A Brief Pic. History of our Faimly Case Dealership

[Adirondack case guy]

Some of you have asked when and how long we were Case Dealers.
Here are some pics, and a brief history.
My Grandfather Owen, started out as a horse trader/ "sub dealer" in mid 20s buying from a Case dealer in Schnectday, NY. He became an accredited Case dealer in 1931.
He sold out of the kitchen in the farmhouse. The attached back room and woodshead off the kitchen, served as the parts department. An old out building adjacent to the house became the service shop. about big enough to work on one tractor.Around 1940 he built a cinder block shop, across the road from the house and dairy barns.
By then my dad running the day to day operations, plus doing farm chores. He was the oldest of the 9 siblings.
In 1948, my dad decided that the farm and dealership wern't mixing very well. In the spring of 48 he bought a acre of land and a dilapicated old house on the corner of our road and US RT 20., where he erected the first building that was our Case Facility until we closed in 1986. the building was cinder block construction, measuring 40'x60'
In 1954 he built a new house on the site of the old dilapicated one. I was 7yrs old in 54. My dad died peacfully in this house on Mother's Day this past spring.
In 64 he put up an addition (3400sq.ft) It was our new shop and the old building was done over on the inside with expanded parts and showroom area, and more office and bathroom space.
By then I was active in the business and In 67 when I graduated from collage with a 2yr degree in Ag. Engineering, we built the pole barn out back for storage, but it didn't take long before we totall closed it in and turned it into a summer shop, as we were selling bigger 4WD tractors that required a lot more space to work on.
In 1981 we teamed up with a long time friend that was a neighboring Case dealer and started a Satilite Dealership in Fultonville, NY.
In 1986 we both made a deal with Case Co. and returned our parts and whole goods inventory.
My good friend and I have regretted this move, but neither of us had the money or will to Build a new state of the art Facility that CASE-IH was demanding of us.
Two years later my friend Bob, made the plunge, due to the rapid expansion of a large high quality gravel resource on his family's property.
My wife and I worked for him for 4 yrs, me being head if retail sales, the wife was heading up the parts dept. and Bob ran the shop.
A general manager was later hired and there were some conflicts, arose, and we left, as friends., and still are with both Bob who has pretty well turned over ownership to Wes, who was the general Mgr.
I worked heavy construction as an operator for several years, and then started my own construction business. I have built 2 of the buildings at R imps. A 60'x100' steel frame service shop and a 40'x 100 storage building to acomidate combines and other larg machines that don't like settin out.

Every sucessful dealership has to be a SOB most of the time to survive. I had a hard time saying NO to a customer,and always wanted them to feel good about their dealing with us. (Can't please all of them all the time)
Anyway I have rambled long enough.
Loren.




 

[NickatKY]

Great pics and story !!!!!!!!!!!! Old dealership pics are my favorite.
Do you have any showroom pics?
Thanks for taking the time to post,
Nick
 

[TimBinWV]

Loren, it's fantastic to have all those ariel pics from such a variety of times. Awesome history, man.
 

[Erik Ks farmer]

Thank you Loren, I really enjoy the pictures and history you share with us.
 

[Don Rudolph]

Thanks for the great pictures and history. I always ask old Case dealers if they liked being a Case dealer and most of them did, but didn't care much for the company. I am wondering how you feel. Don
 

[1370rod]

These history stories are great, they tell us the who's and why's which help us know one another and the common factor that brings us to this forum. Thanks for sharing. I would encourage others to do so, everyones life is interesting. Rod.
 

[Kow Farmer]

Loren.
Those pictures are absolutely priceless. Thank you for the great story behind them all. Sounds like you went out of your way to take care of your customers. Something that seems to be a lost art today.
Kow Farmer (Kurt)
 

[jllw]

great post please more pics thanks for sharing
 

[1370 pwr in ne]

neat!i bet those were some very exciting times.i imagine your customers hated to see your business close.thanks for sharing.
 

[mikeintn]

Yes thanks for taking the time, love the pictures and story.
 

[Agri King]

Great pics and thanks for the story. Looks like you guys did well with the 4wd's. What kind of "terms" would Case give a dealer on a new 70 series or 94 series tractor?
 

[Stick welding]

I think a lot of manufacturers have forced good dealerships out of business with demands for spending thousands and even millions on upgrading. The local Honda motorcycle shop here had to spend over a million on superficial upgrades that didn't improve sales at all. Honda just wanted it look like their corporate model. The shop was very modern and the old signage looked a lot better than the new signage. A waste of money in my opinion. I prefer good customer service over a fancy dancy building any day.
 

[McKerrow630]

Great pic's and loved the histroy....I could see my dad pull'en are old SC into the yard with the old ford stationwagon un hook the chain and hand-push'en it into the garage. Day or 2 later "she's ready" dad drop off one of the boy's and we just drive off.
Now days you gota find the dam service dept. then make appointment,model no. wait week call back to see if its done!!! "oh waiten for parts" ahhhhhhhuuuugggg.Will lease a tractor!!! "back'en theday Al Schorder would bring a used tractor off his lot so we could keep chopping corn. I better stop Loren or it will turn into a book!! hee hee thanks again.God Bless
 

[jon f mn]

love those old pics and the stories.
 

[Adirondack case guy]

Exactly and it is getting worse.
Loren