Today we’d like to introduce you to Wesley Wood.
Hi Wesley, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started as a mechanic before I could drive, working for a family-owned car repair shop – Deer Auto, which was close to the main square in Independence, MO. During high school at Fort Osage, I went through the auto repair votech classes and soon started working as a heavy equipment mechanic for DECO construction company. I then worked as a mechanic at Contractors Supply – now Hertz – repairing a variety of equipment ranging from hand tools to Joy drills. A few years later, I started working at KC Bobcat as a mid-size equipment mechanic, in field service, as the shop foreman, the service manager, and finally in sales.
During this time, I started, managed, and sold three other small businesses that focused on home repairs.
My wife and I were married in 1996 and started a family. We bought a farm from her family and moved to Mayview MO where we have raised our 4 kids. We have been lucky enough to buy some properties around our main farm which expanded our farmable ground and added a few rental houses. Our farms produce row crops in a rotation of corn, soybeans, and wheat. We have branded ourselves as Woodfarms for almost twenty years.
I have always been a mechanic, repairing almost anything I or my family and friends need fixed. I saw an opportunity to start my own business by buying and selling used equipment. The initial idea was to buy a few used machines, fix them, clean them up, and sell them. The business got bigger when my son, Dempsey, returned from the military, where he had been a helicopter mechanic.
The service side picked up quickly and we hired a third mechanic – Neil, who had many years of experience in equipment repair in both the military and civilian roles.
The business was located at our main farm in Mayview and continued to grow. My middle son, Brenden, soon jumped from a construction job to equipment repair, where he worked hard and picked up the knowledge to fix equipment.
My daughter, Samantha, is in the accounting program at UCM. She helps on the farms, in the office, and in the shop.
My youngest son, Nathan, chose work-release during his senior year in high school, where he came home after lunch each day to work as a mechanic in the shop. He is now a full-time mechanic and is interested in the office side of the business. He will most likely take some business classes with the goal of running the business with his siblings.
Woodfarms Equipment Services was officially started in 2018 and the business has grown significantly. Being able to work at something I like, I am good at, and I enjoy teaching is a blessing. Having all four of my kids working with me makes the job and the business even better.
We recently relocated the business to Odessa when we were lucky enough to buy from John and Carolyn, the family-owned Odessa Diesel Repair building. The building is a great fit for us and has allowed us to expand quickly.
There are a few reasons the business has thrived, the main one being that we repair a large variety of equipment and brand names. We repair everything from small ATVs and UTVs to mid-size equipment like skid steers, all the way up to large equipment like track loaders and excavators. We also offer field service for equipment that is not easy to bring into our shop.
We plan to keep expanding and to offer a wider variety of repair services including commercial fleet maintenance and limited services for personal vehicles.
Thank you for this opportunity and my family is excited to showcase our business.
As you know, we’re big fans of Woodfarms Equipment Services. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We can be found on Facebook or our website. woodfarms.wes on TikTok.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Never give up. Take pride in what you do. Keep in contact with those around you that have similar knowledge. Find someone who can help you with the business knowledge that you do not currently have.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.woodfarmsequipmentservices.com/
- Facebook: Woodfarms Equipment Services
