Equipment Depot of Texas, based in Waco, Texas, last week acquired Equipment Service Inc., a privately held forklift dealership in Longview, Texas.

Equipment Depot is a dealership group of five regional equipment companies that operate under one common name to rent, sell, service and provide parts and training for forklifts, aerial work platforms and other construction equipment.

“Even though market conditions are tough, we are continuing to execute our long-term growth strategy in North America,” said Don Moes, president of Pon North America, parent company of Equipment Depot in the United States. “Adding a dealership with a solid base in northeast Texas is another step in our plan to build a national brand. We expect to acquire additional material handling or rental companies this year.”

Equipment Depot has more than 40 locations in 12 states, with regional companies based in Texas, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

“This acquisition extends our reach in the northeast Texas market and completes an acquisition plan in Texas that began in 2002,” said Kelly Kunta, CEO and president of Equipment Depot in Texas. “Adding the Longview forklift facility to our existing operation allows us to expand our construction equipment rental operations into northeast Texas markets as well. Equipment Depot of Texas has been the authorized dealer for SkyTrak in many of the counties served by Equipment Services, but we have not had a facility to sell, rent of provide service for telehandlers in the northeast Texas region.”

Equipment Services has operated at the same location in Longview since April 1973. It was originally a branch of PowrLift of Dallas, but became privately held as Clarklift of East Texas in 1972.

Equipment Depot now has 14 facilities in Texas, covering 170 counties, with total annual revenues topping $190 million. It was founded as Central Texas Clarklift in 1975 and is a dealer for Caterpillar, Clark, CombiLift, Doosan, Drexel, Hoist, Linde, Mitsubishi and Nissan forklifts, and Mobile pallet jacks. It sells, services and rents aerial lifts by JLG, Genie and SkyTrak and New Holland light construction equipment.

Equipment Depot is No. 21 on the RER 100, listed last year as Pons North America.