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 The
1996 Hartsburg Quasquicentennial book shared some of the history of
the company.
The Rohlfs Implement Company started in Hartsburg in 1946 as a
partnership with brothers Alvin and Merle Rohlfs as owners. At the
time, it was called Rohlfs Brothers Garage. Both men were from the
area and had been in the army before starting the business.
The building was formerly the “Ado” Schmidt blacksmith shop and
Lewis Hellman Garage. In the early years Rohlfs Implement Company
sold Willys automobiles, Jeeps, Kaiser Frazer automobiles, Gehl,
Kewanee, Minneapolis Moline, and Oliver Machinery.
In 1956, Merle sold out to
Alvin and Merle went into the insurance business. Alvin Rohlfs then
bought the C.L. “Dutch” Kief store, old Allis Chalmers dealership,
Town Hall, and tavern buildings. This is where the new buildings
were built which now house Rohlfs Implement Company.
In 1969 Alvin purchased six acres of ground one-fourth mile north on
Rt. 121 from William Allison to be used as a used machinery lot. He
then had a large Morton building put up for storage and set up for
machinery.
The farm business grew as did the size of the machines. White Farm
Equipment bought Minneapolis Moline and Oliver, New Idea, and other
small companies. This gave the dealership access to sell more
machinery.
In 1988, Alvin Rohlfs sold the business to three of his sons, Les,
Thomas, and Michael who proved to be very well qualified to run the
business.
Meanwhile, Agco Corporation
purchased Allis, Gleaner, White, New Idea, and Massey Ferguson and
is now one of the largest farm machinery manufacturers in the world.
The three sons later opened a second dealership in Greenview after
purchasing an established Allis Chalmers and Gleaner dealership
owned by Dave Cramer.
Rohlfs Implement now offers a full line of OEM quality parts
fine-tuned to the AGCO product lines it carries. Their service
department features skilled technicians, factory-trained to service
the products they sell. They also stock a large inventory of
accessories and parts for the products they carry and have the
latest computer technology to quickly find any part you may ever
need.
A multigenerational business
Alvin Rohlfs’ sons Les and Mike and grandson Nathan have all been a
part of Rohlfs Implement for many years.
Les Rohlfs is the general manager Rohlfs Implement and also oversees
larger ag equipment sales. Les has been working there for nearly
fifty years since he was 22.
Some of the biggest changes Les has seen over the years he has
worked with the company are the increase in the size of the average
farm and the size of equipment. He said technology has also changed
significantly.
Mike Rohlfs started working at Rohlfs Implement right out of high
school in 1986. He went into the business to help his brother Les
out and has continued to work there for over 35 years. Mike is in
sales but is also the service manager.
To Mike, the changes and
advancements in the technology of the equipment over the past 30
years have been unreal.
Though Mike thinks some of the advancements are beneficial, there
are some advancements he does not find as positive. For instance,
Mike says he does not think driverless tractors are a good idea
because he feels they lose the farming touch. To him, driving a
combine is a big part of farming.
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Some Mike feels has been
beneficial is the use of fewer chemicals in farming.
Nathan, who is Les Rohlfs’ son, had been an employee of Rohlfs
Implement Company since 1997. He said as a young boy he would help
around the business by sweeping the floors. Nathan’s main focus is
the Kubota line up and larger Massey Ferguson tractors. He says
Rohlfs Implement has sold Kubota equipment off and on for many
years.
The major change Nathan has seen over the years has been in the area
of technology as a whole. For instance, self-steering in tractors is
one of the major changes.
Some of the equipment they sell has also changed. Rohlfs Implement
used to sell Massey Ferguson and Gleaner combines. In addition, they
sold Kaiser Frazier cars and jeeps. Nathan said the jeeps were then
used as tractors.
Now there is a third
generation of the Rohlfs family working at Rohlfs Implement Company.
Mike’s daughter Madison Rohlfs and son Max Rohlfs both help out
there as needed.
Like many businesses, Rohlfs Implement faced some challenges during
the pandemic. Les said Covid created a supply chain issue for
equipment and parts. It created a high demand for used equipment
until new was finally available.
Covid also created a challenge for Nathan when he spent three months
in hospitals in 2020 fighting Covid-19. It was a struggle of his
life that he nearly lost; but fortunately, after months in the
hospital and a long recovery, Nathan was able to return to work.
During that time, the family and community rallied around Nathan as
small towns tend to do.
The company persevered through
those challenges and continues to serve the community.
Hopefully, Rohlfs Implement Company will continue to serve the area
for years to come.
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