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on Tuesday, September 9, 2025
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Avondale, AZ – September 9, 2025 — Tugboat Institute® is proud to announce that Stotz Equipment has been named the 2025 Evergreen Company of the Year®. This once-in-a-lifetime recognition is the highest honor bestowed by Tugboat Institute, distinguishing the single company that rose to the top of the annual Best Evergreen Companies® list.
The Evergreen Company of the Year award honors a privately held business that exemplifies the Evergreen 7Ps® principles—Purpose, Perseverance, People First, Private, Profit, Paced Growth, and Pragmatic Innovation—and demonstrates exceptional maturity and impact across all dimensions. After a rigorous evaluation of Certified Evergreen® companies and Tugboat Institute® Exemplar hosts, Stotz Equipment stood out for its enduring commitment to building a company designed to thrive for generations while positively shaping its employees, community, and industry.
"The team at Stotz is sincerely honored by the recognition. We have a deep respect and appreciation for the Tugboat Institute, and we consider this another positive sign that Stotz folks are actively living our purpose - creating a better life for our families, communities, and those connected to the land."
— Tom Rosztoczy, CEO, Stotz Equipment
“Stotz Equipment rose to the top of this year’s Best Evergreen Companies list because they are an extraordinary example of what it means to be Evergreen,” said Dave Whorton, Founder and CEO of Tugboat Institute. “For nearly eight decades, the family and team have built a company that not only thrives in its industry, but also consistently puts people, purpose, and community at the center. Their perseverance, humility, and long-term vision embody the very best of Evergreen leadership. It is with deep gratitude and admiration that we recognize Stotz Equipment with this once-in-a-lifetime honor of Evergreen Company of the Year.”
About Stotz Equipment
Stotz Equipment was founded as Arizona Machinery in 1947 by Fred Elder and two partners. Although the name has since changed, the family is the same. Today, Stotz Equipment operates out of 24 locations in 8 western states. It still holds true to the founding values of the Elder and Rosztoczy families: Quality, Integrity, Loyalty, Caring and Community. Their vision is to be the best equipment dealer in the world. To achieve this, they strive to provide exceptional customer service and have made it their mission to make life easier for their customers by building long-term relationships, offering flexible solutions, providing their customers with uptime availability, and minimizing customer effort. They truly aim to create a better life for their families, communities, and those connected to the land.
About the Evergreen Company of the Year® Award
Each year, Tugboat Institute identifies a single company from the Best Evergreen Companies® list that most fully embodies the Evergreen 7Ps principles. To be considered, companies must undergo the Certified Evergreen® process or host a Tugboat Institute Exemplar Visit—each requiring a deep, introspective evaluation of practices across all the 7Ps. Only one company earns the title Evergreen Company of the Year, and each company may receive it only once.
About Tugboat Institute®
Tugboat Institute is a membership organization of CEOs and founders of privately held companies united by the Evergreen 7Ps Principles. Beyond its membership community, Tugboat Institute champions the broader Evergreen movement by promoting the value and importance of Evergreen companies as a powerful and under-recognized force in business and society.
Through peer learning, curated events, research, and thought leadership, Tugboat Institute is working to elevate public understanding of the long-term impact Evergreen companies have on employees, communities, and economies.
In 2025, Tugboat Institute Founder and CEO Dave Whorton, together with acclaimed author Bo Burlingham, co-authored Another Way: Building Companies That Last… and Last… and Last, a book that shares the origins of the Evergreen movement and highlights the enduring power of businesses built for the long term.
Visit: www.tugboatinstitute.com for more information.
Stotz Equipment Media Contact:
Justin Murray
Director of Precision Technology
jmurray@stotzeq.com
(623) 936 - 7131
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Stotz Equipment | Evergreen Certified: