About Southern Ag Equipment
Deep roots. Dependable service. Since 2018.
Southern Ag Equipment, LLC was founded in 2018 with a simple goal: build a local business around quality products, practical knowledge, dependable service, and strong relationships.
The company began when Kelly Rivet left the agricultural equipment dealership business and went out on his own buying and selling used equipment. Because that work kept him on the road, he also needed a permanent location where equipment could be stored and customers could find the business.
About three months later, Kelly and Kathy Rivet had the opportunity to acquire an existing dealership selling Graceland Portable Buildings and metal carports. What began as a practical addition to the equipment business quickly became an important part of Southern Ag’s future.
In those early days, much of the building side of the business was still handled through handwritten paperwork and traditional processes. As Graceland and the industry became more digital, Southern Ag began evolving with it.
Over time, the company continued to grow. Today, Southern Ag Equipment offers Graceland Portable Buildings, GalvStruct Buildings & Carports, Double A Trailers, and quality used agricultural and construction equipment to customers throughout Louisiana and Mississippi.
Rooted in Agriculture
Kelly’s experience in agriculture goes back long before Southern Ag Equipment.
He grew up farming sugarcane in the Morganza area alongside his father, Bernie, and his brother, Ricky, through the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Their family also maintained a cattle operation, creating a lifelong connection to agriculture and rural life in Pointe Coupee Parish.
After the loss of his father, Kelly eventually stepped away from sugarcane farming and began a new chapter in the agricultural industry. He worked for Helena before moving into the John Deere dealership business.
That path eventually brought him into the same local dealership world that had already been a familiar part of the agricultural community for decades.
Kelly later worked at H&W Equipment, where he eventually served as Store Manager. That experience gave him valuable perspective from both sides of the industry. He understands what it means to depend on equipment, how important reliable service is, and how much trust matters when doing business in a close-knit community.
Kelly continues the family’s cattle tradition today, while Ricky enjoys retirement and still lends a hand when needed.
A Lifetime Around Equipment and Craftsmanship
Brandon Henderson also grew up around equipment, farming, and hands-on work.
His grandfather, Alan, spent essentially 50 years working around John Deere equipment and the farmers who depended on it. His career began in Mississippi before bringing him to South Louisiana in 1983 to work for Gladden Farm & Yard, a name many longtime customers in the area will remember.
As the local dealership network changed over the years, that operation eventually became The Miller-Penniman Company, another familiar name in the agricultural community, and later H&W Equipment.
Alan spent much of his career as a road technician, working across sugarcane, grain, dairy, cattle, and other agricultural operations throughout the region. Later in his career, he transitioned into shop work before retiring after a career the family simply calls 50 years of John Deere.
Brandon grew up around that dealership world and around the kind of practical problem-solving that comes with mechanical work. The same dealerships that were fixtures in the community during his childhood would later become part of his own professional career.
He was also exposed to craftsmanship through his father, J-Boy, a welder and swamp artist who created woodworking pieces and displays using materials gathered from the Atchafalaya Basin. That combination of mechanical work, woodworking, and creativity became part of Brandon’s upbringing long before he entered the building business.
From the Archives: WAFB’s Tumey’s Travels - Swamp Art - July 12, 2006
From Construction to the Equipment Business
At 18, Brandon began working in residential construction, gaining hands-on experience with framing, forms, repairs, remodeling, and post-hurricane reconstruction.
That experience later became especially valuable in his work with portable and metal buildings. Understanding how structures are built, how materials work together, and how to approach repairs and modifications gives him a practical perspective when helping customers plan a building.
Brandon later moved into agricultural equipment, working in parts and customer service before joining H&W Equipment. One of the most meaningful parts of that opportunity was being able to work alongside his grandfather during the final years of his career.
Over time, Brandon’s responsibilities expanded into information technology, dealership operations, and management. He eventually worked as IT Manager, while Kelly was Sales & Store Manager.
When H&W was acquired in 2018, Kelly and Brandon went in different directions for several years. Brandon remained with the organization and later worked in systems administration for a multi-location dealership group.
Bringing the Experience Together
Kelly and Brandon’s working relationship grew out of that same local dealership history.
Both spent years at H&W Equipment, which followed the earlier Miller-Penniman operation in New Roads. Kelly served in Sales and as Store Manager while Brandon worked through several roles in parts, customer service, information technology, and management.
That shared background gave them more than dealership experience. It gave them years of working with many of the same farmers, landowners, contractors, and families Southern Ag serves today.
In 2021, Brandon joined Kelly and Kathy at Southern Ag Equipment as a self-employed Business Consultant and Building Specialist.
The fit was natural.
Kelly brought decades of experience in agriculture, equipment, sales, purchasing, and dealership management, while Brandon brought experience in construction, parts, customer service, technology, operations, and business development.
Brandon also joined Southern Ag at an important stage in the company’s growth, helping transition many day-to-day processes from handwritten and analog systems into a more modern digital operation.
Today, he works closely with customers on the portable and metal building side of the business, helping them understand construction, options, pricing, and how to choose a building that fits the way they actually plan to use it.
The Team Behind Southern Ag
Kelly Rivet — Owner
Kelly brings decades of experience in agriculture, equipment, sales, purchasing, and dealership management. He continues to oversee much of Southern Ag’s used-equipment business, which often keeps him on the road buying, selling, and inspecting equipment.
Kathy Rivet — Owner
Kathy helps keep Southern Ag organized and running efficiently behind the scenes. After retiring from a career in education, she became an important part of the day-to-day operation and remains the person who helps keep everyone on track — and occasionally serves as referee.
There is also a long-standing connection between Kathy and Brandon: long before Southern Ag, H&W, or Kelly and Brandon ever worked together, Kathy had actually been Brandon’s second-grade teacher.
Brandon Henderson — Business Consultant & Building Specialist
Brandon works with Southern Ag as an independent business consultant while also serving as the company’s Building Specialist. His background in construction, agricultural equipment, customer service, dealership operations, technology, and business development allows him to help customers make informed decisions about portable buildings, metal structures, greenhouses, and related products.
Experience You Can Actually Use
The people behind Southern Ag come from different backgrounds, but those backgrounds fit together.
There are generations of farming, equipment repair, construction, dealership service, woodworking, cattle, and business experience behind the company.
That experience matters because customers deserve more than a sales pitch.
We believe in understanding what a customer actually needs, explaining the differences between available options, and helping them make a decision that makes sense for their property, their budget, and their long-term plans.
Quality saves money. Knowledge matters. Dependable service never goes out of style.
Southern Ag Equipment remains locally owned and operated, proudly serving customers throughout Louisiana and Mississippi.