By Sheila G. Kelley, development coordinator
In 1954, the number of tractors on farms exceeded the number of horses and mules for the first time ever. Farming technology was getting ready to explode into the scientific systems used today. Agriculture is one of the best examples of industries that have gone through a technological revolution in recent years.
Recognizing an opportunity to own a small business in agriculture, Ben Jost and Victor Hiebert purchased an existing farm equipment business in 1956, changing the name to J & H Farm Equipment.
“The original building site was located right behind Anderson Book Store and now is a parking lot,” Victor’s son Wayne reminisced.
In 1964, J & H purchased the parcel of land in Harvey County where it sits now. The site was outside Newton city limits on the “growing side of town” at that time.
“<The location was a good one because> there were other businesses being built in the area,” Wayne said. “Plus, the street out front was Highway 50 which was a well-traveled road.”
The term “farm equipment” covers various types of machines that are used in agriculture for carrying out various tasks which help farmers save time and labor, and they can be used for a wide range of tasks such as planting, harvesting, ploughing, irrigation, and so on.
Wayne grew up in the business and took over the management in 1995. Continuing to keep it in the family, his son, Cody, works at J & H too, making it the third generation of Hiebert’s in the business. Cody and two other full-time service technicians make up the current staff along with Wayne.
The Massey-Harris model 21 combine ( left) was introduced in 1940. Technology has advanced productivity and reduced time and expenses for today’s farmers and ranchers with the AGCO Gleaner combine (right).
They sell small compact tractors up to the bigger ones with several hundred horsepower as well as combines, and planting and tillage equipment.
“We offer other lines of farm equipment but our main vendor is AGCO in Hesston and we carry the full AGCO lineup of Ag machines and equipment,” Wayne said. “Our service technicians offer service and repairs, parts and support.”
Another line they carry is Stihl brand outdoor equipment which includes chainsaws, trimmers and brush cutters, blowers, edgers, pressure washer, hedge trimmers, wet/dry vacuums, gardening and forest tools.
J & H wasn’t hit nearly as hard as a lot of other businesses during the 2020 pandemic. Because people were practicing social distancing, lots more of them were at home and looking for things to keep themselves busy.
“We were actually busier in some aspects of our business,” Wayne explained. “The Stihl equipment was busy as more people were at home actively doing projects they might not have had time to do before the pandemic.”
They do offer on-site repair, but most of the repair work is done on site. They work on smaller units in a workshop at the back of the main building. Since farming equipment and machinery have become larger, a new repair shop was built to the east of the main building to accommodate the ever changing equipment.
Stepping into J & H’s building is like taking a walk back in time and, at the same time, looking to the future.
Large metal sectioned display units hold bolts, screws and washers of all sizes like what I remember seeing in the farm store of my childhood.
What I didn’t see back then, though, were the many innovations technology has provided for today’s farmers and ranchers – sensors that detect weeds to prevent excess herbicide use, computer screens which provide the driver with information on driving distances, harvesting per hour, grain water content and unloading in tons per acre.
“Our family opened J & H Farm Equipment in 1956 and we continue to offer honest and dependable service to our community today,” Wayne said. “We enjoy meeting the needs of current and new customers every day and look forward to serving customer needs for many years to come.”
WHAT IS SMALL BUSINESS UNITED?
Small Business United is a group of Harvey County small businesses who have joined together to make a huge impact! Often we see small businesses who would love to get involved and help the Harvey County community, but don’t have the resources to make a large gift. By becoming Small Business United members, these businesses contribute to improve lives and strengthen our community. To become a SBU member, click here and select “Small Business United” on the donation page.