VALDOSTA — Flint Construction and Forestry observed the opening of its newest facility with a Nov. 2 ribbon cutting.

Flint Construction and Forestry is a subdivision of Flint Equipment Company.

Chris Cannon, president of Flint Equipment Company, and his family purchased Flint Equipment Company 18 years ago. Since, the company has quadrupled in size, Cannon said. The Valdosta location is Flint Equipment Company’s 29th facility.

“We’re proud of that growth,” Cannon said. “It’s a sign we are taking care of our customers.”

Flint Construction and Forestry provides and services equipment for road builders, miners, foresters and more. This division has been in operation for approximately 55 years.

“Forestry is big in the Southeast, so we are the leaders in forestry equipment,” Cannon said. “We provide sales, parts, service and rentals out of this facility.

“People use our equipment to make a living and we are closer to them by having this facility here. Obviously, we will be able to service better and make them more productive.”

The facility houses parts and technician departments. Cannon said that parts and the ability to fix and work on the equipment is an integral part of the business.

“Selling equipment is one thing, but you know, what really sells equipment is support,” he said. “And that’s the purpose for being here is to have a facility to where we can bring equipment here and not buy parts elsewhere.”

The company’s technician is a field service technician, Cannon said. He has equipment to leave the facility and service equipment on site.

“He has a very nice service truck, … and he can go out and actually do work in the field,” Cannon said.

The Flint agriculture and turf division works with agricultural equipment and implements, including pecan harvesters, commercial scraper tractors and irrigation systems. The division has been in operation for approximately 60 years.

The Flint power systems division provides engines to original equipment manufacturing sweepers, pumping units and other machines. The division has been in operation for approximately 45 years.

“We retrofit our engines to fit their product,” Cannon said.

The Valdosta location is a part of the construction and forestry division, but the power systems and agriculture divisions are still serviced in South Georgia by other facilities.

When opening the new facility in Valdosta, Cannon said he made some new hires, but he was able to source current employees who already live in Lowndes County to run the store.

“Most of them were already working for us and serving our customers down here,” Cannon said about his employees. “We’ve hired some additional people and we will continue to hire people.”

The building that Flint Construction and Forestry is housed in is not a new construction. The company gutted the building and added a washing facility, added cranes and expanded the parts warehouse.0

“We bought it, cleaned it up and remodeled it,” he said.

Cannon decided to locate his business off of Inner Permitter Road because of the access it grants his customers and his business when bringing in new equipment.

“We like this location because of the inner loop,” he said. “It makes it very accessible to our customers. When they bring big equipment in, it makes it easy to get in and out of.”

Ultimately, the decision to open a new facility in Valdosta is a response to growth in the Southeast during the last few years.

“We’ve done business down this way for a long time,” he said. “It’s nice to be right here where we can really take care of our customers. This is a growing part of the Southeast and we certainly recognize that, and that’s where we like to go is where the growth is at.”

Flint Construction and Forestry, 5763 Hunt Road, is open 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call (229) 474-6680. 

Jason Smith is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1257.