ROERS EQUIPMENT, INC.

QWho are the current owners and how long have they been in business?

ARodney and Glenn Roers, brothers, own and operate Roers Equipment, Inc. We took over ownership of the family business back in 1987, but worked in the business since we were teenagers.

QWho started the business and what year did it begin?

AOur father, Roman Roers, was a young man when he took over his family’s very rocky farm. Early on, he knew he needed a way to supplement the limited income that farming in rocks would provide for his family. After buying and using a threshing machine to harvest his crops, he quickly resold it. He bought several more the next year and the business just kept going and growing. In 1946, with the help of his wife, Ruth, Roers Equipment was founded and specialized in the sale of tractors, farm equipment and parts.

QWho are all the previous owners of the business and what are the relationships between the owners?

AGlenn and Rodney are the second generation to own and operate Roers Equipment after taking over from our parents and company founders, Roman and Ruth Roers. Throughout the years, it has been a pleasure to have several of Roman and Ruth’s grandchildren work for the company while attending school.

QAs the current owners, why was it important to you to keep the family business going? A

It is an honor to take over our mom and dad’s business, but it’s also a sense of duty to the people that have been coming here for years. After 77 years in business, people have relied on us for their farm equipment and repair part needs. That is a responsibility that we don’t take lightly.

QHow has the business changed over the years? Any new locations, etc.?

AFarming and agriculture have changed so very much in the past 77 years. Farms have gotten larger, as well as the equipment used to farm them. Our market focus has continued to be on the small family farms and organic farming. We have however, seen a large share of our business shift to providing equipment and information to individuals to use in establishing wildlife habitat on their recreational properties.

Technology, specifically our company website, www.roersequipment.com, has made it possible for us to be of assistance to farmers on a national and international scale bringing customers to our business from as far off as Florida, California, Canada and even Ethiopia.

QWhat impact, do you feel, a generational business has on our community?

AOur parents emphasized responsibility and duty not only to our customers but also to our community. We are active in our church and local government, as well as participating in service organizations. More specifically, we are proud to serve on the Millerville Fire and Rescue in which we volunteer and help friends, family and our community when they most need help.

QWhat are the biggest challenges/ rewards of owning a generational business?

AWhat is very rewarding to us is that we are often dealing with the grandchildren and great grandchildren of customers that our dad dealt with in his early years. We appreciate their loyalty and in return, offer our loyalty to be here assisting with their needs. We are so lucky to be working with farmers. Farmers as a whole are such good people