White Oak Equipment has added employees and gained more display area after relocating its Suffolk facility.

The dealer of new and used construction equipment, tractors and other utility items also has locations in Richmond, Fredericksburg and Manassas. Its Suffolk store had been located in Wilroy Industrial Park for six years, product support manager Dorsey Ficklin said.

Last weekend, the company held a grand opening at its new location at 3464 Pruden Blvd.

“We had the option to move to a more visible location and a larger building,” Ficklin said.

The new location more than doubles the original square footage and has a much larger showroom.

“The biggest thing is being able to show equipment inside, out of the elements,” Ficklin said.

The move has resulted in the Stihl display doubling, he said. “By coming here, we are able to offer more of their products,” Ficklin added.

With the move, White Oak has added 2 ½ full-time employees in Suffolk, Ficklin said, bringing the total number to 7 ½.

Other brands of equipment White Oak stocks include Takeuchi, Kubota, Wacker Neuson and Mobark.

The company began in Fredericksburg and opened the original Suffolk location in 2008 after closing one in Chesapeake.

“Our hope when we moved to Suffolk was to become a Kubota agriculture and turf dealer,” Ficklin said. “We wanted to expand in this area and serve customers here in Suffolk.”
The growth in Suffolk since 2008 has been “almost exponential,” Ficklin said. “It continues to grow. We knew we wanted to stay in Suffolk when we moved out of the industrial park.”
Dorsey Ficklin said his father, Tom Ficklin, visits the Suffolk location regularly, giving customers the opportunity to speak to the president of White Oak face to face.

“We are in a unique position,” he said.

In a news release, Suffolk Mayor Linda T. Johnson said it’s always good news when a locally owned and operated small business can expand and grow in the city.

“We wish White Oak Equipment much success with their business expansion,” she said.