Blanchard Machinery opened its new South Columbia parts and service facility on Oct. 5, 2026, expanding the company's capacity to support customers throughout South Carolina and the surrounding region.
Located on a 62 acre campus at 251 15th St. in Gaston, S.C., the 196,000-sq.-ft. facility brings parts, machining, hydraulic service, rebuild, welding, training and customer support operations together under one climate controlled roof.
The facility represents a major expansion beyond Blanchard's existing Columbia campus and is designed to serve as a centralized support hub for the company's branch network across the state.
“We believe this facility will become one of the largest and most technologically advanced Caterpillar parts, service and rebuild facilities in the Southeast, helping us support customers throughout South Carolina and the surrounding region for decades to come,” Brad Fultz, chief operating officer of Blanchard Machinery, told Construction Equipment Guide.
Groundbreaking took place April 7, 2025. Substantial completion and possession followed in late July 2026. The facility provides approximately 1.5 million cu. ft. of warehouse capacity and includes infrastructure already in place for future expansion.
Designed Around Workflow
One of the defining features of the new facility is its assembly line approach to heavy equipment service.
Rather than separating key operations across disconnected buildings, Blanchard designed the facility so parts, machining, hydraulic service, repair, rebuild and customer support functions can operate sequentially under one roof.
“The facility was intentionally designed to operate as much like an assembly line as possible,” Fultz said. “Parts, machining, hydraulic service, rebuild operations and customer support are integrated into a seamless workflow in a way that improves quality, efficiency and turnaround times.”
The approach is intended to reduce unnecessary movement of components and machines while improving efficiency and accelerating repair and rebuild work.
The new facility includes 11 superbays capable of supporting as many as 44 machines, along with a dedicated machine shop superbay and capacity to rebuild five to six machines simultaneously. Approximately 105 technicians are expected to work throughout the South Columbia facility.
The facility also includes dedicated field service and lube service areas, along with a machine loading and unloading area capable of handling seven to eight tractor trailers at one time.
Parts Operation Expands
The parts operation also represents a significant increase in capacity.
The facility has approximately 38,000 parts storage locations, including 25,000 automated storage locations housed within three Vertical Lift Modules, or VLMs. An advanced Warehouse Management System and integrated parts conveyor system are designed to help move parts through the facility more efficiently.
Blanchard also will offer 24 hour customer parts pickup lockers for after hours access to critical parts. A retail parts showroom will provide customers with access to fluids, filters and maintenance items, along with assistance from Retail Parts Specialists to get customers everything they need to maximize their equipment's uptime.
“This isn't simply a larger facility. It's a complete redesign of how parts and heavy equipment service are delivered,” Fultz said. “We've invested in advanced warehouse technology, automated storage systems and workflow improvements that help us provide faster, more accurate support to customers.”
The new warehouse spans 50,000 sq. ft. with a 35-ft. clear height, providing approximately 1.5 million cu. ft. of capacity. By comparison, the existing facility has 18,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space with a 14-ft. height, or approximately 252,000 cu. ft.
Parts storage capacity will increase from approximately 28,000 locations at the existing facility to 38,000 at the new operation.
More Testing, Rebuild Capacity
The South Columbia facility also substantially increases Blanchard's testing and repair capabilities.
Its dynamometer testing capacity increases from 2,500 hp at the existing facility to 3,500 hp for continuous testing. The new dyno can handle up to 4,500 hp for 10 minute testing intervals.
The facility also features hydraulic benches rated at 60,000 foot pounds and is capable of servicing the largest hydraulic excavators operating within Blanchard's territory.
A full service hydraulic hose shop will manufacture custom hoses while customers wait, adding another capability aimed at reducing equipment downtime.
Centralized operations at the facility include a Component Rebuild Center, machine shop, Spec Shop, hydraulic shop, weld shop and Machine Rebuild Center. These operations will support customers and Blanchard branch locations throughout South Carolina.
According to Blanchard, bringing those capabilities together is intended to improve consistency, efficiency and service responsiveness across its statewide operation.
Focus On Customers, Workforce
Customer uptime is a central consideration in the facility's design.
In addition to expanded parts inventory and 24 hour parts lockers, the facility provides dedicated loading and unloading space, increased service capacity and an integrated workflow intended to reduce repair turnaround times.
“Our current Columbia campus has served us well for decades, but we have reached capacity,” Fultz said. “This facility allows us to increase service capacity, improve parts availability and create a more efficient experience for our customers.”
The facility also is intended to provide a more modern workplace for Blanchard employees.
Fultz said the new environment will help the company recruit and retain skilled technicians and other employees.
“Today technicians have options. A modern, climate controlled workplace equipped with advanced technology helps us attract, develop and retain the next generation of skilled professionals.”
The facility includes a training and conference center with seating for up to100 people. The space can be used for employee training, customer education programs, industry meetings and community events.
Future Growth
Blanchard Machinery's investment also reflects its expectations for continued growth in South Carolina.
“We believe in the future of South Carolina,” Fultz said. “This investment reflects our confidence in the continued growth of the state's construction, mining, aggregates, infrastructure, manufacturing, industrial and energy sectors.”
Although located in Gaston, the South Columbia operation will provide specialized parts, service and rebuild capabilities for customers and branch locations throughout the state.
The 62 acre campus includes planned expansion areas adjacent to the warehouse, service shop and specialized repair operations. Underground utility infrastructure has been installed to accommodate future building additions, and the site has sufficient acreage to expand shop space, warehouse capacity and support facilities as demand increases.
Construction specifications include 8 in. and 10 in. concrete slabs using 5,000 psi concrete, seven covered loading docks and 8-ton and 12-ton bridge cranes.
“This is a generational investment that will allow us to serve our customers for decades to come while giving us the flexibility and capacity to continue growing alongside them,” Fultz said.
For Blanchard, the project represents more than replacing an aging or undersized facility. The company describes it as a fundamental redesign of how it delivers parts and heavy equipment service.
“This is not a new corporate headquarters,” Fultz said. “This was an intentional decision to build a new parts and service headquarters because this is our biggest opportunity to add value for our customers, employees and our business.”
With its opening on Oct. 5, 2026, the South Columbia facility now serves as a central component of Blanchard Machinery's statewide service network, offering expanded shop capacity, automated parts handling, specialized rebuild capabilities, advanced testing equipment and room for future expansion.
For more information, visit blanchardmachinery.com.
