Heritage in Horsepower Page 8
Clark Stoller, president of Stoller International, talks about the 75th anniversary of his family’s business and what the future holds for agriculture.
Heritage in Horsepower The Stoller International store in Pontiac appears as it did in 1948, when it was run by Clark and Lynn’s father, Clarence.
Family-built business celebrates 75 th anniversary Story by Karen Blatter Photos by Jon Cunningham PONTIAC – Clark and Lynn Stoller are more than just brothers. They are a pair of business partners that delicately balance each other out. “Clark is always thinking about five, 10, 15 years down the road,” said the younger brother. “I’m thinking about what’s for lunch. He can remember years of history, and I have already forgotten what I’ve had for breakfast.”
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And while Lynn’s comments are tongue-in-cheek, the partnership has helped to maintain the family’s farm and Case IH dealership, Stoller International, which just celebrated 75 years in business. The brothers are the fifth generation of farmers in the family and the second to run the implement business. “We have a good blend of a family-business partnership,” Clark said. “A lot of faith and prayer have gotten us here.”
Business Between Brothers
A partnership between brothers is what created the business in 1935 when their father Clarence, and his brother Reuben, purchased an IH dealership in Gridley. At the time, the business took horses in on trade for new equipment, which topped off at a 30-horsepower tractor. The first year, they sold 12 tractors.
75 Years of Farm Power at Stoller International 1935
2010
30
Horsepower
600
2
Combine Rows
18
2
Planting Rows
36
Case Dealerships in Livingston County
1
13
1
Store Locations
5
5
Store Employees
80
Source: Stoller International
They operated through the Depression and World War II and opened two more locations, including one in Pontiac in 1948. The Pontiac location is the only one that is still in use today.
In 1974, Clark was asked to take over the business from his dad, who died two years later. Clark was just 21 years old and had planned on becoming a business and agriculture teacher.
In 1950, there were 13 IH dealerships operating in Livingston County alone.
“I had worked at the dealership since I was little and always had an interest in it,” said Clark, who is now president of the business. “In a family-run business, you are always thinking about what is best for the business.”
“Dad joked that everywhere there was a Coke machine, they put up an IH dealership,” Lynn said.
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Case IH Equipment is parked in what is known as the “pasture.” This piece of land is where horses were put when they were taken in on trade for a new piece of equipment. www.1stfarmcredit.com •
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Lynn Stoller, vice president of Stoller International, focuses on the present, balancing out the business partnership between himself and his brother.
Lynn didn’t plan on joining the family business either. He studied construction management and worked in the field for just two years before joining Clark in 1985. “It was a good decision for me,” said Lynn, who serves as the company’s vice president. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
Growth and Technology
Since taking over the business, the brothers have expanded the Pontiac location six times, and added four facilities in Herscher, Minonk, Streator and Ottawa. Along with selling and servicing Case IH equipment, they carry other brands of farm and garden equipment. When the company opened, they served about 50 square miles. Today they serve farmers in 11 counties, covering 5,000 square miles. “Our faith in God is very important to us,” Lynn said. “His guidance has gotten us – and the company – through tough times.”
Clark Stoller, president of Stoller International, is known as the visionary, thinking about what the future holds and knowing the past.
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They stand behind the Case IH brand because of what it brings to producers. And they use the equipment on their farms as well. “The features are superior to the rest of the industry, and they are on the cutting edge of technology,” Clark said. “Their features are imitated by other manufacturers, and their products are innovative.” The business also strives to provide top-notch customer service and works with the 1st Farm Credit Services on-site equipment financing program. Through the dealership, farmers can obtain financing using 1st Farm Credit Services for their purchase without leaving the dealership. Being involved beyond farming and agriculture is important to both men. Growing up, they were in 4-H and FFA. Today they are both involved in their church and have served on community school boards. Lynn serves as a chaplain in the local prisons, working with inmates to find a faith in God. “You see a miracle everyday in agriculture,” Clark said. “You put a small seed in the ground and reap the bountiful harvest, see a calf being born and a litter of pigs. It’s a miracle.”
Increasing Horsepower
As for the future of the business, they both see machinery and equipment becoming bigger, farmers being more productive and innovations that will allow for more food to be produced. “It’s amazing how far we have come, and we still haven’t seen everything that we will be able to accomplish,” Lynn said.
Stoller International employee Cliff Rosenberger replaces a tire on a tractor. Service is an essential part of the business of Stoller International’s five locations.
For the business, they see a third generation taking over, and their daughters and sons-in-law are involved in aspects of the business plus the farming operation. Clark said the strong business is tied to their family’s roots. For Christmas, Clark and Lynn were surprised by their children with a gift: the first tractor ever sold by their father Clarence. The family plans on restoring it to the way it was when it was originally sold. “There is a Bible passage, Psalm 16:6, I’ve thought about often: ‘The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage,’” he said, “and we have a good heritage.” u www.1stfarmcredit.com •
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