October 14, 2026
When it came time to put together an equipment fleet for one of our largest projects, we started with a pretty simple question for our crews: What do you need to be successful?
Their answer? John Deere.
Construction Equipment Guide recently featured Abernethy Contracting in an article and video highlighting our work at Axial Commerce in Huntersville, North Carolina, along with the people, equipment, and partnerships making it happen.
The 70-acre project is no small undertaking. Our crews are moving nearly 350,000 cubic yards of material, installing miles of underground utilities, building six stormwater ponds, and preparing the site for two tilt-up buildings totaling nearly 10 acres under roof.
To tackle that kind of work, you need some serious iron.
Our fleet includes John Deere excavators, dozers, articulated dump trucks, and more, supplied and supported by our friends at James River Equipment. One standout is the 670 P-Tier excavator, which has been putting in work digging through tough rock and moving some serious dirt.
But one of the best parts of this story has less to do with the machines themselves.
Before making a major fleet investment, our leadership team went straight to the people who would be operating the equipment. Our crews had great experiences with John Deere on previous projects, and their feedback helped shape the fleet we have on-site today.
And when project needs change, as they always do in construction, having a dealer like James River Equipment that can adapt and keep things moving makes all the difference.
A big thanks to Construction Equipment Guide for sharing the story, and to James River Equipment for being a great partner.
Read the full article and watch the video on Construction Equipment Guide.
