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Serving Maple Grove, Dudenville, Hannahtown, Carytown, Jasper, Dublin, Boston and a few points in between |
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Jasper
Humor
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Kevin Longanecker (left) and Danny Sweeney, owners of the new Dudenville Tractor & Implement LLC. |
Dudenville Tractor & Implement LLC is located at the corner of Highway B and Dade County Ave. in Dudenville. |
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Shop Opens in Dudenville __________
by James McNary Chief Editor
Dudenville, Mo. – For Kevin Longanecker and Danny Sweeney, March 26 was just one of those days. The owners of the new Dudenville Tractor & Implement LLC had decided to open their new shop a few days early, only for Sweeney to have an accident. Sweeney runs a bulldozer in another business he owns. “Danny was knocking trees down and a … tree limb fell and hit him upside-the-head,” said Longanecker. After a trip to the emergency room at St. John’s in Joplin and resting for a day Sweeney is now back on his feet. Longanecker is originally from Riverside, Calif., leaving there in 1989, while Sweeney grew up in the Golden City area. Before deciding to start Dudenville Tractor, the longtime friends had driven trucks for S&H Farm Supply in Lockwood. “I was known as a people person; I’d be going out to pick up a piece of equipment and would be trying to convince them the free hats they were getting were a peace offering,” said Longanecker. “One day Danny up and said ‘Let’s go into business together,’” said Longanecker. Though they’ve been planning on doing this for five or six years, Longanecker says it was really hard to leave S&H. “The people at S&H are just great,” said Longanecker. “Wayne and Eric [Schnelle] are great to work for; Wayne is one of those bosses that if you’re having a bad day he could say something to you and make the day seem better. But you’ve just got to do something on your own.” Wayne Schnelle at S&H said Sweeney learned much of his mechanical ability through experience. “Danny is very innovative,” said Schnelle, “He’s very capable, it doesn’t matter what it is he can generally get in there and fix it. He’s not just a parts-changer like we see anymore.” Schnelle also said that Longanecker does good work detailing. “Detailing is Kevin’s forte,” said Schnelle. Longanecker says Dudenville Tractor will offer tractor painting, machinery repair, detailing and welding. Their wives, Sandy Longanecker and Rhonda Sweeney, are also full partners in the business. Longanecker says with struggling farmers not able to afford high shop rates, they try to keep their rates low. “And if we don’t know how to fix it we know someone who can,” Longanecker said. “There will always be coffee made, so just stop by and see what we’re all about,” says Longanecker. Dudenville is a small farming community just off Mo. Route 37 at the end of Highway B on the Jasper-Dade County line. Dudenville Tractor & Implement is the first new business to locate there in several years. Mud Brother Pottery, owned by Jack and Lee Ann Sours, is also in Dudenville. The town at one time had four grocery stores, one with a druggist, a Massey-Harris farm equipment dealer, a movie theater, a post office and two churches. The last of the stores closed in 1969 when the O’Dell family owned it, but the Methodist Church is still holding services as of this writing. The Dudenville cemetery is also still a working cemetery. __________
© 2001-2003 The Maple Grove & Dudenville Gazette Co. a division of McNary Bros. |
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Longanecker and Sweeney built these corral panels for a customer. |
Longanecker working on a customer's chainsaw . |
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