On April 20, 2000, a combination of professionals, family members, customers, and construction workers visited Van Lott Inc. Equipment Distributor at its Open House located in Aynor, SC. The Aynor store is the newest location of the Van Lott equipment distributors, located only a few miles from Conway and the first span of the Conway Bypass. The new building opened for business in April 1999. Originally the open house was scheduled for September 1999. Weather conditions from Hurricane Floyd forced a delay in the open house until the spring of 2000.

Approximately 300 people attended the open house, including children, spouses, construction workers, customers, and professionals. All the guests in attendance enjoyed a variety of foods, games, entertainment, and fun. Games included a pit stop to change tires of a racecar, a backhoe rodeo, and a roulette wheel. A variety of door prizes were given away, including a cooler, gas grill, John Deere golf bag, shirts, hats, and gift certificates.

Displays at the open house consisted of a booth area for Thomas Technical Institute, Thomasville, GA. Thomas Technical Institute offers a seven-quarter program, earning an associate of applied technology degree in construction equipment technology. John Deere and the technical institute sponsor this educational program.

Deere displayed a variety of heavy-duty construction equipment including backhoes, booklets and brochures.

Craig Olson, division manager of John Deere product support, Corey Cauthen, manager of product support operations, and Jim Doyle all of John Deere Credit attended the open house. Ken Priestly of Cotter Promotions brought Deere’s NASCAR race car to the open house.

Van Lott Inc. opened for business in 1932, providing heavy-duty construction equipment. The company has grown tremendously since then. Van Lott’s corporate office is located in Columbia, SC. Other locations include Asheville, NC, Simpsonville, SC, and Charleston, SC.

According to Vandy Van Lott Jr., president of the West Columbia, SC, office, “Our company is fortunate to be blessed with good, quality employees; and we have the greatest customers. We are blessed. Our employees and customers are the secrets to our success.”

Van Lott provides some of the construction equipment for a major part of the Conway Bypass, presently under construction in Myrtle Beach and Conway, SC. Van Lott expects the bypass will increase business significantly when it’s completed, since it will allow quicker access to its Aynor, SC, location.

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