158 —Ford Supplement to Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 30,1984 Keller Brothers Tractor Co. Enters Third Generation Mark B. Keller, a farmer’s son, left home at the age of 17 and traveled to Detroit, Mich, to learn about the new motorized highway vehicles. Some years earlier another 17 year old farmer’s son had also gone to Detroit. Henry Ford had the idea that the motor car and the tractor could be produced in sufficient quantity to be affordable to the average working man. By 1927 he had produced 15 million Model Ts and many tractors-with the help of the assembly line which he invented. After two and a half years of assembling and rebuilding cars and trucks, Mark Keller returned home to Buffalo Springs to open a Ford sale dealership. The year was 1921 and the garage was built on his father’s front lawn. Two years later the new company became a franchised Ford dealer. In ten years the business was doing so well that a large modem facility was constructed about two blocks to the east, toward Schaefferstown. Mark bought a second Ford dealership in Lititz, Pa. in 1939 and in 1966 an automobile outlet was built in 2300 W. Cumberland St., Lebanon, Pa. When the founder of the business FULL 3-YEAR WARRANTY PLUS FREE MAINTENANCE FOR 3 YEARS! RECEIVE S & H GREEN STAMPS FOR CASH PAYMENT OF PARTS AND SERVICE died in 1948, Mark’s five sons were made officers, directors and owners of the Keller Bros. Cor porations. Mark, Norman, Nathan, Monroe and Titus are all still active in the business. A third generation member of the Keller family, Thomas N. Keller, was named an officer and director and Agricultural, industrial and garden tractors make up part of the Keller Bros, inventory. - ‘ \ The original Ford dealership In Buffalo Springs, Pa. with a 1936 Ford V-8 pick-up parked outside. given management of the Buffalo Springs, Lititz and Lebanon cor porations in 1978. Many of his contemporaries also are active in the various operations. The Keller Bros. Tractor Co. has been managed by Chester Nicary since 1982. This company handles all of the farm and industrial l i^»iib| f=\ m I ***# ■ ■ ■ m ■■■■( • ■ m VIMI ■ -« ■ m B mm since | TRACTOR CO. Pt^^l PARTS ★ SALES * SERVICE ti actors and equipment. To meet the growing needs of the tractor division, some recent improvements have been made at the Buffalo Springs facility. In 1978, an 80 foot by 170 foot warehouse was built to house tractors and equipment and a 65 foot by 85 r .JiUoii bu.H THAT’S FORD TRACTOR CARE ON THE NEW FORD TW SERIES TRACTORS! Buy a new TW-5, TW-15, TW-25 or TW-35 tractor, and Ford will pay virtually all the costs of repairs and maintenance for three full years, or 2,500 hours of operation, whichever comes first. If anything should go wrong with your new TW Series tractor during that period, we’ll fix it Free! And we’ll give you all the oil, lubricants and filters needed for recommended maintenance intervals. Plus belts, hoses and other maintenance items, too. About all you buy is fuel! That’s Ford Tractor Care! Stop in today for in formation on exactly what you won’t be paying for during the next three years with a new TW Series tractor. WE APPRECIATE YOUR FRtENPSHIP I onto the shop. “We feel that with the warehouse, we are able to buy right and deliver a good looking piece of equipment to the customer,” said a company spokesman. The shop addition was to improve the efficiency of the dealer’s mechanics. This year a two-story parts room was added to support the needs of Keller Bros, customers and the sales lot has been expanded to display more of the inventory. • One of Keller Bros, more unique services is the company airport which is located right across the street for the benefit of their flying farmer customers Just last year the company added a special event that is destined to become an annual event-the Pedal Tractor Pull for customers’ children. They call it a (Turn to Page 12) R. 7 Lebanon, Pa. 17042 Rt. 419 1 mile West of Schaefferstown, Buffalo Springs Lebanon County 717-949-6501 NEW TOLL FREE NO. 1-800-822-2152
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