About

iMpact Grading and Environmental, LLC is a veteran-owned, turnkey civil site works, land development, and land management company serving central and eastern North Carolina including, but not limited to, Wake, Johnston, Franklin, Wayne, Wilson, Nash, Edgecombe, Halifax, Pitt, Martin, Dare and Hyde counties. Located in Henderson, NC, the company is an excavation and grading general contractor that also specializes in sediment and erosion control, drainage, and storm drainage. The company is owned and operated by Thomas Franklin.

About Thomas Franklin

As with most young boys, growing up Thomas had an obsession with large tractors, trucks, and heavy equipment. He grew up spending time at his family’s horticultural operation, where he learned the value of hard work, self discipline, and the commitment it takes to own and operate a business. Out of high school, Thomas committed his future to the United States Army and protecting the freedoms of our great nation. During his first year of enlistment in the Republic of South Korea, he developed an interest in civil engineering and the processes needed to build the heavily fortified defensive positions south of the demilitarized zone.

When he returned homeland, Thomas was recognized for his exceptional attention to detail and success of missions and was hand selected to be a part of the new “Force 21” model for the US Army. He was sent to Reconnaissance Operations School where he was thoroughly educated not only on how to find, destroy, and survive the enemy, but how to identify and associate terrain, grades, slopes, soil types, water velocities, and compromising of enemy obstacles using explosives and/or heavy bulldozers operated by combat engineers. Thomas took every opportunity to cross train with combat and civil engineers.

This valuable training paid off as his platoon and team of 6 led the way for the 2^nd Battalion 7^th Infantry assault forces who were credited for seizing a vast portion of western Iraq, the city of Karbala, Baghdad International Airport, the vital intersection of Hwy 4 and Hwy 1 South of Baghdad, securing westside Baghdad once fighting had subsided, and 28 straight days of combat. During his career Mr. Franklin earned multiple awards, and citations, to note a few:

1. 5 Army Achievement Medals
2. 2 Army Commendation Medals for Valor
3. Good Conduct Medal
4. 2 Overseas service ribbons
5. Operation Enduring Freedom Ribbon
6. Operation Iraqi Freedom Ribbon
7. National Defense Service Medal
8. United Nations Medal
9. Combat Patch
10. Purple Heart

After his military career and recovery from injuries sustained in combat, Thomas went back to work on the family farm and horticultural operation. He continued to learn different aspects of construction, landscaping, and civil engineering. Ten years later, on a prayer, hope, and the little savings he had, he opened his own land management business. Since starting as owner and operator, with no employees, Thomas has grown his company to 18 full time employees and has employed up to 65 full-time and temp labor employees.

iMpact Grading is a ‘Family Oriented’ business where time off of work is just as important as upcoming deadlines. Thomas believes,  “Employees are the backbone of our business. The family at home is the footing that holds the spine in place. If the footing fractures, our spine becomes weak and can fail us at the worst possible moment.”