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
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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