Welcome to Associated Supply Company

Effective Dec. 21, 2009, Associated Supply Company Inc. (ASCO) acquired Texana Machinery.  ASCO is owned by the Wright family, and the construction equipment and material-handling rental company is based in Lubbock, TX with 10 locations concentrated in West Texas.  ASCO is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2010.

"We are going to call ourselves ASCO Texana Machinery for a period of time to make sure we don't confuse our customers", said Kirby Carpenter, Texana's former president, who will now be the Central Texas area manager for ASCO.

"We are very excited as the economy picks up, to have the forward momentum that ASCO has given us to really expand what we are doing in Central Texas."

"We are going to be adding a tremendous amount of rental equipment, over and above what Texana has rented."

Over Texana's 15-year history, it has been the Case and Kawasaki dealer in the Central Texas market.

"We traditionally have been dirt guys, demolition guys, break the rock, dig in the dirt, and ASCO does that too", Carpenter said.  "But in addition to that, they have a complete array of pumps, compressor, concrete equipment, boom lifts, reach lifts, scissor lifts.  We will even be in the crane rental business.  So it's a big, big change."

When asked where ASCO Texana was going to put all that equipment, Carpenter said, "At our current locations to start with.  We hope to be announcing further expansions as the spring goes along.

This is like a dream to us.  We are really excited about going on.  We've got a great team of people at Texana, and those people will be on board with ASCO, going forward."

The two Central Texas locations are planning events in the future for customers, according to Carpenter.  "People can be looking for some grand opening announcements once we get things up and going.  We haven't missed a beat as far as doing business."

      Carpenter said there are plans for expansion in the Central Texas market. "ASCO has been a very successful company.  They have very high standards and they are known for giving a lot back to the community in the places they are located, and they are very well-run," he said.

      J.W. "Bill" Wright founded the Associated Supply Company Inc. in 1960 a Towmotor lift truck dealership and U.S. Army surplus equipment store. In 1965 Caterpillar Tractor Company bought Towmotor, and Associated Supply Company, Inc. became a Caterpillar lift truck dealer.  Several other acquisitions and mergers introduced other equipment brands.

      J.W's sons joined the company in 1973 and 1975.  The CEO is W.B. "Brax" Wright and the president is Steve Wright.  -kf  (excerpted from  San Antonio Construction News - January 2010)