Article Published in Iowa Farmer Today

LENOX --- Todd Barker says other than a paper route and lawn-mowing jobs, every paycheck he has earned has come from his family’s business.

And, he says, that opportunity will be there for the next generation as well.

Barker and his family own and operate Barker Implement Co., with stores here and in six other Iowa communities — Creston, Clarinda, Winterset, Indianola, Knoxville and Leon.

Based in this Taylor County community, Barker Implement has been part of Lenox since 1936. All expansion has come since 1991.

And, for the duration of those 72 years, the Barkers have sold John Deere machinery.

“My father, Kenny Barker, was unable to farm because of his health, so he bought out this dealership in 1936,” says Lonnie Barker, Todd’s father. “It was 1936, so times were tough, and I don’t think he paid a lot for it.”

After moving the business around Lenox, Kenny Barker and his wife, Doris, built the present facility in 1947. Twelve years later, after graduating from college and a two-year stint in the Army, Lonnie joined the family business.

“The farm economy was not that great when I came back,” Lonnie says. “But, as the economy got better, so did our business.”

Todd joined the business under similar circumstances after graduating from Iowa State University in 1984.

“I think my parents would have liked to have seen me try something else, but Dad said it might be a good idea to learn the business while times were bad,” he says.

Todd’s sister, Lahni Robinson, also joined the business at that time. They currently operate the business with Lonnie’s niece and her husband, Lynne and Bob Irr.

“They’re really the people who are running everything right now,” Lonnie says. “My brother, Kevin, and I have slowed down quite a bit, and the kids are doing a great job.”

While the Barkers have thrived, other farm-based businesses have not survived the changing face of agriculture, says Dan Otto, ISU Extension ag economist in Ames.

He says implement dealerships, like many other businesses, have consolidated over time.

“The farm sector has really seen a lot of consolidation, but there is still a need in rural areas for this type of business,” Otto says, adding many of those businesses have left small communities for larger, more regionalized operations.

He says farmers have become used to traveling farther for parts, feed and other farm items. Otto adds with many farmers working off the farm, these items may be readily accessible for them.

“In just about every part of the state, you don’t have to travel very far to find a decent-sized city, and that’s where the off-farm income is found,” Otto says. “That off-farm income is keeping people on the farm, and there are plenty of businesses geared toward them, but at the same time, it may be hurting businesses in the smaller town.”

Some of those businesses may be doing quite well, Otto says, but the business could come to an end as retirement nears for the current owner.

“There is still a generation of business owners out there that is holding on, but it may not be enough to provide an entrance for a new generation of that family,” he says.

Many farm supplies can be ordered over the Internet, Otto says. Farmers working in a larger city may be able to pick up what they need before heading home, he adds.

Otto says family-owned businesses that prosper are not unique. The successful businesses will emphasize customer service to stay competitive.

Customer service and providing a quality product have been the foundation of Barker Implement, Lonnie says.

“Customer service is really what it’s all about. You have to take care of your customers, and you have to take care of the people that work for you,” he says. “We have sold to three and four generations of farmers, and my family understands that the business is about our customers and treating them right.”

Once the decision to expand was made in 1991, with the purchase of the Creston store, Todd knew the business’ dynamic had changed.

“A lot of it is adapting to the changes in agriculture,” he says. “While our customers have consolidated, we have done pretty much the same thing with how we handle responsibilities with the business.”

Buying that second store, Todd says, was truly a leap of faith for his family.

“We were in one spot for 50 years, but we realized we probably needed to look at growing,” he says. “We’re still learning how to run a business with stores in several locations, but we have learned a lot and will continue to learn.”

The biggest challenge, Todd says, may be building customer loyalty similar to what the family has in Lenox.

“Our market share in Taylor and Union counties is very high, because we have been here a long time,” he says.

“But, even though we have been in Clarinda since 2000, we still have a lot of work to do there. We’re learning the needs of a farmer in Warren County might be different than the needs of a farmer in Page County.”

But, Lonnie believes so long as they emphasize customer service, those locations should be successful.

“In my lifetime, agriculture has changed a great deal, but taking care of your customers should never change,” he says. “I think as long as we realize that, we’re going to be fine.”