Marty Kimbrough, the general manager for At-Once Rental & Supply in Lancaster, TX, knows a good thing when he sees one. So when the opportunity came up recently to land the local franchise for Terramite Corporation’s brand of compact tractor loader backhoes, he grabbed at it.

So far, Kimbrough has seen a long line of plumbers, electricians, landscapers, and local homeowners coming in to do a double take, and end up driving off with one of his Terramite backhoes. At-Once both sells and rents these models, and they’re gaining a first-hand look at just how versatile they can be.

“Use these one time,” said Kimbrough fondly of his new inventory of backhoes, “and you’ll find many other uses for it after that. They’ll rent them one time and they get hooked on them. They fall in love with them.”

One of the biggest advantages of the Terramite models is the compact size. At 1,080 kilograms (2,400 lbs.), the T5C is the least expensive to rent, and one of the easiest to pull with a pickup — no big rigs are needed for hauling.

At-Once’s new franchise area is centered in Dallas and Tarrant counties — which includes Dallas and Fort Worth — as well as all the surrounding counties. It’s a big advantage for the company, which rents to a broad range of light and medium-sized contractors, as well as many local ranchers and homeowners. For the past eight years, At-Once has been building a reputation as a family-owned rental operation that offers daily, weekly and monthly rates for trenchers, rollers, compaction equipment, air compressors, backhoes, and more, as well as a long line of power tools that includes power saws and drills. In addition, the company — which is owned by Gilbert and Victoria Argumaniz — sells job-site supplies, including blade bits, sanding disks, saws and so on.

The company is currently expanding, with plans to add a new building and turn its existing facility into a mechanic’s shop for small engine repair.

“We try to cater to people as a one-stop shop,” said Kimbrough, which is another reason they have for adding the Terramite line. The Terramite T5C has a front-end loader and a backhoe that can dig a trench 2.5 meters (8 ft. 4 in.) deep. The T6 goes down 3 meters (10 ft.). And the fact that the Terramite line is gas-powered makes it easier for contractors that might find it difficult to get diesel on their work site.

“My job in customer service is to make sure the customer gets what is best for the job,” said Kimbrough. “If I can save them 50 bucks and get them the right machine,” he feels he’s done his job.

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