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Pastor’s Son Devoted To Deere Tractor Parts
Darwin Gingerich grew up as a pastor’s son in a small Kansas community. At a young age his interests tended more toward Deere tractors than theology. “I restored a 1948 Deere model ‘D’ in high school ag shop and just gravitated to mechanical things after that,” says Gingerich. “One thing led to another, and pretty soon I was buying and selling 2-cylinder Deere tractors and parts for a living.”
  Now in his mid 40’s, Gingerich has 25 years of experience. His business has hundreds of used parts for Deere A, B, G, H, D, R, 50, 70LP and 520 to 820 series tractors. He also has new parts for L and LA Deere tractors.
  “I have more than 200 tractors on the premises and can pull parts from any one of them for customers,” Gingerich says. “I go to auctions and buy old tractors, pick them up through the internet, and hear about others by word-of-mouth. I also have people call me from all over the country looking for parts or offering me parts.”
  Although he carries parts for many different models, he says items for the Deere 720 and 730 are the most popular. “People are looking for tin work, carburetors, complete engines, brakes, you name it,” Gingerich says. In a quarter century of business he’s shipped parts to customers in every state except Hawaii and Alaska, plus a few foreign countries.
  “I guess one of the reasons I’ve been successful is that I’ve got a lot of inventory and it’s priced fair,” Gingerich says. “My parts are in good shape and I rarely have a customer complain about getting something that won’t work.”
  Winter is usually a busier time for shipping parts, and other times of the year Gingerich is either locating tractors, pulling parts, doing repairs for local customers, or occasionally restoring a tractor of his own or for a customer. His father Jim, now retired from ministry and full-time work, goes to swap meets for him and does books for the business. He also looks after the Gingerich parts store on ebay (gingerichjohndeeres), which generates a nice amount of business.
  Asked who’s going to take over the business when he wants to move on, Gingerich is quick to point out “I’ve got a 5-year-old boy Gavin who follows me around everywhere and already wants to help. He might be the one to take it on.”
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Darwin Gingerich, P.O. Box 48, Moundridge, Kansas 67107 (ph 620 386-0071; darwin@mtelco.net).



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2016 - Volume #40, Issue #5