JAMES BOYKIN'S ENDURING Photos provided by THE FAMILY
legacy James W. Boykin died in October 2019, at the age of 80 years old. But, he left a legacy in business and of service to the community that will long endure. Most known for the business he owned and managed for decades, Boykin Erectors, James Boykin was originally from Savannah. After serving the U.S. Army after high school, he returned to Savannah, where he joined Steel Erectors as their crane mechanic and crane operator. In 1972, his father, James "Earl" Boykin, started Boykin Erectors to support a major expansion at Rayonier. Boykin commuted from Savannah to Jesup to help his Dad on nights and weekends for over a year before finally moving his wife, Loretta, and four children to join the family's business. After the death of his father (Earl) in 1974, Boykin became president of Boykin Erectors. He grew it from a small handful of employees in a 2,500 square foot building to well over 100 employees with a crane division, steel
Boykin with his grandson, Max, at Bill Morris Park.
fabrication shop, carpenter/millwright division, and a steel erection company.
WAYNE MAGAZINE
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