{AMISH COMMUNITY NEWS} Vol. 5 No. 8
June 19, 2013
Yoder’s Buggy Wheels
Writings from Our Schools
Never have I seen so many buggy wheels in one place at one time! Neatly arranged floor to ceiling, the golden wood gives the buggy shop a warm glow. The owner-operator of the shop, Allen Yoder Jr., adds his good cheer to put you completely at ease. His dad, Allen Sr., whose Buggy Shop occupies the rest of the building, adds his friendly sense of humor to the atmosphere. Here are craftsmen who love what they do and enjoy talking about it. But, let me start at the beginning … during the winter of 2008, with the economy as bad as the weather, Allen Jr. was laid off from his construction job, as were many others. Allen, however, was more fortunate than most. His dad had a business of his own and saw a need his son could fill by starting his own shop. Allen Sr. had been owneroperator of “Al’s Buggy Shop” for about 7 years at that time. Considering the limited number of buggy wheel shops and the growth in the Amish community with the accompanying growth of need for buggies with good wheels, a hard working young man could, with a little help and advice (some from his competition), make himself and his family a successful business. And this Allen did with his shop, which not only supplies brand new wheels, but also repairs damaged or worn ones. A bonus is that his shop is at his home place so he has more time with his family, can enjoy those good hot lunches, and his children get to watch their dad at work and can learn from it.
Submitted by Laura Kauffman
By Jacquie Foote
If I Would Be a Buggy Horse … By Susie (grade 5) In the morning I would eat my hay and feed. Then, if my master wanted to go visit somewhere with his family, I would pull his buggy. I would go as fast as my master wanted to go and I would obey him. I would keep my head up and stop very nicely. Then, when we’d come home, I’d eat my supper and then go to sleep.
Pretending I Am a Grandpa … By Susie (grade 5) I am a Grandpa with gray hair and blue eyes. I do not wear glasses and I have lots of grandchildren. Everyday I go out and work a little in my shop and feed my horse. After that, I sit in my chair and read. Then I visit with my grandchildren who come to visit me. It is fun being a Grandpa!
Buggy wheels are not always wooden. They also come in steel, fiberglass and aluminum. The wooden wheels Allen deals in are hand made here, in Geauga County. Allen says that Holmes County shops sell just about anything you need for your buggy, but the steel and aluminum wheels are made in Lancaster County. Yoder’s Buggy Wheels sells their finished wheels wholesale to buggy shops like his dad’s that are constructing new buggies, but also retail to someone in need of a replacement wheel. Allen takes the raw wheel made from the material the customer has selected and finishes it to the customer’s request. Continued on page 3
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