Will Blackerby is celebrating 20 years in the heavy equipment industry, with service spanning National Equipment Dealers and its previously acquired companies, including May Heavy Equipment. Over the course of his career, Blackerby has played a key role in fleet management, asset strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and operational leadership as the organization has continued to grow.

Born and raised in Lexington, North Carolina, Blackerby earned a degree in Electrical Engineering from The Citadel. He began his professional career with a large engineering firm before transitioning into the power generation segment of the equipment industry. A few years later, he was approached by Jacob May about joining May Heavy Equipment — a decision that would shape the next two decades of his career.

“I questioned the fact that they didn’t have generators,” Blackerby recalled. “Jacob told me, ‘They all run on diesel — you’ll be fine.’”

Blackerby joined May Heavy Equipment as the company’s first Equipment Manager, at a time when internal systems were simple and largely manual. Accounting was handled through QuickBooks, transportation was tracked by hand, and service history was managed separately. While sufficient for a smaller fleet, those systems began to strain as the company expanded. Blackerby helped implement improved fleet tracking and asset management processes, advancements that became especially important as economic conditions tightened.

“Once the recession hit, every asset mattered,” he said.

Over the past 20 years, Blackerby’s responsibilities have steadily expanded from equipment management and early digital sales initiatives to executive-level leadership overseeing fleet strategy, mergers and acquisitions, regional operations in North Carolina, and enterprise-wide asset management. He currently serves as Executive Vice President of Asset Management for NED.

Blackerby says relationships remain one of the most rewarding aspects of the heavy equipment industry. “It’s a small industry,” he said. “You often find common ground through shared contacts and past experiences.” He also values the tangible nature of the business, noting that industry professionals rarely pass a job site without paying attention to who is working and what equipment is being used.

Reflecting on his time with NED, Blackerby points to the people and experiences as most meaningful. “I’m proud to have worked for a company that started in the town where I was raised, while giving me opportunities to work across five continents and with customers of all sizes.”

Looking back on two decades in the industry, Blackerby keeps the lesson simple. “It’s a relationship business,” he said. “You shouldn’t burn bridges — you’ll probably work with those people again.”

One of his favorite industry stories comes from Bert May, recalling a late night at a dealership when someone wondered aloud if there was a better way to make a living. “But they knew — and so do I — there really isn’t.”