When Chris Carrington rented a machine to clear a friend's farm more than 25 years ago, he discovered a career that would grow into a successful site development business serving commercial and industrial customers throughout North Carolina.
Today, Carrington is owner of Carringtons Clearing and Grading LLC, an Oxford, N.C.-based contractor specializing in commercial and industrial site development. The company performs land clearing, mass excavation, underground utility installation, fine grading and site preparation for concrete, asphalt, sidewalks, curb and gutter.
Long-Term Customers Drive Growth
One of Carringtons Clearing and Grading's longest-standing customers is a roofing shingle manufacturer with a facility on a 140-acre site. Carringtons has worked continuously since 2004 after completing a subcontracted expansion project.
"I've pretty much been doing their work ever since," Carrington said. "I work out there every year. There's always a project going. We probably do 90 percent of their work."
The latest project is a 30-acre development includes construction of a 10-acre parking lot, installation of miles of underground utilities, approximately 150,000 cu. yds. of earthmoving and construction of several large stormwater retention basins.
While projects have grown in size and complexity, Carrington said the foundation of the business has remained the same.
"I'm thankful that all the work I've gotten over the years has led to many relationships that have kept me going," he said. "We do a lot of repeat business. Repeat business has been the driving force behind our success."
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The Takeuchi TL6R compact track loader works on the new loading dock area near Oxford, N.C.
Evolving With Industry
Carringtons Clearing and Grading has evolved considerably since its early days.
The company initially focused on large-scale earthmoving, moving bulk material for general contractors before expanding into more specialized site development work.
"I started out moving a lot of bulk dirt," Carrington said. "Over the years that's evolved into doing more fine grading, putting in curb and gutter, sidewalks and now these large industrial sites. We do a lot of fine grading; it has become one of the company's specialties along with prepping for asphalt and concrete installation."
Earlier in his career, Carrington worked as an employee of S.T. Wooten Corp., gaining valuable experience operating a wide range of heavy equipment and developing the grading skills that continue to benefit the company today.
"I learned how to fine grade and operate machines we didn't have in residential construction like motor graders, excavators and pavers," he said.
That experience helped prepare Carrington to earn his highway contractor's license, allowing the company to pursue a broad range of heavy civil and industrial site development work throughout central North Carolina and the Raleigh area.
Takeuchi Fleet Fits Wide Range of Applications
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Carrington relies on the Takeuchi machines for their reliability and performance.
Helping Carringtons Clearing and Grading maintain production is a fleet of Takeuchi excavators purchased through CCS Equipment.
Today, the company operates three excavators — a Takeuchi TB2150, TB290 and TB240 — each selected to perform specific tasks on the job site while giving crews the flexibility to handle projects ranging from heavy excavation to finish grading.
The largest machine in the fleet, the TB2150, serves as the company's primary production excavator. Weighing approximately 33,000 lbs. and powered by a 114-hp. Deutz diesel engine, the excavator delivers the hydraulic power, breakout force and digging depth needed for demanding earthmoving applications.
Carrington relies on the TB2150 for excavation, loading trucks, constructing stormwater ponds, digging utility trenches and moving large volumes of material on industrial developments.
The mid-sized TB290 has become one of the company's most versatile machines. The approximately 19,000-lb. excavator combines strong lifting capacity with smooth hydraulic performance, making it equally effective for production digging and precision finish work.
Carrington has equipped the TB290 with a Mongo power angle tilt bucket, allowing operators to shape slopes, fine grade building pads, prepare sidewalks and curb lines and complete finish work with greater accuracy while reducing machine repositioning.
Rounding out the fleet is the compact TB240, an approximately 9,000-lb. excavator designed for versatility in confined work areas. The machine is frequently used for utility installation, smaller excavation projects and work around existing structures where maneuverability is critical.
Together, the three excavators allow Carringtons Clearing and Grading to efficiently perform virtually every phase of site development.
"I like their excavators," Carrington said. "They're bulletproof. They're strong. The price point is great. The service is good. They're very reliable and they're fast. I'd say they're probably stronger than advertised."
Carrington said the machines have consistently delivered the uptime and durability needed to keep projects on schedule while providing the performance required for both heavy production work and precision grading.
More Than a Dealership
For Carrington, the relationship with CCS Equipment extends well beyond equipment purchases.
Having worked with the dealership since 1999, he credits the company's commitment to customer service as one of the reasons he continues to return for equipment and support.
"The service is excellent," Carrington said. "Whether you're dealing with parts, rentals or service, everybody cares."
He added that CCS Equipment's employees take the time to build relationships with customers and understand the demands contractors face every day.
"They know you on a first-name basis. They take care of you. They call you to make sure the service was good. They follow up, they communicate very well and they're very organized. I can't say enough good things about them."
Carrington said having a responsive dealership partner is especially important when equipment is working on large commercial and industrial projects where schedules are tight and downtime can quickly become expensive.
Over more than two decades, CCS Equipment has become a trusted resource, providing machines, parts and service that help keep Carringtons Clearing and Grading productive throughout the year.
Looking Ahead
Although the company has grown steadily over the past quarter century, Carrington said its future will continue to be built on the same principles that fueled its success from the beginning — quality work, dependable equipment and strong customer relationships.
His son, Jake, has become increasingly involved in the business, bringing new technology skills and helping position the company for the future.
"I'm hoping he's going to take it over," Carrington said.
With a growing portfolio of industrial and commercial projects, a dependable fleet of Takeuchi excavators and a trusted partnership with CCS Equipment, Carringtons Clearing and Grading is well-positioned to continue building the relationships that have driven its success for more than 25 years.
