This article originally appeared in our sister property, Counterman, by contributor Thomas Dayton. He explains that, of the many “in-store services” offered in today’s aftermarket, creating custom hydraulic-hose assemblies is a potential profit center that’s often overlooked.

Dayton tells the story of working in rural or semi-rural markets, and the need to understand and service hydraulic systems “pretty early in my aftermarket career. At that time, I also was moonlighting on the family farm, so I was already familiar with some of the unique needs of hydraulics customers.”