JW Gully began working in the pipeline business in 1966 with Harbert Construction in Gonzales, Louisiana.
He later went to work for the Houston Contracting Company, starting in Krotz Springs, Louisiana as timekeeper and later as office manager. He worked in Trinidad in 1970 and then transferred to the company warehouse in Belle Chase, Louisiana. There he was manager of equipment maintenance and in charge of logistics. He handled all import and exports of equipment, parts, and supplies relating to their overseas projects.
Over the next five years, JW moved to warehouse manager, then to the Houston office as equipment manager of U.S. and overseas projects, and finally to Vice President of procurement and maintenance of equipment for worldwide projects. In that role, he made frequent trips to visit projects in the Middle East, South America, and West Africa.
JW founded Sunbelt Tractor & Equipment Company in Houston, Texas on Friday June 13, 1980, to lease and sell pipeline equipment. That is when he became a member of the Rocky Mountain Pipeline Contractors Association, which later became APCA. In 2001 he moved the company to College Station, Texas.
In 2005, JW sold Sunbelt Tractor & Equipment Company to his son, Kevin Gully, and nephew, Brooks Gully.
JW then activated Sunbelt Equipment Marketing Inc to manufacture pipe trailers, flotation wagons, and miscellaneous other units. He introduced the first rubber track crawler carrier to the pipeline industry. Sunbelt has continued to grow and provide quality equipment at competitive rates along with maintaining a legacy of honesty, service, and integrity to the highest standards.
JW said that he is proud to be part of the pipeline industry among several loyal APCA customers like Troy, Sunland, Castle, MPG, MG Dyess, WHC, and many others.
In 2015 the Houston Pipeliners Association named JW Pipeliner of the Year.
In 2023, JW sold SEMI to his daughter, Bridget Ann Fry.
Now JW is a part time-consultant and spends time golfing and enjoying his wonderful family. He and his wife of 61 years, Zelda, have three children - Kevin, Kyle, and Bridget - four grandsons and three granddaughters. They are lifetime members of the Methodist Church.
