Wellington Implement, 625 S. Main St. in Wellington, has come a long way from the days when widowed owner Eva Young went toe-to-toe with area farmers to keep the business going in the 1930s.
Shortly after its founding in 1929, Young lost her husband.
Today, Young’s great-grandson Tom Stannard serves as general manager and says mutual respect and a commitment to service have kept the business going and in the family.
“There’s always been a lot of respect for the family,” Stannard said. “We’ve always gotten along.
“It was never about who was in charge. It’s always been about what’s best for the customer.”
Stannard joined the business under his father, Bill, and cousin Patty Young, who are now retired.
Stannard said he enjoyed learning from them until he was named general manager in 2015, and still regularly solicits their advice.
Acknowledging the history of the company has been important as the industry continues to change, Stannard said.
From the beginning, Wellington Implement has been a dealership for International Harvester, which later became Case IH.
Earlier this year, the company was awarded Case IH’s Pinnacle Dealership Award.
“This award is a huge tribute to our employees and the dedication each of them has to our business and our customers,” Stannard said at the time. “Our mission is to provide farmers, property owners and businesses with high quality, innovative equipment backed by superior service and delivered by people who understand their needs.”
In recent years, the company has expanded with locations in Ashland and Medina opening in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
Stannard said the coronavirus pandemic’s stay-at-home orders actually boosted his business as people invested in equipment to take care of their properties.
In addition to selling new and used equipment for small farmers, Wellington Implement sells lawn mowers, leaf blowers and more for homeowners.
Rentals also are part of the business that has “diversified a lot over the years,” Stannard said.
Most small farmers in the Lorain County area grow corn or soybeans and have adopted rapidly changing technology in order to grow their best crop, he said.
“The technology transformation has really been tremendous,” Stannard said about the machinery he sells. “We can map the location of every seed when planting a crop and that’s where a successful crop starts.”
Wellington Implement continues to service machinery of all types, not just the latest models.
“You can walk back into our service department and see every vintage,” Stannard said, adding that service is the company’s biggest department. “The service is what really gives us a leg up on the competition.”
The company supports the future of both the industry and its family with sponsorships and donations to area Future Farmers of America groups as well as the Lorain County Joint Vocational School.
“We definitely want to support those youth who will either work on our team or become one of our customers,” Stannard said.
Meanwhile, the fifth generation is on deck.
Both Stannard’s daughter and nephew will graduate from Wellington High School in 2024, and both are interested in joining the Implement team.
“They’ve shown an interest in being involved in the business,” Stannard said. “I can see them both being back here.”
