BB&T Corp. said Thursday that it has bought  Refloat Inc. of Mount Airy, N.C., and its principal subsidiary, Sheffield   Financial Corp., which specializes in loans to small commercial lawn-care   businesses across the country.     
BB&T said the transaction, which was accounted for as a purchase, was  completed July 31. Terms were not disclosed. Refloat/Sheffield will operate   independently and give BB&T entry into a new line of business.   
  
"We're very excited about what this means to BB&T and their efforts to  replicate the Sheffield process into other lines of business," said Jack   Snow, who will remain Sheffield's president.   
Clemmons-based Sheffield lends to businesses purchasing commercial lawn  and outdoor power equipment. The company also provides direct credit for   customers of manufacturers and lawn and garden equipment dealers.   
  
BB&T Corp., a multibank holding company with $27.5 billion of assets,  operates 485 offices in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.