Mesashore Finance helps Texarkana, Arkansas contractors request funding for equipment, materials and payroll between draws. With 58 construction employers counted in Miller County, AR for 2023 (County Business Patterns), the page sets out the options; partners review each request.
At a glance
- Construction employers, Miller County, AR
58, with 650 paid employees (CBP 2023)
- Specialty trade contractors, Miller County, AR
43 employers (CBP 2023)
- Construction businesses without paid employees, Miller County, AR
461 (Nonemployer Statistics 2024)
- Housing units permitted in Miller County, AR, 2025
37 (Building Permits Survey)
Contractor Business Loans: Materials and Excavators in Texarkana, AR
A contractor's money problem has two parts. Materials, rentals and wages go out at the start of each phase, and the owner's payment comes after the phase is billed, approved and paid. Machines are the other part: an excavator or a skid steer costs as much as several jobs' profit and earns it back over years.
Materials and wages fit money that is paid down when the draw arrives: a line of credit or a working capital loan. Machines fit equipment financing, secured by the machine, with a term near its working life.
Building Contractor Loans for Texarkana, AR Builders Carrying Lumber and Labor
A builder framing a house or a small commercial building buys lumber, sheathing, windows and trusses before the first draw, and carries its crew through framing. The draw comes when the lender's or owner's inspector signs off on the stage. A builder with two or three jobs going at once can have several draws outstanding at the same moment.
Construction of buildings, the NAICS group for general builders, counted 6 employer establishments in Miller County, AR in 2023, 5 of them with fewer than five employees (County Business Patterns). Nonemployer Statistics counted 71 building contractors without paid employees in 2024, a separate program and year. Partners reading a builder request look at contracts, draw schedules and how past draws were paid.
Construction Equipment Financing in Texarkana, AR While Retainage Is Held Back
Retainage is the share of each payment an owner holds back until the job is finished and accepted. On a long job it can add up to a large sum sitting idle while the contractor needs a new machine for the next job. Equipment financing lets the contractor buy the machine without waiting for the retainage to be released.
A partner will read the equipment quote and the contractor's recent bank statements, and may ask about the retainage outstanding, since its release is part of the contractor's cash picture.
How to Get a Loan for Heavy Equipment Such as a Track Loader or Dozer
Heavy equipment such as a compact track loader, a dozer or a full-size excavator is financed against the machine itself. Partners read the dealer quote or auction listing, the machine's age and hours, and how the contractor plans to keep it busy. New machines may come with dealer programs; used machines may need an inspection.
Illustration only, invented figures: a $92,000 used excavator with $9,200 down, financed over 48 months at an invented annual rate of 10%, would cost about $2,100 a month and about $100,801 in total payments (our arithmetic). The machine finance calculator runs your own figures.
How to Finance Construction Equipment Bought Used at Auction or From a Dealer
Used construction equipment changes hands at dealers, at auctions and between contractors. Financing a used machine starts with paperwork that proves what it is and who owns it.
- A bill of sale or auction invoice, with the serial number and hours.
- Photos, and an inspection report if the partner asks for one.
- A lien search, to confirm no one else holds a claim on the machine.
- Transport and any repair costs, if they are to be financed too.
Auction purchases often require payment within days, so ask about timing before bidding.
Miller County, AR Contractors in Census Figures: Employers, Crews and Permits
The 2023 County Business Patterns file lists 58 construction employers for Miller County, AR, employing 650 people on a $33.8 million payroll. Specialty trade contractors account for 43 of them, including 22 building equipment contractors: 15 plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors and 7 electrical contractors. By our arithmetic, 9 were heavy and civil engineering contractors.
Twenty-five of the 58, or 43.1%, ran with fewer than five employees. Nonemployer Statistics separately counted 461 construction businesses without paid employees in Miller County, AR in 2024. The Building Permits Survey recorded 37 new housing units authorized in the county in 2025, in 33 buildings with a permit valuation of $11.1 million for all 37 units; the count was 21 in 2024 and 36 in 2023.
Read alongside this page: funding notes by trade and local Census tables for the Arkansas side.
A related article explains where contractors finance excavators and short-term loans between draws.
By Mesashore Finance ยท Updated
