The story of what is now known as the Bennett Family of Companies is the prototypical American success story. It is about how a half-century of hard work combined with an exceptional emphasis on faith and family led to the existence of one of the most successful private companies in Henry County.

The full Bennett story could not fit in this space or even this entire publication. Here is a snapshot.

Marcia Taylor moved to Georgia as a 19-year-old mother of three with the promise of a job in the transportation industry. The man who hired her soon became her husband, and in 1974, they purchased George Bennett Truck Lines with a $150,000 line of credit, 15 trucks, 30 trailers, and 2 small contracts. They then changed the name to George Bennett Motor Express.

“The day we bought Bennett, we had $500 to our name,” said Taylor. “But I had faith in God and His plans.”

The eight employees of that initial operation included Taylor’s mother and Regina Auletta, who remains with the company to this day and whom Taylor counts as her best friend. Within a few short years, the company grew significantly.

After moving to its current location and changing its name to Bennett Motor Express, the company was doing well when Taylor’s husband died suddenly in 1981. With the help of family and employees, the company continued to move forward.

“Over the years, God has been so faithful,” she said. “Things have not always been easy, but I always knew that God had his hand on me, my family, and this company during those times, and he would see us through no matter what the outcome.”

Today there are 14 operating companies under the Bennett umbrella, employing more than 1,100 people at various locations around the United States. Roughly 350 of those employees work at the home office in McDonough. More than 4,000 drivers – company drivers and owner-operators – work with Bennett.

The Bennett influence is seen and felt throughout Henry County, and the list of local affiliations is impressive. Taylor helped get A Friend’s House up and running more than a quarter-century ago. Her name graces the Women’s Center at Piedmont Henry Hospital, which houses the labor and delivery unit. (Bennett’s home office includes a separate building dedicated to nursing mothers.) Other initiatives with her fingerprints include assistance for Haven House, Connecting Henry, and various back-to-school drives and Christmas campaigns for local students.

Through the Taylor Family Foundation, 50 young people are sent to a Christian summer camp in northern Florida, where the emphasis is on fun, fellowship, and creating a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is called Camp Bennett. This year it happened the second week of July, with six campers being baptized at the end of the week.

The foundation was established in 2012 by Taylor and her husband Mike. Its stated mission is to support and provide grants “geared toward family values, senior citizen care, and community initiatives.” Taylor and Mike are joined on the foundation’s board by their children and grandchildren, making it a true family endeavor. Among other things, the foundation matches up to $10,000 each year in employee contributions toward Bennett’s driver relief fund.

Bennett received the Outstanding Georgia Business Award in 2010, and in 2015, the Henry County Chamber of Commerce named the company its Business of the Year.

Taylor was named Entrepreneur of the Year by EY (formerly known as Ernst & Young) back in 1988, and in 2022, she received the organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Taylor is a member of the Georgia Motor Carrier Association (GMCA) and a former trustee of the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation.

With all of the outside community involvement, Taylor remains very plugged in as far as the day-to-day operation of the business is concerned. Her three children grew up around the company, and now she is pleased to see her grandchildren involved.

“For me, it has never been about the work, although I enjoyed almost every minute of it,” said Taylor. “It was always about getting to work with my family and all the incredible, talented people whose stories make up the fabric of who we are as a company today. It was about seeing my children – David, Danny, and Lynette – grow in the business and become such an important part of the Bennett story.”

In addition to her own family, Taylor cites a number of other second- and third-generation employees among the ranks. Bennett is one of the few family-owned businesses still standing in the trucking industry, and one of her top priorities is to continue the current success and pass it on to the next generation.

“Bennett is not just a company or a place to work,” said Taylor. “We take pride in remaining a faith-based, patriotic, woman-owned company that recognizes the value of standing strong in our beliefs. I am thankful to God for 50 years in business and trust that He will lead Bennett in the next 50 years. I am very excited for what’s to come.”

By Monroe Roark