Published Nationally ®
Southeast Edition
November 20 2019
$3.00
Vol. XXXII • No. 24
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded 1957.” 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com
Inside
Hitachi Completes Relocation of HQ...8
Nearly 15 Years After Katrina, an Aqarium Rises on the Gulf Coast At the gateway to the aquarium will stand three sails made from steel frames with rebar and mesh (finished with multiple layers of shotcrete and paint) that are built to withstand 160 mph winds.
Jim (L), president, and Adam Hills, executive vice president, both of Hills Machinery Company.
Bobcat of Monroe’s North Carolina Open House...14
Hills Machinery Partners With Prophet Equity LP
Jeff Martin Hosts Sale in Brooklyn, Miss. ...88
Table of Contents ........4 Paving Section ......33-49
By Lori Tobias
People in Gulfport, Miss., don’t like to talk much about Hurricane Katrina, and understandably so, but they do like to talk about what you might call the silver lining of that dark cloud — the $93 million Mississippi Aquarium. Prior to Katrina, the city had Marine Life, a muchloved yet mostly dolphin-oriented facility that was destroyed by the hurricane. “The city leadership was looking for a really great family venue,” explained David Kimmel, aquarium president and CEO. “An aquarium was what they really wanted, but it was planned for Biloxi. They instead went for a baseball stadium. So, Gulfport saw a great opportunity and really wanted it. This goes back to city leadership.” The aquarium, set on a 5.8-acre beachfront campus with exhibits inside and out, features three trademark sails, representing education, conservation and community. “Those are the pillars on which we based our mission statement,” Kimmel said. “Education of our guests, conservation organization and community. Not only the community we live in, but the aquatic community. We want to integrate these three things that we
CEG CORRESPONDENT
Trailers Section ....51-68 Parts Section ..............69 Business Calendar ......69 Auction Section ....85-91 Advertisers Index ......90
see AQUARIUM page 28
Hills Machinery Company LLC announced Nov. 8 that it has partnered with Prophet Equity II LP to make an equity investment to acquire an interest in Hills Machinery. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., with seven locations that serve North and South Carolina, Hills is one of the largest Case Construction dealerships in the United States, with a focus on heavy equipment offered by Case Construction, Terex Trucks, a full line of recycling products, and other leading construction equipment manufacturers. Since 2007, when Adam and Jim Hills started the company, the business has experienced a dramatic growth that has seen the company expand fivefold during the past 12 years. “We have gone from being a smaller familyowned business to a much larger business,” said Jim Hills, president of Hills Machinery. “We pride ourselves in providing our customers with an ease see HILLS page 26