With over 55 years of service Hoxie Implement continues to serve
Family owned and operated since 1962, Hoxie Implement Co., Inc. is dedicated to serving the agricultural community in northwest Kansas. The firm has two other locations in Colby and Oakley, Kansas.
The company began as a full-service International Harvester dealership and became a Case IH dealer when the two agricultural giants merged in 1985. Hoxie Implement carries a wide selection of new and used equipment, an extensive inventory of parts and a large service operation.
Ed Heim, the company’s chief operating officer, said his parents, two brothers and two sisters are all active in the business, selling not only CaseIH Agriculture Equipment but also working as a dealer for more than 20 other short line equipment manufacturers including Kubota, Reinke, Orthman, Shelbourne, MacDon, Yamaha, Bobcat, New Holland and AGCO, to name a few.
“We try and stay diversified since someone needs to take care of all these great customers out here,” Heim said.
High Plains Journal has been a place to help reach out to those customers all these years.
“It’s a well-respected publication,” Heim said. “In today’s world, people still need a publication they can get their hands on and sit there to read great articles along with checking out the equipment ads.”
Technology changes are the biggest issues Heim has seen in his years of selling and servicing farm equipment.
“Farms are getting bigger and labor is less available, but the equipment we sell is designed along with the service we offer to allow our customers to run their operations at maximum performance,” Heim said.
“Perhaps the biggest changes we’ve seen are automatic features such as steering control. Customers are more demanding of more new features and we are out to show we have those features on their equipment and make sure they’re operating correctly for them.”
Service is a big part of the dealership, as Heim understands needs for the service department often come at what are considered the worst time.
“If you have a combine breakdown, it’s not just the combine that stops. It’s the grain carts and the trucks. It’s now more important than ever to get the farmer back in the field as soon as possible,” Heim said.
In the future, Heim said Hoxie Implement will still be in place to serve producers and there will be jobs available for young people as technology demands their skills.
“There will continue to be a need for talented people with excellent service skills along with people who understand how to sell the right products to keep the customer operating,” Heim said.
Larry Dreiling can be reached at 785-628-1117 or [email protected].
