J.R.’s Lawnmower Shop: Diverse Product Line Works Carts, grills, coolers and deer food complement lawn and garden. BY DAN SHELL OPP, Ala. ooking back a decade ago, Joe Richburg, owner of J.R.’s Lawnmower Shop, was just coming off a major showroom expansion and remodeling, and his business was taking off partly as a result of a major television ad buy that put his business in front of millions more potential customers across the bottom third of Alabama. The business was also doing well with its golf cart venture, working with institutions and large companies as well as landowners and recreationists.
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Since then, Richburg has diversified even more in his product offerings, and he’s boosted his web site and social media presence to keep his company constantly in mind when local power equipment consumers are looking to buy. Back in January PET visited J.R.’s Lawnmower Shop in deep south rural Alabama just 20 miles from the Florida line on a beautiful but cold day and saw one of the busiest dealerships we’ve ever seen for the dead of winter: Employees were busy swapping out showroom inventory from the ATVs and karts that were on display through the fall and holiday shopping season and moving in more spring seasonal product. Meanwhile, the service department’s mower shop was churning out work and going through a large pile of orders generated by J.R.’s popular winter tuneup service special that starts up January 1 and offers free pickup and delivery and a free blade with each tuneup.
And through it all, a steady stream of customers made their way into the showroom to browse and to the counter for parts buys, service order pickups, a large cube Stihl saw sale and a nice older gentleman about to pull the trigger on a new Grasshopper mower. Meanwhile, two technicians were just back from attending a golf cart service school, and in the office Vicki Poole was putting together a Gravely promo piece for the web site and Facebook page. All in all, it was just a regular ol’ Wednesday in January at J.R.’s Lawnmower Shop down in Opp. “I never anticipated having this kind of business,” says Richburg, 56, a lifelong Opp resident who started the business with his father as a service-only shop. Indeed, by taking advantage of opportunities and keeping an eye toward diversification, Richburg has developed a powerhouse dealership that In south Alabama, J.R.’s Lawnmower Shop was as busy as any dealership PET has ever visited—only this was in January.
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