story by Heather Page
Have you ever thought about scales, an instrument or machine used for weighing? Not the scale you use for your morning weigh-in to ensure you haven’t gained that extra unwanted pound. I’m referring to the sort of scales that measure almost every item we use in our daily routines. Like the scales that measure the smallest amount of ingredients to complete a heart medication for your loved one or even the scales that eighteen-wheelers drive across to make sure they aren’t exceeding the weight capacity of the highway. If you’re like me, these scales have always been in the background of your life, only you haven’t stopped long enough to admire them and all they do for us on a day to day basis. However, the topic of scales is always on the tip-of-the-tongue or whirling around the minds of employees at Toledo Carolina, known by many locals as Toledo Scales.
To tell you a little about the company, in 1967, Jack Greer founded Toledo Carolina, a Premier Authorized Distributor of Mettler-Toledo Scales (mt.com), that now covers 25 counties in Northeastern S.C. and Southeastern N.C. Shortly after opening, Jack hired his brother Grady who became the visionary and was instrumental in successfully putting the company on the map. In 1992, Grady’s son Bret began working for the company and by 1998 Bret took over operations. At that time, Toledo Carolina had begun transforming from electro-mechanical to weight data integration to computers which basically means machines could now be run via computers versus a manual switch.
Toledo Carolina is an intricate piece of the puzzle that contributes to the success of many local corporations including WestRock, Patheon, Otis Elevators, Fort Bragg, Goodyear Tire and Nucor Steel, just to name a few. The company furnishes these businesses with durable, high-quality scales from 1/10th milligram to 500 tons, with an emphasis on service. “Service is the heart of our business,” says Bret. “When a customer calls, we show up within four hours and stay until the project is complete. We try to prove ourselves every day and it helps that the product line we provide ranks number one against its competitors.”
In addition to being available for service issues and selling scales, Toledo Carolina visits its clients on three- or sixth-month intervals to calibrate the scales to avoid incorrect readings that could cost a business a substantial loss. With medications, for instance, raw materials must be weighed very precisely and accurately. If they aren’t, the pharmaceutical company could lose a batch that would cost a significant amount of time and money.
A company that is this invested in its business relationships also believes in the power of building a better community. Bret serves and has served on many boards throughout the Pee Dee area. For their 52 years in business, Toledo Carolina has remained a member of the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce, where Bret and his father Grady have also served on the board.
Toledo Carolina is celebrated this month as the Florence Chamber’s business of the month. It’s within the Chamber’s efforts to make people aware of the businesses that build our community. In this instance, who could have imagined that scales would play such a significant role for our local industries? Without the expertise and top of the line products provided by Toledo Carolina, many of these industries would have to outsource these services, costing more time and more money. So the next time you notice the “Net. Wt.” on your shampoo bottle or ride amongst big rigs on Interstate 95 carrying trees, be aware that Toledo Carolina may have played a small role in making these actions happen!
100 W Evans St, Florence | 843.665.0515 | flochamber.com