Articles : Issue # 31: Dealer Feature

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Date Posted June 01, 2009

News Title Issue # 31: Dealer Feature

Weder Sales & Service
Grantfork, IL

The Clyde Weder Oliver dealership is long gone but in it’s day, it was one of the most modern in the area. In fact, when Farm and Power Equipment magazine visited with Clyde’s operation in the 1960’s, they referred to it as the “idea factory”.

Clyde was raised on the family farm in a little town called Grantfork. He had equipment trader in his blood. As a youngster he was combining the field in front of their house using an old AC combine. When Clyde’s father, Joe, came home, the combine was gone. He asked Clyde where it went and he told him that he had sold it. Clyde’s father about went through the roof until Clyde explained that he made more money selling that combine than they would have made off the entire crop.

That’s where it all began. Then Clyde was called to service in WWII. He was stationed in Hawaii. After the war was over, he boarded ship to head back to the US. All the way home, the troops were driving equipment off the side of the ship to let it sink to the ocean’s floor. This really bothered Clyde as he couldn’t stand to see a good piece of equipment disposed of. From then on, he never got rid of anything that could still be used.

Clyde married Irene and started raising a family on the home farm. He began dabbling in farm equipment and took an Oliver contract in the mid 1950’s. This was not a typical dealership because he realized that you could make just as much money selling used parts as you could selling new equipment.

The salvage yard that Clyde created was something he took a lot of pride in. The first portion was for used equipment and each piece was placed on a pallet. Each pallet was placed in an orderly fashion allowing for access from each side. The grass was always kept mowed and that was Roger’s job. First he would mow down the center between the pallets, then each pallet would be moved over into the path he just mowed so he could mow another swath. Every time he mowed, the pallets would be moved.

Clyde knew off the top of his head exactly how much money he had invested in a pallet and what he needed off each piece to break even. Nothing was ever marked so you always had to go through Clyde to get a price. Walkie-talkies were used to communicate with Clyde from the office. This saved a lot of running around and was high tech for that time period.

Roger Kraus, a long-time Weder employee, was a unique individual. Roger was an excellent mechanic but he was a deaf mute. He could time an engine and do most anything at the dealership just by feeling for vibrations. He would also take the noisy jobs that no one else wanted. It didn’t bother him.

To read the complete Weder article, order Heritage Iron back issue #31.

Copyright © 2006 Oliver Heritage
http://www.oliverinformation.com

Date Posted	June 01, 2009
News Title	Issue # 31: Dealer Feature
Weder Sales & Service Grantfork, IL The Clyde Weder Oliver dealership is long gone but in it’s day, it was one of the most modern in the area. In fact, when Farm and Power Equipment magazine visited with Clyde’s operation in the 1960’s, they referred to it as the “idea factory”. Clyde was raised on the family farm in a little town called Grantfork. He had equipment trader in his blood. As a youngster he was combining the field in front of their house using an old AC combine. When Clyde’s father, Joe, came home, the combine was gone. He asked Clyde where it went and he told him that he had sold it. Clyde’s father about went through the roof until Clyde explained that he made more money selling that combine than they would have made off the entire crop. That’s where it all began. Then Clyde was called to service in WWII. He was stationed in Hawaii. After the war was over, he boarded ship to head back to the US. All the way home, the troops were driving equipment off the side of the ship to let it sink to the ocean’s floor. This really bothered Clyde as he couldn’t stand to see a good piece of equipment disposed of. From then on, he never got rid of anything that could still be used. Clyde married Irene and started raising a family on the home farm. He began dabbling in farm equipment and took an Oliver contract in the mid 1950’s. This was not a typical dealership because he realized that you could make just as much money selling used parts as you could selling new equipment. The salvage yard that Clyde created was something he took a lot of pride in. The first portion was for used equipment and each piece was placed on a pallet. Each pallet was placed in an orderly fashion allowing for access from each side. The grass was always kept mowed and that was Roger’s job. First he would mow down the center between the pallets, then each pallet would be moved over into the path he just mowed so he could mow another swath. Every time he mowed, the pallets would be moved. Clyde knew off the top of his head exactly how much money he had invested in a pallet and what he needed off each piece to break even. Nothing was ever marked so you always had to go through Clyde to get a price. Walkie-talkies were used to communicate with Clyde from the office. This saved a lot of running around and was high tech for that time period. Roger Kraus, a long-time Weder employee, was a unique individual. Roger was an excellent mechanic but he was a deaf mute. He could time an engine and do most anything at the dealership just by feeling for vibrations. He would also take the noisy jobs that no one else wanted. It didn’t bother him. To read the complete Weder article, order Heritage Iron back issue #31.
Copyright © 2006 Oliver Heritage http://www.oliverinformation.com