James E. Stephenson, president and chief executive officer of Yancey Bros. Co., the “nation’s oldest Caterpillar dealer” serving north Georgia for more than 80 years, announced Dec. 13, the successful acquisition of the operating assets of Carlton Company, south Georgia’s Caterpillar dealer since 1951.
This acquisition will provide Yancey Bros. Co. the opportunity to serve customers across the entire state of Georgia. “We believe combining the Carlton operations with ours improves our ability to deliver value to our customers, provide better career growth opportunities for our employees, and position us as a stronger, more competitive organization,” Stephenson said.
Yancey Bros. Co. was established in 1914 by brothers and co-founders Earle and Goodloe H. Yancey Jr., as the Caterpillar dealer for the entire state of Georgia.
In 1927, the state was split into two territories as Earle Yancey moved to Albany and began operating across souther Georgia as the Yancey Tractor Company. Earle sold his dealership in 1949, and two years later, O.D. Carlton II successfully started Carlton Company as south Georgia’s Caterpillar dealer, where he remained as president until 2000.
In North Georgia, Goodloe Yancey Jr. remained as president of Yancey bros. Co. from the company’s beginning until 1959. Following his tenure, his nephew, Don Yancey, took over as dealer principal until 1974. Don’s brother, Goodloe Yancey III, then ran the company until 1995, when Donna Yancey Stephenson and Jim Stephenson became principal owners of the company with Goodloe III serving as chairman of the board.
“It is with a great amount of excitement that we are bringing the entire state of Georgia back under one dealership. I have tremendous respect for the work Carlton Co. has done over the past 50 years, and we look forward to continuing to meet the high standards of service our customers in the northern and southern parts of the state are accustomed to,” commented Stephenson.
Yancey Bros. Co. currently operates 14 branches in north Georgia, serving earthmoving, engine and rental customers. With this acquisition, Carlton’s seven branches in south Georgia will merge with Yancey’s operations, yielding 21 facilities to serve customers across the state.
For more information, visit www.YanceyBros.com.
