Develon celebrated the grand opening of its North American Customization Plant in Brunswick, Ga., on Sept. 4, with executives attending from Develon Headquarters and North America and Wallenius Wilhelmsen.
Develon opened its first North American Customization Center in July 2019 in collaboration with Wallenius Wilhelmsen. Due to the successes and growths within Develon, the company needed to expand the capabilities and capacities of the current site by relocating to a new, larger North American Customization Plant.
Develon and Wallenius Wilhelmsen have had a long-standing relationship for 24 years and will continue by collaborating in the relocation and operation of this new Customization Plant. As a result, Develon dealers and customers will receive new machines faster and meet stricter quality standards thanks to the company’s larger state-of-the-art customization facility in Brunswick.
Develon employees with Wallenius Wilhelmsen will manage the final assembly and configuration of construction equipment, aiming to provide the highest quality, according to the company. The new state-of-the-art facility is 50 percent larger than the current Customization Plant in Savannah, Georgia, offering enhanced production capabilities, a dedicated machine storage yard and an expanded indoor warehouse.
“Our new customization plant in Brunswick will allow us to expedite our services for our dealers and our customers,” says Chris Jeong, president and CEO at Develon. “It’s a much larger facility than the previous customization plant, with dedicated space for our machines, and will better meet the custom needs of our dealers and our customers with an array of final assembly options.”
The customization facility in Brunswick is located near Interstate 95, allowing for convenient transportation once Develon machines are ready for shipment and optimizing delivery lead times.
GSA Equipment opens new rental department
GSA Equipment, a provider of lawn equipment sales and service, is launching its new rental department. This expansion marks a significant milestone in the company’s commitment to meeting the diverse needs of its customers, according to GSA Equipment.
The new equipment rental department offers a wide range of lawn and landscaping equipment, providing both homeowners and professionals with flexible solutions for their outdoor projects. Customers can now rent powerful equipment without the long-term commitment of purchasing.
“We’re excited to introduce our rental department,” said Adam Nichols, CEO at GSA Equipment. “This new service allows us to better serve our community by providing access to professional-grade rental equipment for short-term use, making it easier and more cost-effective for our customers to tackle their lawn care and landscaping projects.”
The rental inventory includes:
- Blowers for efficient cleanup
- Zero-turn mowers for precision lawn maintenance
- Aerators for lawn health improvement
- Bucket loaders for heavy-duty landscaping tasks
- Mini skid loaders for versatile material handling
This new offering pairs well with GSA Equipment’s existing sales and service departments, propelling the company toward its goal of being a one-stop shop for all lawn care needs.
Rentals are available for various durations, from daily to weekly rates, accommodating both small weekend projects and larger, long-term jobs. GSA Equipment’s staff is also ready to assist customers in selecting the right equipment for their specific needs and to provide guidance on proper usage.
Volvo Construction Equipment celebrates 50 years at Shippensburg
It’s been 50 years since workers began building heavy construction equipment at a plant in Shippensburg, Pa. Back then, the site was owned by Ingersoll-Rand and employed roughly 50 people. Today, it’s the North American headquarters of Volvo Construction Equipment and employs more than 650 people.
Staff gathered to celebrate the milestone earlier this month in conjunction with a visit from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers AEM Manufacturing Express bus tour. Festivities included a cookout, yard games and sharing stories from the last five decades.
“We have heavily invested in our facilities, our people and our services here in Shippensburg. The work done at this site has a significant impact on our customers, our industry and the local community,” said Gustavo Casagrandi, head of operations at the site. “It’s rewarding to gather today to reflect on all of that.”
Combining the celebration with AEM’s visit was natural, according to the company.
“We’re proud AEM members, so this is a great way to celebrate our employees’ contributions to the construction and manufacturing industries,” said Casagrandi.
The AEM Manufacturing Express is an interactive mobile tour visiting 80 member manufacturers across 20 states. It’s the largest public engagement initiative in the association’s history, according to the company, and is designed to celebrate the U.S. equipment manufacturing industry plus the roughly 2.3 million workers who help sustain and build it.
“We’re thrilled to be part of this 50th anniversary celebration alongside community leaders and supporters,” said Megan Tanel, president of AEM. “This tour has been an amazing opportunity to tell the stories of the people of our industry.”
The AEM and Volvo teams also invited local policymakers to the event to raise awareness of and support for bipartisan policies that support the equipment manufacturing industry and its employees.
Five decades of manufacturing in Shippensburg
Volvo has made significant investments in the site over the past 17 years, including a $30 million, 200,000-square-foot expansion of its operations footprint in 2010. In addition to the production of wheel loaders, soil compactors and asphalt compactors, operations at the location include a regional excavator completion center and a rebuild center for used equipment. The site is the North American headquarters for sales and marketing, a hub for purchasing and supply management and the design and engineering center for compaction equipment.
The Volvo Customer Experience Center and 40-acre proving grounds opened in 2014, housing a demonstration fleet of more than 70 pieces of equipment spanning the company’s full product portfolio. In 2023, a Technical Training Center wing added machine servicing bays and classrooms where dealer technicians and sales teams can learn about Volvo’s latest machines and technologies, including electric equipment. The venue hosts more than 10,000 Volvo CE dealers and customers annually.
“It’s an honor to work in such a storied place and continue sharing Volvo’s commitment to training, safety and sustainability with our community,” said Casagrandi. “I can’t wait to see what the next 50 years bring for our people and our industry.”
Yardnique to close Kissimmee facility
According to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act letter submitted on Aug. 28, Yardnique, a North Carolina-based provider of commercial landscape maintenance, design and installation, will permanently close its Kissimmee, Fla., facility on Oct. 31, cutting 106 jobs.
The company has locations throughout the southeast United States, and according to the letter, there will be no bumping rights for the affected employees, meaning employees do not have the right to take another employee’s job as a result of the closure. Yardinique ranked at No. 23 in the 2024 LM150 listing of the top 150 revenue-generating landscape firms in the United States.
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