History

Scaffolding Sales to Comprehensive Scaffolding Services

From four employees, two vehicles, and a very humble store front, to 6 branches, 150 employees, and 100+ vehicles, Associated Scaffolding Company Inc. has grown into the leader in access equipment in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee.

No matter if you are seeking scaffolding sales, rentals, design, or training, Associated Scaffolding has the expertise and large inventory needed to solve any access challenge you might have with skilled, trained professionals focused on your safety. Contact us today to get started on your next project!

Who We Are

1947

Humble Beginnings

Originally named Associated Scaffolders and Equipment Co., the company opened in Durham, NC in 1947 providing scaffolding rentals to contractors in the local area.

1968

Bright Future

In 1968 Gene Hawkins bought the company and ran it with his son Tommy, until Gene's retirement in 1985.

1985

New Name New Vision

Tommy Hawkins became President of the company and changed the name to Associated Scaffolding Co. Inc. Tommy brought in his brother-in-law, Rick DeMent, who would later become Vice President of the company.

1990

Expansion

With the growth in the Raleigh-Durham area, the company expanded in 1990 to a larger 24,000 sq. ft. building. This allowed the company to increase its product offerings and begin providing installation services.

1998

Greensboro, NC

Associated Scaffolding opens its first satellite location in the growing city of Greensboro, NC. This location offers all the same rental, sales, and services as the main Durham location.

2001

Columbia, SC

Only 3 short years after opening its first satellite location Associated Scaffolding opened their 3rd branch, this time in Columbia, SC. This location allowed service to Myrtle Beach, Charleston, and Greenville,SC.

2003

Richmond, VA

Pushing north this time, Richmond, VA was the next area of expansion for Associated Scaffolding. Providing the same quality services to Fredricksburg, Roanoake, Blacksburg, and Norfolk.

2007

Corporate Headquarters

In 2007 the Durham branch moved again, this time to a 126,000 sq. ft. warehouse with space for a new corporate headquarters, distribution center, and full service retail showroom.

2008

Safety Store & Online Sales

In 2008 expansion came in the form of a new product category; construction safety equipment. All locations would now stock fall protection, PPE, ladders, and more. During this time the company also launched its online store, selling these products nationwide.

2009

Knoxville, TN

Associated Scaffolding moved west, opening a new location in Knoxville, TN. This location services the mountain region in both Tennessee and North Carolina, providing the same great equipment and access solutions.

2010

Raleigh, NC

With amazing growth in the triangle region of North Carolina, a Raleigh location was in high demand. This location focused on fall protection and safety equipment sales with only a small rental inventory.

2013

Expanded Raleigh, NC

The growing demand in the Raleigh market allowed this branch to expand into a new building. This allowed for more inventory as well as full rental and installation services.

2016

Knoxville, TN Expansion

In need of more space and a bigger safety store, the Knoxville team moved into a much larger location. This allowed for continued sales growth and inventory expansion.

2018

Richmond, VA Expansion

The Richmond team was in need of a larger location. This new building allowed for a greatly expanded safety store and more efficient warehousing.

2020

Charlotte, NC

In March of 2020 we opened our new Charlotte branch. This location lets us serve not only North Carolina's largest city, but also continue to expand our service throughout the Western part of the state.

Associated Scaffolding Company, Inc. Corporate Headquaters in Durham, NC

ASSOCIATED SCAFFOLDING PROVIDES SOLUTIONS FOR ALL SCAFFOLDING
NEEDS IN NC, SC, VA, TN AND NATIONALLY

Originally named Associated Scaffolders and Equipment Co., the company was founded in Durham, NC in 1947 providing scaffolding and installation to contractors in Durham and the surrounding area.

In 1968, Gene Hawkins bought Associated Scaffolders and Equipment Co. and, with his son Tommy who he brought in to help run it, they created a growth-oriented company with a dedication to service and safety for their customers. The father-son team ran Associated Scaffolders and Equipment Co. until 1985, when Gene retired and Tommy became President. At that time, the company name was changed to Associated Scaffolding Co. Inc.

An Era of Growth and Expansion

Spurred on by the rapid growth in the Raleigh-Durham area, our company expanded to a 24,000 square foot building in Durham in 1990. With the additional space, we were able to increase inventory and selection to include swing stages to our scaffolding sales options. This was just the beginning of rapid growth for Associated Scaffolding, as over the next two decades, we opened five new locations across the Mid-Atlantic, serving all of North Carolina and much of South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and even Georgia.

Greensboro, NC (1998)
Columbia, SC (2001)
Richmond, VA (2003)
Knoxville, TN (2009)
Raleigh, NC (2010)

Growing into a Full-Service Safety Equipment and Scaffolding Company

The 21st century brought a third generation of Hawkins to the company with the addition of Tommy’s two sons, Jeff and Brian. During this time of great success, Associated Scaffolding Company Inc. was able to expand its inventory once again in 2007. Our Durham branch moved to a 126,000 square foot warehouse which houses our corporate headquarters, distribution center and full service retail showroom. This gave us an exciting opportunity to offer a broad selection of safety equipment and PPE while providing fall protection services while expanding our sales services to include a new online sales department that provides nationwide shipping!