South Texas’ leading distributor of specialized asphalt and paving equipment will again be the region’s exclusive representative for the Champion line of compact motorgraders.

Bryan Abernathy, vice president sales and marketing of Champion Motor Graders, recently announced the agreement with Cooper Equipment Company of San Antonio.

“Champion and Cooper Equipment have been very successful together in the past. We look forward to renewing our strength in the region with the outstanding service and application knowledge that Cooper brings to our customers.”

Abernathy explained that Cooper was previously the Champion dealer for south Texas through the 1980s and early 1990s, until the Champion product line was purchased by Volvo Construction Equipment. Now that Champion is again independently owned, the company has been developing its base of distributors who are focused on the specialized markets for compact graders.

George Cooper, president of Cooper Equipment, welcomed Champion as “the top of the class” among compact graders.

“We knew the Champion C80 graders were a good product back then and we know they are a good product now. We are dealing with the same people, the same factory, the same service we could count on before. Other graders in this size class simply don’t have the strength of Champion.”

Specializing in compact graders for more than 25 years, the Abernathy family acquired their business back from Volvo in the summer of 2004. Since then, Champion has renewed development of the product line, introducing a wide range of engineering improvements with the new “C-Series” models providing a tighter turn radius, higher front axle clearance and a wider blade-lift stance for moldboard control.

Cooper Equipment has been serving south Texas contractors since 1959. George Cooper succeeded his father, Bob Cooper, as president in 1984. Headquarters for the business is an eight-acre site at Loop 1604 and Judson Rd. in San Antonio, including 12,000 sq. ft. office and service facility.

From its earliest days, Cooper Equipment has specialized in equipment and service for asphalt and paving applications.

“The big dealerships that are out there have a product line like a cafeteria; they have something for everybody,” said Cooper. “We operate more like a steak house by restricting our menu to paving and road equipment.”

Cooper said Champion compact graders are an ideal fit with his existing line-up.

“The big advantage with small graders is maneuverability; they can actually do things that large graders can’t. So we sell into applications where only a small grader can do the job. But a small grader still should have the strength to “cut grass” — to clean off the top layer of sod and soil when it’s preparing a new site. Champion has the right size, the right weight, horsepower and blade to do the job.”

Cooper’s first two Champion C80 graders have been delivered and placed in the company’s rental equipment fleet. Cooper will represent Champion sales and service throughout south Texas (Brownsville to Waco). Plans are now under way to open a second Cooper location in Georgetown, Texas.

For more information on Cooper Equipment, call 210/657-5151 or visit www.cooperequip.com.

For more information on Champion Motor Graders, call 704/392-1038 or visit www.championmotorgraders.us.

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