Nixon Power Services - Nixon History

In 1914, after working in a Detroit automotive plant, Robert R. Nixon returned to his home in Chattanooga and established the R. R. Nixon Company, selling foundry supplies and other items to the foundries and steel mills in Eastern Tennessee. World War I brought a halt to the business as Mr. Nixon joined the U. S. Army and served in France as a Lieutenant in the Infantry. At the end of the war, he returned to Chattanooga and reestablished his business, along with a partner, Bob Hasselle.

The depression in 1930s had a devastating effect on the foundry and steel business and the Nixon-Hasselle Company turned to other means of keeping the company going. Their new strategy was selling and servicing construction machinery since the government was supporting an intensive road building program even during the depression. About the time this business was established and growing, World War II broke out, and the government diverted all road machinery production to the war effort in Europe and Asia.

With a background in construction machinery, the partners stayed the course by purchasing and rebuilding used construction equipment. During W.W.II, R.W. Hassell passed away and Robert R. Nixon purchased his interest in the company and formed Nixon Machinery & Supply company. As the war ended and new construction equipment lines became available, the company became distributors for about fifteen lines of equipment, one of which was the General Motors Diesel Division (later Detroit Diesel).


	The Nixon-Hasselle Company operated in a facility established at 1300 Carter Street in Chattanooga, which served as a Nixon operation in Chattanooga for many years. (This facility later served as a Nixon Detroit Diesel and finally a Covington Detroit Diesel branch).

NashvilleFabrication In January of 1951, Robert R. Nixon passed away and the company was managed by Jack Harris until Robert A. (Bob) Nixon became President in 1959. During this period a branch was opening Nashville, first at 5th and Lafayette and later on Demonbreun Street (now where I-440 intersects Demonbreun). In 1960 Bob’s brother Leonard established a branch in Knoxville, TN. It was during this period that Nixon sold the first Detroit Diesel generator set.

During the 1960s, it became obvious that the diesel engine business was outgrowing the rest of the company and required a business separate from the construction machinery business. A division named Nixon GM Diesel was formed and located in Nashville at 208 Crutchfield Avenue (down the street from our current Nashville Service center). In 1968, Bob Nixon and his brother Leonard totally separated the businesses and Bob became sole owner of Nixon Detroit Diesel, Inc.

Continuing to operate as Nixon Detroit Diesel, the company had made the decision to grow the power generation business and assigned Roger Bowman as a full-time Sales Engineer in 1967 for this market. Thus began Nixon’s focus in the power generation business. In 1969, Nixon was appointed the distributor in Middle Tennessee for Kohler Company’s line of “electric plants”. At the time, Kohler was entering the marine market, but a large component of the business was portable generators. Standby products at the time covered a power range of 1 – 100 kW Generator-Repair

Nixon’s generator business continued to grow through the sale of Kohler units as well as Detroit Diesel generator sets which were designed and assembled by Nixon’s Fabrication Center which was established in 1972. In 1973 a freestanding facility was built on the corner of Hill Avenue and Crutchfield, (our present Nashville Service Center). During this period Nixon employed engineers, welders and assembly technicians who designed, built and tested generator sets. In addition Nixon produced its own engineer’s catalogs and product literature. By the late 70’s Nixon was well established as a power generation company, with major accounts in the southeast and Southwest. By this time, Nixon represented Kohler in Middle and East Tennessee.

In 1986, Nixon was appointed the distributor for Kohler in West Tennessee and Easter Arkansas, and an operation was opened in Memphis under the name of Nixon Power Services Company.

In early 1989, Nixon acquired the generator operations of Ellingsworth Auto Electric in Louisville. Ellingworth was the Kohler distributor in Kentucky and was managed by David Sinclair. By this time Nixon was selling almost 100% Kohler products in power generation applications and had ceased the assembly of generator sets. Generator-Sales

In August of 1989, Nixon Detroit Diesel was acquired by Geneva Corporation. In addition to the power generation business, Nixon had a major parts remanufacturing facility and service branches in Chattanooga and Kingsport, as well as a new motor coach service center on Cleveland Street in Nashville. It was determined that General Manager of Covington's Tennessee Operation. At the same time, the decision was made to retain the Nixon Power Services Company name and operate

the Kohler distribution business as Nixon Power in the former Fabrication Center. At this time the diesel business was relocated from 208 Crutchfield to the Cleveland Street facility and the remanufacturing operations at the end of Crutchfield were shut down, leaving Nixon Power at the current Nashville location, with Ruben Wilson as Sales Manager and Bill Anderson as Parts and Service Manager.


	In 1990, the CEO of Geneva (F. James Becher, Jr.) made the decision to establish Nixon Power Services Company as a fee-standing Geneva Division, give it its own identity, and pursue a growth strategy in the power generation business. Roger Bowman was named President of this new division and operations commenced in December of 1990 with 21 employees. In 1992 (in its second year of operation, Nixon was named “Distributor of the year” by Kohler Company, an honor received many times since. In 1993 Nixon Power established an office in Lawrenceville (Atlanta) to service key customers and support the marine and mobile business. In December of 1994, Nixon acquired the assets of Owsley & Sons in Georgia and became the Kohler distributor in Georgia. In 1995, Nixon acquired the assets of Associated Engines in Atlanta, and that group led by Silvia Shaw became Nixon Dedicated Services, a Nixon operating unit that provides engineering, sales and installation of equipment and services to customers in the telecommunications market segment. In 2001 Nixon acquired certain assets of Owsley and Sons in Ft. Mill, SC and became the Kohler distributor in North and South Carolina. In 2003 Nixon, under the name Nixon Energy Solutions was appointed the distributor for GE Jenbacher in an area reaching from Louisiana to Florida to Maryland.


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	Corporate Headquarters 5038 Thoroughbred Lane Brentwood, TN 37027 Phone: 615-309-5823 Phone: 888-826-4966 Fax: 615-309-5858


	Georgia 1440 Lakes Parkway Lawrenceville, GA 30043 Phone: 770-448-6687 Phone: 800-586-4966 Fax: 770-448-6535


	Kentucky & Indiana 11910 Carrier Court Louisville, KY 40299 Phone: 502-267-0474 Phone: 800-596-4966 Fax: 502-267-9166


	North & South Carolina 3101 Yorkmont Drive 100 Charlotte, NC 28208 Phone: 704-588-1043 Phone: 866-766-4966 Fax: 704-588-8373


	Tennessee 2620 Locust Street Nashville, TN 37207 Phone: 615-244-0650 Phone: 800-766-4966 Fax: 615-244-0689


	East Tennessee 1612 Highway 75 Blountville, TN 37617 Phone: 423-279-0357 Phone: 800-972-7519 Fax: 423-279-0846


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