About

PRIOR TO: While Carroll Sipes (oldest son of Tom H & Sue C Sipes) was in high school he worked on his dad's farm and on the farm of Gene Burnett. On the days that was too bad to work on the farm, Carroll worked at Flaherty Hardware on St Martin Road, which was owned by Gene Burnett. After Carroll graduated High School in 1953, he kept working on his Dad's farm and for Gene. September of 1954 Carroll joined the Air Force and was stationed in Long Island, NY. When Carroll came home from the Air Force in the May of 1958 he went to work for a company that installed electric lines along the highways. Carroll helped install many of the original electric line poles in the area. On Labor Day weekend Carroll got a toe smashed really bad while installing the poles and had to quit that job. When his toe healed in the fall of 1958, he went to work full time for Jones Repair Service owned by Joe Jones. Jones Repair Service was a single bay building that was attached to Flaherty Hardware that sold Massey Ferguson and New Idea. In 1959, Robbie Hall built the current building on the corner of 144 & 1816 and Joe moved Jones Repair Service to this larger and more modern structure. The building consisted of a show room, parts department and 2 service bays. The new location had plenty of room for customers to park as well as room for equipment for sale. This is the current building.

FLAHERTY TRACTOR COMPANY: Early in 1960 Carroll bought half of the business from Joe Jones and the name was changed to Flaherty Tractor Company . Also in 1960 on Feb. 8, Carroll married Margaret L Fackler (daughter of Fred & Mary Fackler) from Brandenburg, KY. In the winter of 1961, Marvin Sipes, Carroll and Margaret's first child was born. In 1962, Tom Sipes ,Carroll's dad, bought Joe's share of the business and for many years Tom and Carroll worked side be side as more than Father and Son. The winter of 1962 also brought the birth of Kenny Sipes, the second child. Flaherty Tractor Company originally sold Allis Chalmers Equipment, then went on to sell David Brown tractors and New Holland Equipment. Later they added Bush Hog Equipment, Homelite chain saws, Danuser Post hole diggers, Holland tobacco setters, Century sprayers and many other short lines of equipment. Carroll remembers talking to the Bush Hog Company at the National Farm Equipment show in Louisville, KY in the late 60's. He said the following year, he signed up as a Bush Hog dealer. We are still considered one of the older BH dealers in the state. Thru the years we have employed Frank "Boggy" Bradley, Ed McCoy, Bernie Lucas and Frank Lucas. Rick Foushee, Scott Whelan, Trevor Tabor, Lenny Medley and Grant Wilson could also be seen learning a trade. Marvin, Kenny and Bradley Sipes, Carroll & Margaret's sons; and Linda and Mary Sipes, Carroll & Margaret's daughters, have also worked here. Carroll bought out his dad in 1976, to become the sole owner. Marvin took over the operation of the business in 2001. In 2007 we started selling the Bush Hog Zero Turn Lawn Mowers.

FLAHERTY TRACTOR COMPANY, LLC: In 2008 Kenny and Marvin Sipes bought the business from Carroll and changed the name of the business to Flaherty Tractor Company, LLC. We wanted to become an LLC, but we wanted to keep the name that so many people would recognize. Its still confusing to new people that we are Flaherty Tractor Co., but we do nothing with tractors. Later we discontinued the sale of Chain Saws & Grass Trimmers. In the 70's & 80's, it was nothing to sell 150 chain saws a year. With big box stores selling cheaper and cheaper units the profitability went to nothing and so we directed more resources to our Zero Turn Line.

HOW IT WORKS: Marvin does 95% of all service work. Marvin has completed many hours of Certified training with Bush Hog, Kohler & Hydro-Gear. He also has certification with Sperry New Holland, at both the factory in New Holland, PA and with several New Holland engineers. New Holland used our location to test the original Chain & Bar style Round Balers. Marvin has also Certified training on Chain Saws, Motorcycles, Hydraulics and Fabrication. Marvin can be seen doing everything from working on the knotters of a square baler to welding a broken yard ornament, from repairing a PTO shaft to rebuilding a hydraulic cylinder and from sharpening a chain saw to making a hydraulic hose. Marvin is married to Barbara Culp and they have two sons, Ryan and Justin. Kenny does some small engine repairs, but his main focus is on the Parts and Sales, and the paperwork side of the business. Both Marvin and Kenny contribute the business success to their parents, who have always worked hard to insure a good life for their family. This way of life has been passed on to them from their parents, just as they have passed it on to kids.