Gates

Lilley Brothers oversee Gates County farm and truck needs

Story by Gene Motley Photos by Gene Motley & Contributed

They’ve been a six decades-old fixture across eastern North Carolina and southern Virginia for more than 66 years now, and Lilley International wants to continue that tradition. That’s how long it’s been for what began as a tractor sales and service business and grew into one of the top truck, trailer and farm equipment sales and service providers

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in the region.

“The fact that our customers utilize our products and services to earn their living gives purpose to our lives,” said Laurence Lilley Jr. on his business’ web site. “The ultimate goal being to exceed our customers’ expectations on a daily basis.”

Laurence Jr. is president of the company while younger brother, Jim, is vice-president. Currently they have four locations from the Capital to the coast.

While the ‘International’ in their name doesn’t yet represent a global footprint. At the pace the company has expanded in the last 40 years, conquering the world can’t be far behind.

Lilley’s dad, Laurence Lilley Sr., together with several other business partners,

It’s been great to have “ a partner. We both agree it’d be really challenging if you didn’t have a partner to talk with, share ideas, discuss things and hold each other accountable.” - laurence lilley

purchased the local International Harvester dealership in Williamston, then known as Martin Tractor and Truck Co., in 1953.

“There were five (partners) at the beginning,” Laurence Jr. continues. “But the others just sort of lost interest over time, and by the late fifties, Dad ended up with sole ownership.”

The younger Lilley boys both began working at the dealership as teens, then after college came more responsibilities within the company.

“I came back after finishing the University of North Carolina in 1976 and became a full-time employee, and Jim came on board in 1989,” Lilley noted. “We had good people and good customers and more opportunities came along.”

One of those first opportunities was the acquisition of their second dealership in Rocky Mount in the early 1980s. It came at the time I.H. Case bought International Harvester’s farm equipment division, and also when the Lilley franchise had it’s next expansion into Scotland Neck in 1997. Their third expansion was to Gates County in 1999. Despite closing the Halifax County location in 2015, four years later came their largest expansion with the purchase of the International dealership in Raleigh in 2019.

The siblings are proud of the bond their business relationship has forged.

“It’s been great to have a partner,” Laurence acknowledged. “We both agree it’d be really challenging if you didn’t have a partner to talk with, share ideas, discuss things, and hold each other accountable.”

The Gates County facility had an original farm equipment dealership in a little building in Gates called Carroll’s Garage, owned by brothers Bob and Jack Carroll. After Jack retired in

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the 1990s, his younger brother Bob – by then in his mid-70’s in age – began to discuss an exit strategy of his own.

“He didn’t have any children involved in the business, so he contacted us and we went and looked at it,” Lilley said. “We liked the people and thought the area offered a good opportunity to continue on and that’s how it came to be.”

Following the closing at the end of the century, Lilley International built a brandnew building on US-13 North in 2005.

“Most of the time, these opportunities just sort of present themselves and things just kind of happen,” Lilley acknowledged. “Raleigh was a big acquisition for us, and in the times of this pandemic more things are challenging. We’re going to concentrate on refining and perfecting what we have right now.

“For the farmers, our business is essential, and our customers are essential,” he stated.

While the company has realized significant growth in broadening their primary product offerings to meet the needs of a changing

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customer base, Lilley International has added a variety of trailer lines, that also include Isuzu trucks, and Maintainer service bodies.

While the elder Lilley passed away in 2009, the combination of his 56 years in the business plus the work of his two sons represents 73 years of experience in the truck and farm equipment business in Williamston, Gates, and beyond. Two FA Photo Ad “We want to continue a legacy of Maximum of two financial advisor photos. innovative leadership and a deep appreciation for our employees and the customers we serve, and have built relationships with in If more financial advisors should be included, use the community name listing or 1-800-ED-JONES version. the many decades of our business,” Lilley maintains. Gene Motley is a retired Sports Editor and Sports Director and regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

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