Conversations with Ed Courtney

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ed Courtney.

Hi Ed, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My dad started a body shop in 1984, buying old grain trucks, refurbishing and then selling them. I came to work for him in 1986 after going to the Spartan School of Aeronautics, where I became a licensed airplane mechanic with a vast knowledge in hydraulics and electrical work within mechanics.
Then we started buying and selling used fleet vehicles from Phillips Oil company to local farmers. As we moved into the 90s, we started installing HydraBeds, a bale bed manufactured just north of us in Sabetha, KS. Then, I became a Vermeer Hay equipment dealer and ran a mechanic shop alongside my dad. We continued to do that for another 20 years, then we built the new building that we are in now, in 2014. With the new building, we took on dealing for new companies, Grasshopper mowers, Highline Bale Processors, Bradford Beds, Ironstar, Winkel, Butler Beds, and PopUp! Hitches. When we moved into the new building, we were able to create more space-affording us the ability to service all vehicles (alignments, tires, motor swaps, etc), mowers, Vermeer Hay equipment, flatbed installation and repair.
In 2024, we celebrated 40 years of service and sales to the local community, and we celebrated our 25th year of serving and working with the local farmers through Vermeer. Our son, John Courtney, came back to the business after working for Vermeer and graduating Central College in Iowa. John plans to continue working in the business and eventually taking over Courtney’s LLC to carry on the family legacy for years to come.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been mostly smooth, but, like any business, we have had to face our own various challenges. In the beginning, we were working out of two small barns, limiting our ability to schedule out a lot of work, and the space made it more difficult to accomplish many jobs at the same time. When we began, we had a body and paint shop, but in the 90s we had to discontinue that work due to EPA rule changes. More recently, our biggest challenge has been getting dependable and knowledgeable employees in our shop.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Here, I have my hand in everything. From sales of used trucks and new equipment to the installation of HydraBeds, flatbeds, hoists, and the repair of all the previous list. I work hard, I work long hours-days into nights and weekends. I’m proud of my ability to work hard and provide quality to all of my customers. I think that the biggest thing to set me apart from others would be my dedication to my customers. I work my own farm, cut and bale my own hay, and I know what it is to have an operation down-even for a couple of hours. In the summer, especially, we are available and make service calls to the field-even after hours.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My wife, Robin, my parents, my kids-my family. My family has been there with me through every up and every down and supported me through it all. We’ve had a number of loyal customers through the years that have helped us and been there with us through it all, starting with a generation and carrying through to the next, we have loved working with each customer throughout each phase of the business on every side.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.courtneysllc.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/courtneysllc.mclouth