—Supplement to Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 28,1984 172 Wm. Hobensack’s Sons It was 1891 when Hobensack Brothers added the McCormick- Deenng dealership to their one year old feed and farm supply business. And today, led by the founding family’s fourth generation, Wm Hobensack’s Sons still flies the J.H. flag, making this venerable Ivyland firm most probably the oldest smgle-family owned I.H. dealer in the country. Founded in 1980 by brothers Frank and William, the company name was soon changed to Wm. Hobensack & Co., when Frank left only a few years after striking the partnership. After William’s death in 1930, his sons Cornell and George S., took charge, once again changing the name this time to its present form, Wm. Hobensack’s Sons. Following World War II it was George’s sons Harold and George J., along with Cornell’s son William, who took control, a three way partnership that lasted until 1957. The year ‘57, as a matter of fact, was full of changes with the family entering the fuel oil business and taking their first riding lawn mowers for sale on a consignment basis. In true Hobensack fashion, Harold’s son, Scott, entered the business at age 15, making Wm. Hobensack’s Sons a family Inch Equipment (Continued from Page 15) Inch Equipment Company’s personnel are perhaps its most valuable asset. The wood burners which heat the shop and parts department were made by the same employees who voluntarily spend several evenings a month cutting wood to keep them going. This is just one example of the dedication and cooperation with which employees meet company and customer needs. Staffed by five top-flight mechanics with a combined total of well over a century of I.H. ex perience, Inch’s shop personnel include Lee Leister (an invaluable consultant, as well), Paul Sankey, Donald Moyer, Paul “Jim’ Barry Detra (left), Inch’s Parts Manager, stands ready to help farmers with their I.H. parts needs. (And perhaps...great, great grandsons) tradition, tour generations deep. Since Harold’s retirement in 1980, Scott assumed his father’s half of the partnership with his Uncle William. But the Hobensacks themselves are not the only members of the firm with arm-length employment histones. Among the company’s employees, until their retirement in 1983, were mechanic, Albert Webster, counting 49 years with the firm, and driver John Finney, a Hobensack man for two years past half-a-century. At present some of Hobensack’s key employees include Farm and Industrial Manager, Jerry Sup plee, Lawn and Garden Manager, Ed Saalfrank, Parts Manager, Butch Finney, along with Scott overseeing the sales and service departments, and the company’s “nerve center,” William, assuming the accounting duties. For a dealership to survive nearly a century of agricultural evolution, requires an ownership and management with foresight and a willingness to change with the times, and certainly Hoben sack’s is no exception. Probably the most drastic changes have come as a result of Bucks County’s loss of farmland to development. “At one time there seemed to be a dealer on every corner,” Scott Rickenbaugh and Dennis Lukens. Service Manager, Dennis Bassler ties it all together and keeps work progressing at a steady pace. Partsman Nolan Guyer, who started at Leister Motor Company in 1959, and Parts Manager Barry Detra provide fast, courteous parts service. By maintaining a con trolled inventory, these expert partsmen increase the company’s ability to meet the parts needs of each customer. The sales department includes Tim Inch and Don Weller, backed up by Dennis Bassler and Clair Inch. Bookkeeper-receptionist Sharon Lukens rounds out the Inch Equipment staff, the “A-Team” of International Harvester sales and service. reminisces, "but now we’re the only I.H. dealer in Bucks County.” Though no one seemed par ticularly enthused about the riding lawn mower business back in the late ‘so’s, Hobensack’s lawn and garden business presently ac counts for 50% of the company's income. With its fuel oil, and feed and fertilizer businesses progressing, as well, Hobensack’s once again finds itself changing with the times with the installation of a modern in-house computer system. And what might the future hold in store for this esteemed Bucks County agribusiness institution’ For the immediate future, at least, Scott is predicting a good year in ‘B4. And he’s also hoping that his two-year-old son, Brian, a potential fifth generation businessman, may have the an swers to that question in the years to come Cleaning the barn billing chuckhnles Plowing the garden Clearing snow Not to mention mowing the yard An Internationale compact diesel could be one of the most useful tractors you own All models include teatures like live hydraulics S hitch rear FTO tachometer hour meter and optic all wheel drive (except model 2 7 a) Additional feat such as lighted instrument panel turn signals fuel gauge and electric engine shutoff are available on certain models Stop in soon and test drive one ol our International compact diesels It could turn out to be the busiest tractor on vour (arm Wm. Introduced in the late 1970’5, this state-of-the-art In ternational 2 + 2 tractor bears little resemblance to the first International tractors sold by Hobensack's in the early part of the century. This could be the busiest tractor on your farm. Tractor PTOHP PTORPM 2 b h 2' 2h IN' l n 4** M() KMKJ Hobensack's Sons Phones: (215) 675-1610 (215) 343-2101 Toll Free From NJ: 1-800-435-7336 "Qualify Equipment At A fair Price" w .HOBENSACK* “WO 12-*U v*() 12-*0 ""W V^v , A real feel for the work you do. ■ r" ill INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER 1060 Greeley Ave. Ivyland, PA 18974 Bucks County
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