Southeastern Equipment Founder’s Grandson Named EVP and Legal Counsel

Southeastern Equipment Co. has named Thor Hess executive vice president to oversee company strategy – both long term and short term – and implement operating efficiencies for the company’s 18 locations.

Michael Roth

May 4, 2016

Hess takes over as executive vice president and legal counsel after two years of directing corporate strategy and developing operations.

“We are very fortunate to have Thor on the team,” said Southeastern Equipment president Charlie Patterson. “With his education and experience in many areas of our company, he is uniquely positioned to spearhead strategic planning for Southeastern Equipment.”

Hess, grandson of William L. Baker, who founded Southeastern Equipment in 1957, joined the company in 2014 as director of corporate development where he helped hone company strategy and assisted in managing corporate operations.

“I look forward to growing our associates, developing our customer offerings and expanding our footprint,” said Hess. “My grandfather grew this business into what it is today and continuing that success throughout my career is very important.”

Hess graduated from Middle Tennessee State University, earning his B.A. in business administration before receiving his Juris Doctorate from Ohio St. University’s Moritz College of Law.

About the Author

Michael Roth

Editor

Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.