James M. Bailey founded The Bailey Company, Inc. in 1949. That year, the company sold its first Towmotor forklift truck, a machine that was a true innovation of its time, making work that once was laborious and time-consuming easier and more efficient. 

(James Bailey, second from the right, with Charlie Bebout, Gordon Morrow, and Raymond Davis from left to right.)

Since that time, The Bailey Company has expanded to encompass 12 locations, with territory extending throughout middle and eastern Tennessee, northern Georgia, southwestern Virginia, and parts of Kentucky.  Twelve stores are locationed so that customers are rarely further than an hour from a store, and less from a resident service tech.  It is and always has been family-owned and operated, and it is a certified woman-owned business.

When James Bailey passed away in 1979, his wife Lu Bailey appointed Gordon Morrow company president.  Now, Mr. Bailey's son Bert Bailey serves as chief executive officer and chairman of the board, his daughter Laura Bailey Busby is chief financial officer, and his two grandsons, Ryan and Justin Bailey, are the director of sustainability and rental manager, respectively.  Mr. Morrow retired as president in 2011 after 53 years with The Bailey Company.(Late owner Lu Bailey with son Bert Bailey and daughter Laura Bailey Busby.)

The company has received numerous industry awards for outstanding service and has always prided itself on its service-centric approach.  Therefore, The Bailey Company maintains an employee ratio of close to 250 product support people to 20 salespeople. 

The company is the largest of its kind in based in Middle Tennessee and one of the top 10 dealers of material handling equipment in the United states.

 (CEO Bert Bailey, CFO Laura Bailey Busby, and Rental Manager Justin Bailey.)