Today, M&H Equipment serves a diverse customer base across the Northeast. The dealership has become a trusted partner for a various range of clientele. From homeowners and municipalities to professional contractors across various trades, customers rely on M&H for top notch equipment, service and support. As a result of this growth and commitment to excellence, the company has been named the 2026 Rural Lifestyle Dealer’s Dealership of the Year. Beyond this honor, the company has also grown into one of the region’s top-performing dealerships, earning recognition as one of Altoz’s leading dealers while becoming Exmark’s top dealer in New England.

However, M&H Equipment didn’t start with a large team or even a shop. It began with two dealer technicians, a home garage and a commitment to help customers who needed someone they could trust.

The Origins of M&H Equipment

Before M&H Equipment existed, Neil Mongeau and Patrick Howell were two technicians whose friendship evolved while working together. 

The pair first met around 2005 at work, and spent the following years working together throughout the industry. Although their careers took different paths at times, they always found themselves back working alongside one another.  This partnership became the foundation for what would eventually become M&H Equipment. 

In 2014, the dealership where they both were working closed unexpectedly. Employees were informed the business would be shutting down that day. While most of the staff left, Howell stayed the rest of the week to help disassemble the service department. 

As he was helping shut the dealership down, he realized there were approximately 150 jobs still sitting in the service department. Rather than leaving those customers to find another option, Howell asked the owner if he could finish all the services himself.

With the owner’s approval, Howell immediately called Mongeau, and they got to work. 

The early days of M&H Equipment were far from a traditional dealership operation. They worked out of Mongeau’s home garage and traveled to customer locations to complete repairs. 

“I had a Volkswagen Jetta that we took the backseat out of and put plywood down,” Howell says. “We put the toolbox in it, and we drove around servicing mostly commercial landscape guys.”

The company began with approximately 10 commercial landscape customers, focusing entirely on service. 

There was no large parts department or extensive inventory. What M&H did have was a deep understanding of equipment and a willingness to go wherever customers needed them. 

That approach helped them form relationships that ultimately showed Mongeau and Howell that there was another opportunity in front of them. 

Expanding from Services to Sales

After roughly 2 years of doing service exclusively, M&H Equipment began to look into equipment sales. The decision seemed like an obvious one. Howell says, as the contractors who trusted M&H to repair and maintain their machines were purchasing equipment from other dealerships. 

“These guys are buying mowers from somebody else,” Howell says. “We might as well just sell them the mowers.” 

The decision to enter equipment sales was a natural expansion of what M&H had already built. 

The dealership’s front-facing sign highlights the customer-first philosophy that drives their success. Jenna Upchurch

Howell and Mongeau looked at the needs of its existing customers and brainstormed on what they could provide to make the business more successful. M&H began adding brands that fit the customers’ needs while also being equipment that Mongeau and Howell knew and trusted. 

In 2016, M&H began selling RedMax trimmers and Bobcat mowers. Over time, the dealership continued expanding the products they offer, eventually adding brands Exmark, Altoz, Toro, Stihl, BOSS and many others.

M&H’s Approach to Fleet Management

M&H Equipment has a deep focus on its commercial client base, working directly with landscape contractors to ensure their equipment maintains peak performance. A key part of this process is advocating for a disciplined equipment rotation cycle. The dealership encourages contractors to operate their mowers for 3-4 years, trading or reselling them while they are still under warranty, Howell explains. This practice helps customers avoid rising maintenance costs of older machines and ensures maximum uptime, he says. 

“We want you to be out in the field not in the shop,” Howell says. 

M&H’s trailer and truck upfitting department helps them support a broader range of professional contractors. Jenna Upchurch

This approach is also applied when working with contractors who do not use M&H equipment. Rather than suggesting replacement of an entire fleet, the dealership takes a different approach.

 They normally suggest the customers keep newer mowers as they could be more reliable, and start by rotating out older units. Howell says this helps contractors effectively and efficiently transition into the Exmark brand, while not pausing productivity. 

Finding an Opportunity with Altoz 

One of the most unique opportunities in M&H’s growth came through its decision to take on Altoz. Mongeau and Howell discovered Altoz while attending the annual Equip Expo in Louisville, Ky. They were looking for a product that would make them stand out from other dealerships and give its customers another option. 

Many customers already had strong opinions about established equipment brands. Altoz offered a different opportunity for M&H, Howell says. 

“Some people just have opinions of brands, whether they’ve owned them or not. This was a brand that was new and nobody could say, ‘I don’t like that,’” he says.

M&H initially learned about Altoz products when the company offered wheeled mowers.  By the time M&H became and Altoz dealer, the ZTR manufacturer had introduced track mower technology. 

The machines provide an advantage in places where traditional equipment struggled, including difficult terrain and large acreage. One particularly strong opportunity emerged in solar farm maintenance, Howell says, where conditions make larger mowing equipment difficult to maneuver. 

Although M&H was initially pitching this equipment to farmers and municipalities, they realized targeting solar farm management companies changed their business. 

By expanding into nontraditional markets such as solar farm maintenance, M&H grew its customer base beyond its normal farmers and municipalities. 

Diversifying with Trailers & Truck Upfittings  

Recognizing that existing customers relied on trailers daily, the M&H team saw a clear opportunity to simplify the purchasing process for them. By offering trailers, they provide a more seamless experience for contractors who already trusted the dealership for their other equipment needs, Howell says.

“How do we get the guys who are buying from us and already trust us to buy more from us?” he says. “They all have trailers, let’s get trailers.” 

Initially they got into the trailer industry to support existing customers. However, the opportunity turned out to be bigger than giving existing landscaping customers another product to buy. 

Adding trailers, truck bodies and upfittings allowed M&H to reach beyond its traditional customer base and into other industries. These additions attracted customers such as electricians, plumbers, commercial construction companies and pavers that needed trailers. 

Due to their experience with trailers, they also expanded into truck bodies and upfittings. The dealership embraced an “everything but the truck” concept, where customers bring their trucks to M&H and the team handles the full upfitting process, Howell explains. This includes flatbeds, dump body installs, strobe lights, bumpers, hitches, snow removal equipment and more. 

The well-organized parts department is central to M&H’s ability to keep customers in the field and productive. Jenna Upchurch

While this was a great area of growth for M&H, it required extensive preparation. 

Before M&H could sell and register trailers, it had to complete Connecticut’s DMV licensing processes. This process required extensive paperwork, bonds and approval before the dealership could legally register trailers for customers. Howell says it took 4-5 months until they were able to gain their license to sell trailers. 

It also required M&H to meet a range of requirements that went way beyond just obtaining a license. The dealership had to document its facilities, demonstrate that the property was not already contaminated and address environmental safeguards, Howell explains. Some of the safeguards included oil-spill procedures, containment around wash stations and ensuring floor drains were properly contained. They also had to ensure that the dealership was not located in a protected watershed or within restricted proximity to wetlands. 

“We are held to the same requirements selling trailers as you would be if you sold 1,000 cars a year at a Hyundai dealer,” says Howell. 

Acquiring a Second Location 

The company’s original location sits in the northwest corner of Connecticut, which is geographically removed from the state’s major population centers and the region commonly known as the Gold Coast. M&H had customers in the Gold Coast market, but reaching them consistently meant putting employees and equipment on the road.

“For years we had been trying to figure out how to capture some more of that business and how do we reach those customers?” Howell says.

An opportunity eventually emerged to acquire an existing dealership in Bridgeport, an area M&H has been looking to reach. 

Although it seemed like a great opportunity off the bat, Howell and Mongeau did not want to rush into the deal. Howell spent several months working alongside the existing business owners and employees, learning how the operation worked and getting a better understanding of the market and its customers, he says. The goal was not to just determine if it made financial sense, but also if it was the right fit for M&H. 

After spending these months at the location, it proved to be too compelling to pass up, he says. 

“We decided this was an opportunity that we didn’t want to miss,” Howell says. “This was a region that we wanted to sell in and it had a lot of upsides.” 

M&H finalized the transaction in September 2025. But completing the acquisition was only the beginning.

M&H was entering an established market with an established team. Rather than replacing the existing employees, the company kept most of the crew. Those employees came with knowledge of the customer and market in this location. 

One of the challenges Howell and Mongeau faced was implementing the M&H way of doing business into this new location while respecting the relationships and knowledge the employees had already gained. 

They decided to be hands-on during this transition period. Howell spent months at the new locations daily, and Mongeau went 3 days a week. Together they worked alongside the team and introduced them to M&H’s philosophies, processes and goals. 

Over time, the level of involvement began to decrease. Howell eventually moved from being there everyday to a few days a week, while Mongeau followed a similar progression and recently, Howell says, they decided Mongeau doesn’t need to be there at all.

Ultimately, the goal was to build a sustainable M&H operation, not to have Howell and Mongeau running a second store. M&H has established staffing, processes and procedures at the location, giving both Howell and Mongeau confidence that the store can operate successfully without its founders being there every day.

The second location has given M&H a presence in a market they had been trying to reach for years. It has also expanded the company’s customer base and new product opportunities, including Toro products, Stihl equipment and BOSS snowplows and spreaders. 

Adding Robotics to the Lineup

A relatively new growth area for M&H is the expansion into lawn mowing robotics. The dealership began exploring robotic mowing technology 18 months ago, initially working with Kress Robotics and later expanding to include Husqvarna Robotics and Segway Robotics.

As the dealership staff learned more about the market, it became clear that robotics represented a significant opportunity. This led to M&H creating a dedicated robotics team focused specifically on this emerging technology. 

Robotic mowing requires a different level of support and ongoing customer interaction, Howell says. Because of that, M&H has involved commercial landscape contractors in the process. Howell sees robotics as another opportunity to strengthen the relationship with contractors, since they are one of their major customer bases. 

A customer that connects with M&H Equipment about robotic mowing will be connected with a landscape contractor local to them that will provide installation, maintenance and support.

“We try as much as we can to keep the landscaper involved and keep that service in the hands of the landscaper,” Howell says. 

The dealership’s approach is also focused on finding the right robotic solution for each property, which is why M&H expanded into multiple brands.

Howell and Mongeau’s willingness to explore new opportunities has shaped M&H’s growth from the beginning. The dealership has continued to look for ways to give customers more reasons to turn to M&H, with robotics as the latest opportunity. 

“We’re always looking for ways to add revenue to the customers that already know and trust us,” Howell says. 

Investing in People

Howell and Mongeau made a strategic decision to invest in their team before focusing on outside advertising or other expenses. They view every dollar spent on their employees as an opportunity to improve the customer experience. 

“Investing in people is the best way we can spend our money,” Howell says. 

The showroom entrance invites clients to explore the latest equipment and solutions from M&H’s trusted brand partners. Jenna Upchurch

They have grown the staff from 6 full-time employees in early 2024 to 26 today. 

“This investment isn’t just about increasing headcount, it’s about expertise,” Howell says. 

No matter the department, the employees share a commitment to solving customer problems. Howell says hiring the right people helps to expand the company along with the customers’ experience at M&H.