Kaukauna business celebrates a century in equipment retail industry

Rich Palzewic

Staff

February 10, 2023

KAUKAUNA – Weyers Equipment, Inc. has been around for 100 years, and if the Weyers family has anything to say about it, it will be for many more.

Though farm equipment and landscaping supplies have changed during that time, Keith Weyers, part owner/landscape sales, said one thing has been consistent — the Weyers family’s dedication to selling the latest in farming and landscaping equipment. 

“One hundred years is a long time,” he said. “It means everyone who has been involved in Weyers over the years has put in a lot of hard work. We pride ourselves on customer service – taking care of them the best we can.”

Keith said they aren’t sure of the exact month and date of the company’s start, “but we know it was 1923.”

“About a year ago, my partner supposedly came across the month, but he can’t remember,” he said. “He saw it in print, so it’s out there someplace.”

Jenny Lockhart is a parts technician at Weyers Equipment Inc. Rich Palzewic Photo

In 1923, Calvin Coolidge was the U.S. president, King Tut’s burial chamber was opened, and the first Major League Baseball game was played in the original Yankee Stadium.

“We’re almost as old as the Green Bay Packers,” Keith laughed.

Keith said the company sells various makes and models of farm equipment, lawnmowers and landscaping supplies.
He said they also service the equipment they sell.

“We sell anything from grass seed to blocks for retaining walls and patios,” he said. “It’s a little bit of everything.”

How it all began
Keith said his grandpa, Lawrence, is the one who started the business a century ago.

“It was him and his brother Wilfred,” he said. “A few years after it started, my grandpa bought out his brother and was sole proprietor until he passed away in 1955.”

Keith said he never met his grandfather.

“After (he passed away), three of Lawrence’s sons (Robert, Clifford and Clayton) took over and ran it until 1977,” he said. “At that point, my cousin Gary (current co-owner), his brother Tom and I bought it. In the 80s, (Gary and I) bought out Tom. Clifford was my dad, and Clayton was Gary’s dad.”

Jenny Lockhart, the parts technician at Weyers and Keith’s daughter, said the original name of the company was Weyers Auto & Implement and was located on Dodge Street in Downtown Kaukauna.

“They sold cars back in 1923, hence the name,” she said. “That original building is no longer there. They also sold tractors, washing machines, milkers, refrigerators, freezers and barn cleaners.”

Jenny said in the late 1950s, the company moved to a new location on Highway 96.

“(Then) in 1978, we moved to our current location (at N 1957 E. Frontage Rd.),” she said. “The name was changed to Weyers Equipment Inc. in the late 70s as well.”

Both Keith and Jenny said they have worked at the company since they were young.

“When I was 13, I overhauled my first tractor engine,” Keith said.

Jenny said she started working at Weyers when she was 12.

“I started with the fun stuff – cleaning the bathrooms,” she laughed. “I’ve worked in many different areas over the years – in parts, the office, cleaning, done some of the service writing and helped in the landscape department. I’ve worked wherever I’ve been needed.”
 
Changing with the times
Keith said, as far as he can remember, it wasn’t until the late 70s or early 80s that microprocessors were incorporated into tractors.

“Microprocessors are like little computers,” he said. “Which, if you went underneath the high-power line could disorientate them, and then they would have to be reprogrammed.”

Weyers Equipment Inc. co-owners Keith Weyers, left, and Gary Weyers have been partners in the business since 1977. Submitted Photo

As technology has evolved, Keith said it’s hard to predict what the future will look like.

“Obviously, there are tractors with GPS that can pinpoint exact routes and drive themselves, but we don’t currently have any of those here,” he said. “Just like there are cars and trucks. As far as electric, I believe there is a prototype from one of the manufacturers, but I’m not entirely sure. I don’t think I’ll see that here.”

Jenny agrees, saying the future of technology advancements are difficult to predict.

“Cub Cadet offers an electric lawnmower right now, so we do have that,” she said. “I’m not sure how much farther we can go. How could you have predicted 50 years ago there would be the technology we have today?”

When Keith took over operations with Gary in 1977, he said they never anticipated being to the point they are today.
“One thing that helped us a lot was adding the landscaping portion of the business,” he said. “It has panned out well. We added that in 1998.”
 
Navigating through the pandemic
Jenny said Weyers was able to keep its doors open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic because the business was deemed essential.

“We never closed our doors,” she said. “With needing parts, we had customers commenting it was easier to come to us because some other places were tougher to get into. We had the option to bring parts outside to the customers, but our doors were never locked. We took some precautions with extra cleaning, but business was steady.”

To learn more about Weyers, visit weyersequip.com.