The Laker/Lutz News

Wilson's Tractor and Supply Co.

It’s a family affair at Wilson’s Tractor & Supply

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Bruce and Jennifer Wilson, owners of Wilson’s Tractor and Supply Co., have an admirable goal – to one day turn their family business over to their two sons, Bruce Jr. and Aaron.

The Wilson Family
The Wilson Family

The couple wants their sons to know the value of hard work and to appreciate the rewards of customer satisfaction. They look forward to their boys carrying on the stellar reputation of the Wilson name, and to one day be able to support their families with the family business.

Self-employed for most of his adult life, Bruce owned other businesses — even moving his family to Georgia for a short time — before returning to his hometown of Dade City in 2002 to open Wilson’s Tractor and Supply Co. Mowers, leaf blowers, and weed eaters line the walls of the store, showing that Wilson’s carries much more than tractors. If your mower needs a new blade or tune-up, one of the staff will gladly help unload it out of your vehicle and into the service area.

Growing up in the business and now working alongside his dad, 20-year-old Bruce Jr. specializes in selling and repairing lawn equipment and tractors. He also makes sure that everything that leaves the store is in tip-top shape, ready to meet the needs of the customer. It is this level of detail and perfection that drives the entire Wilson family.

When not at Pasco High School as a vocational teacher, Jennifer Wilson is the company’s bookkeeper and unofficial door greeter at the store. In her “spare” time, Jennifer is chauffeur to her younger son, 13-year-old Aaron, and his group of friends who have recently discovered the art of yo-yoing.

Aaron watched a yo-yo demonstration during a visit to Disney and became enthralled with the artistry of the sport. After meeting several internationally acclaimed masters and learning several tricks, Aaron is focused on starting a yo-yo club at Centennial Middle School, where he is in the seventh grade.

Future Farmers of America and 4-H are clubs important to the Wilson family. While a student at Pasco High School, Bruce, Jr. was active in the school’s FFA Club. Aaron is continuing that legacy through his own leadership roles in the club, including raising a steer (aptly named Beefy) for the Pasco County Fair. Aaron is financing his current steer project with profits earned through previous projects with his 4-H group. The family also raises chickens and turkeys.

Rounding out the Wilson team is Fred “The Tractor Man” Roenicke. Fred is as iconic in Dade City as the green and yellow paint on the tractors he sells. Fred has more than 45 years experience selling tractors and other farm equipment. His knowledge about the tractor business, combined with his love of the local area, makes Fred a perfect employee for this family business.

What does the family do for fun when they’re not at the store?

“When you own your own business, you don’t have time for your own personal fun. You want your business to succeed and you want your customers to be happy,” said Jennifer. “But we do enjoy the hunting season.”

Time in the woods, away from the business, helps motivate this family to do even more and allows them to return to the town they grew up in, refreshed and ready to get back to work.

Wilson’s Tractor & Supply Co. is located at 12410 U.S. 301 in Dade City. It can be found online at WilsonTractorSupplyCo.com, by calling (352) 567-5002 or email .

– Jenny Timms

This story is a feature of the advertising department. 

Hobby farmers and suburbanites can count on Wilson’s Tractor

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In the 21 years that Bruce Wilson has owned his Dade City business, Wilson’s Tractor and Supply Co. has gone through several economic ups and downs.

Bruce and Junior Wilson
Bruce and Junior Wilson

Today Bruce is glad to report that his business is once again on the upswing with a steady demand for service and new sales of farm and lawn maintenance equipment.

Wilson’s Tractor and Supply sells top-name commercial and residential tractors and lawn equipment, including well-regarded brands such as Snapper, Snapper Pro, RedMax, Exmark, Ferris and TYM Tractors. Equipment ranges from enclosed, air-conditioned tractors to heavy-duty front loaders to commercial-grade chain saws, mowers, trimmers, edgers and leaf blowers.

“Our primary customer is the hobby farmer with 5 to 10 acres,” said Bruce. “We sell everything they need to take care of their horses and livestock and to grow and harvest hay, blueberries, peaches and other crops.”

Wilson Tractor also serves suburban homeowners with large lots. Bruce notes that his store is the closest location of quality, commercial-grade lawn equipment for residents in Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills and Dade City.

“We are the closest store for people in east Pasco wanting durable, commercial- grade equipment that they can depend on and not worry about replacing every few years,” said Bruce.

Just as important as new sales is his service department. Bruce estimates that half of his volume comes from the shop’s service and warranty work.

“Unlike most equipment dealers, we will service any brand, not just those that we sell,” said Bruce. “We try to take care of our customers no matter who the manufacturer of their equipment.”

Bruce’s vow to take care of customers, no matter what the problem, is why 80 percent of his customers are repeat business.

An example of his superb customer service is Bruce’s insistence that every mower he sells is personally delivered to the customer, who is given detailed instructions on how to operate his new mower properly and safely.

You find this type of personal service in everything that’s done at Wilson Tractor and Supply. If Bruce isn’t in the store taking care of customers, then his son Junior is.

Bruce is obviously proud of his 18-year- old son, Bruce Jr., who graduates in May from Pasco High, the same Dade City high school both his parents graduated from in the 1980s.

“My son can fix anything,” Bruce said. “He’s studied welding at school, and his hands are calloused from working on stuff all day long.”

Also involved in the family business are Bruce’s wife and Junior’s mom, Jennifer, who teaches health occupation at Pasco High. The family’s younger son Aaron is a sixth-grader at Centennial Middle School. Jennifer helps with bookkeeping after school and weekends, and both sons work alongside their dad.

Before founding Wilson Tractor and Supply in 1992, Bruce worked for Managed Logistics Systems. After a corporate move to Albany, Georgia, Bruce and Jennifer decided to open their own business in their hometown of Dade City so they could raise their children close to family.

When Bruce first opened from his original location on the US 301 bypass, he worked on automotives, big trucks and farm equipment. In 2000, he moved his operation to his current store because it was more visible and easier for customers to get to.

As his business grew, Bruce began to focus more on farm and garden equipment and stopped servicing automotives and trucks. It was a natural evolution to add new equipment sales. Helping Bruce sell farm equipment is Fred Roenicke, an industry icon known fondly as Fred The Tractor Man.

“Fred has 45 years of experience and loves selling tractors. He’s 75 years old and is an expert on helping people determine what they need for their farm,” said Bruce.

“We invite folks to stop by and meet Fred, check out our equipment and learn how we can help them with new equipment and service their old.”

Visit Wilson’s Tractor & Supply Co., a 12410 U.S. 301, Dade City. Call them at (352) 567-5002.

This story was written by the advertising department.