by hand. "We live in Florida — a lot of days are over 100 degrees. Manually digging everything was just brutal."
Around 2019, Cowles was given approval to begin purchasing compact excavators. After looking at numerous competitor brands, he decided John Deere machines fit the bill. Today compact excavators do almost all of the digging.
Cowles wasn't looking for a lot of bells and whistles: "I need a machine that I can reliably put in the field and not have a breakdown. I need a basic machine made to work every day. That's what we love about John Deere compact excavators."
Ease of operation and maintenance are key reasons Bayonet runs Deere. "We have plumbers who are also operators, not the other way around," he says. "From the first time they run them, our plumbers have a natural feel for them. Controls are smooth and easy to understand. Operators can easily switch from excavator-style (ISO) or backhoe (SAE) controls."
"We used to do all the digging by hand, but mini excavators help us minimize the amount of physical labor, so we are more productive."
Standing By Each Other
Bayonet handles all the maintenance on the Deere machines. "Performing our own maintenance gives us more control over our schedule," explains Cowles. "Our local John Deere dealer, Everglades Equipment Group, regularly restocks a large Deere parts cabinet right in our shop that contains common pins, bushings, filters, and oil. Our guys grab what they need, put it in the truck, and go out into the field."
Cowles appreciates that most of the parts are common and interchangeable. "It allows us to keep a smaller amount of stock," he says. But the biggest advantage is the relationship the company has had with Deere and Everglades over the years. "Even during the depths of the pandemic, they always worked with us to make sure we had the equipment we needed and took care of us," he says. "We stand by the people who stand by us. Because as our founder Robert Blankenship would say, 'Right is right.'"
Strong Foundation. Consistent Growth.
Founded in 1977, Bayonet Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning operates between Fort Myers and Jacksonville, Florida.
1,100-plus Employees
9 Shops Throughout Florida
Main shop is in Hudson
600-plus Trucks and Other Vehicles
Almost 50 John Deere Compact Excavators
Bayonet Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning is serviced by Everglades Equipment Group, Plant City, Florida.
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The bucket of a John Deere 26P-Tier Compact Excavator extends to start digging into the ground.
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The John Deere 26P-Tier Compact Excavator pulls a bucket of dirt from the ground.
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