A heavy equipment seller and maintenance company is opening a location in Atlanta, a move that industrial recruiter Dave Bernd said will provide high-wage jobs and provide a boost to local sales tax revenue.
Heavy Machines Inc., which is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee and has seven other locations in the U.S., is moving into an office and warehouse at 10110 Roberts Way in Covington, off City Pond Road. The location, which will sell used and new equipment and repair equipment, will serve the entire Atlanta market, said Steve Northcross, senior vice president of sales and marketing.
Jobs and taxes
Bernd said the business will bring two major benefits to the county: high-paying jobs and sales tax revenue. Much of the company’s workforce will be comprised of repair and service technicians, and technicians who can repair more complex heavy equipment generally earn higher wages, Bernd said.
In addition, Bernd said the company will sell some multi-million dollar pieces of equipment to companies around the Atlanta area, and all of that sales tax revenue will be captured in Newton County.
“That will be huge,” Bernd said.
The industry was not given any local incentives, but could be eligible for incentives if it expands in the future, Bernd said.
The company will open with around eight employees, Northcross said, but he said the company certainly expects that number to grow over the years. While most of the initial hires have been made, Nothcross said the company is still looking to fill some administrative positions and has reached out to local colleges and high schools.
Most future hires will be for service technicians, Northcross said, and the company is expected to more than double its employees over the next several years, Bernd said.
The company is planning to invest $255,000 in the facility over the next couple years as well, Bernd said.
“We’re rehabbing it to fit our needs,” Northcross said. “It’s been unused for a while, so we’re truing to make some improvements to fit our needs.”
The buildings used to house Advanced Clearing Concepts.
Company profile
Heavy Machines has been in business since 1971 and is heavily involved in 15 states from Louisiana to Maine, Northcross said.
The company sells new and used equipment and repairs equipment used in the construction industry, forest products industry and scrap and waste industries. The company sells equipment from a dozen companies including Liebherr, Link-Belt, Kawasaki, LeTourneau, Hammel and Rubble Master, according to its website.
Heavy Machines has a location near Savannah, but does business in Atlanta and wanted a location in the area, he said.
“There were some manufacturers who had asked us to step into the market, because it’s being unserved by several manufacturers now,” Northcross said.
He said the company wanted to avoid the traffic congestion north of the city along I-75 and I-85 and felt the I-20 east corridor was a better fit. The company found a “great facility” with an office and maintenance bay in Newton County that fit its needs but still provided good access to the Atlanta market.
