Exclusive to Lancaster Farming Hamilton Equipment Returns To Farm Show EPHRATA (Lancaster Co.) “Our state legislators have com mitted significant state funds to build the new exhibitor hall. The enthusiasm of the Farm Show commission and their employees is contagious,” said David Rupp, sales manager of Hamilton Equipment, Inc. “It seems like a total renewed commitment by the state,” he said. “I really don’t know of any other state in our area that has new facilities like these.” The Farm Show, Rupp be lieves, is worth the time and ef fort of the company. “We have facilities that rival or exceed any of our neighboring states. 1 think Pennsylvania’s farmers will visit the Pennsylva nia Farm Show and Hamilton Equipment will be there to greet them.” After a two-year hiatus from exhibiting at the Farm Show, the business returned in 2003 to the Farm Show 2004 Exhibitor Spotlight event, partly because of the fin ancial commitment which shows renewed efforts by the state, said Rupp. The business will have 5,600 square feet at the Farm Show. Although the designated “Farmer Days” will be important to the business, the weekends are also critical, said Rupp. “We have quite a bit of busi ness comes from weekend and hobby farmers, who also contrib ute a great deal to the bottom line,” he said. The company “is not limited to high-horsepower tractors. 1 think Hamilton Equip ment has products that apply to both customers.” Hamilton Equipment is a wholesale distributor selling farm equipment through a network of servicing dealers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Mary land, Virginia, and West Virgin ia. The company is a family owned business that is run by A few of Hamilton Equipment’s employees include, from left, Charlie Potteiger, ware house manager; Jan Reddig, parts manager; Robert Crills, shipping; Barry Groff, parts; Edwin Stauffer, warehouse; Albert Dorrick, parts; David Rupp, sales manager; and Floyd Heuyard, warehouse clerk. Bob Hamilton, son of founder R.J. Hamilton Sr. Founded in 1938 by Bob Ham ilton Sr., who grew up on the farm and was the lone salesman, the business has grown from a main warehouse a 4,000-square-foot building in downtown Ephrata to include seven territory managers in a six- state area. Products distributed by Hamil ton Equipment include Danuser post hole diggers, DEMCO Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 13, 2003-A2 sprayers, Herd seeders, Kelley backhoes and loaders, Westfield grain augers, and Worksaver farm products. The company has expanded to include Hamilton Distributing, a paint distribution business with more than 140 paint products for residential customers. Hamilton Equipment employs 70 people in their three ware houses at Ephrata, Raphine, Va., and Leola. The Leola warehouse is a separate warehouse for paint distribution and has a separate sales force. “Hamilton Equipment has been exhibiting at the Pennsylva nia Farm Show since 1940. The support of Pennsylvania's farm ers is the reason we have grown from a company with 4,000 square feet of warehouse to our current facilities with 70,000 square feet in Ephrata and 33,000 square feet in Raphine, Virginia,” said Rupp. Their Website is www.Ha mlnc.com. 1
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