2013 LOGAN COUNTY FARM OUTLOOK MAGAZINE LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com October 25, 2013 Page 29
Central Illinois Ag, the second 115 years
A
TLANTA -- A lot of businesses in
Logan County can boast 10th, 15th, 25th
anniversaries, and a few can tout 60 or more,
but 115 years? Central Illinois Ag in Atlanta can salute
this number proudly. Yes, that
is 115 years doing much the
same thing they did when they
opened the doors in 1898.
The business then and now
is based on customer service,
good products and a sense
of loyalty that only comes
from families doing business
with families. And if you
are wondering how many
generations of families that
would be, it is five, with the sixth generation in the
wings, being grounded and growing into their turn at
the helm.
Owners are Steve Schmidt and son Michael, Dave
Evans and son Tim, with Tim being the chief financial
officer, and Brian Resser and his father, Tim, who just
retired and is still very active in the business. Even
when one of the more senior partners retires, he really
doesn’t spend his day on a golf course, but is in and
out on a day-to-day basis, looking to pick up a loose
end here or there or deliver a piece of equipment, even
if it is a Sunday afternoon and hours from Atlanta.
You aren’t in business for 115 years without a
bump in the road here and there. One of their more
recent events to overcome was a fire that ravaged
the business this spring. In a recent interview with
Michael Schmidt, it was apparent that it wasn’t
about the losses they were dealt from the flames, but
more about what was going to come from it. With a
proactive perspective, it was clear that this man and
his team are planning for the second 115 years of
business.
While they lost a 22,000-square-foot building, what
is coming back from the ashes is a 57,000-square-foot
building that will fit their needs much more. With
equipment being so massive nowadays in comparison
with years ago, the building obviously had to change to
meet the demands.
in
the
Emerging age of technology
Roy Logan
Case IH Ecolo-Tiger 870
