EArly Years
In 1957 William L. Baker (Bill) founded Southeastern Equipment Company and began selling motor grader blades to townships and counties for Shunk Equipment Company. He received his first load of inventory on a promise, loaded up his pickup truck, and hit the road to start selling. Bill’s wife, Nancy, was Southeastern’s first bookkeeper, maintaining handwritten records in massive ledger books.
Bill placed the utmost importance on establishing trust and lasting relationships with his customers – qualities that aided Bill in establishing Southeastern’s foundation in small and large townships.
Within a year, Bill acquired the Adam Motor Grader Company franchise agreement for southeastern, Ohio. Shortly after, Southeastern began its franchise with J.I. Case Company – shaping the future of Southeastern as a construction equipment company.
The first location, a small Quonset hut, was in Old Washington, Ohio near Bill’s childhood home. As the business grew, Bill hired his first employee, Clyde Milligan, a service technician who worked alongside Bill for many years.
Growing With Purpose
In 1964, Southeastern constructed its first new building which still serves as the headquarters in Cambridge, Ohio. Within 10 years of the new location, Southeastern was ready to expand to a second location in Gallipolis, Ohio.
After establishing Gallipolis in 1972, three more branches were added in Ohio: North Canton, Burlington, and Monroe (along with a Florida division in the 1970’s). Bill frequently traveled to each branch, ensuring his core beliefs of customer service and trust weren’t forgotten.
As the company continued to grow, Bill positioned each new location to provide saturated customer coverage for service and sales. Through careful oversight, Southeastern sustained close relationships with customers and maintained a reputation as the preferred equipment dealer.
CURRENT DAY
Today, Southeastern’s 260 employees proudly serve 20+ locations in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and West Virginia. We’re one of the largest privately owned Case dealers in the Midwest and the largest Kobelco dealer in the United States. We stay true to our customer-focused philosophy by offering more than 30 lines of equipment to fit all equipment needs.
Bill continued to place great importance on well-trained employees to create an informed customer experience. In 2002, Southeastern developed an 8,000-square-foot training center in Cambridge, Ohio, equipped with a 200+ person classroom, boardroom, and large shop bays. The facility aims to train employees and customers on a wide variety of heavy construction equipment. In 2023, Bill’s grandson, Thor Hess, took over as president, continuing his grandfather’s legacy of investing in people, education, and the long-term success of both customers and employees.
In 2023, we opened our newest branch in West Virginia, further expanding our reach so we can support more customers and their projects.
Southeastern Through The Years
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LOGOS THROUGH THE YEARS
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