Shopper_6_20_24_

http://www.thebattlecreekshopper.com BATTLE CREEK SHOPPER NEWS Thursday, June 20, 2024 27

Hours: M-F 8-5 • Sat 8-12

Sun Closed

* Financing is with approved credit to qualified buyers.

Financing $2,500 or more - 60 Months at 0%.

See dealer for details.

BX23SLSB-R TRACTOR-LOADER-BACKHOE

• 23HP Kubota diesel


• 4wd


• Differential lock


• Power steering


• Hydrostatic
  transmission


• Mid/Rear PTO


• Cat I 3pt hitch


• 48” universal QA
  bucket


• 6ft digging depth
  backhoe


• 12” backhoe bucket

HURRY!!!! TRACTOR LOADER BACKHOE’S IN STOCK GOING FAST!!!!!

*0% Down, 1.99% A.P.R. financing for up to 84 months on purchases of select new Kubota BX23S equipment from participating dealers’

in stock inventory is available to qualified purchasers through Kubota Credit Corporation, U.S.A.; subject to credit approval. Example:

84 monthly payments of $12.76 per $1,000 financed.

CASH PRICE $21,495 or

Or FINANCE PAYMENTS OF $296.46 per month*

*84 months 1.99% fixed to qualified buyers

Financing

Available

Ask about

Ft snow blade

and Grapple

options!!!

BX23SLSB-R TRACTOR-LOADER-BACKHOE

• 23HP Kubota diesel


• 4wd


• Differential lock


• Power steering


• Hydrostatic
  transmission


• Mid/Rear PTO


• Cat I 3pt hitch


• 48” universal QA
  bucket


• 6ft digging depth
  backhoe


• 12” backhoe bucket

HURRY!!!! TRACTOR LOADER BACKHOE’S IN STOCK GOING FAST!!!!!

*0% Down, 1.99% A.P.R. financing for up to 84 months on purchases of select new Kubota BX23S equipment from participating dealers’

in stock inventory is available to qualified purchasers through Kubota Credit Corporation, U.S.A.; subject to credit approval. Example:

84 monthly payments of $12.76 per $1,000 financed.

CASH PRICE $21,495 or

Or FINANCE PAYMENTS OF $296.46 per month*

*84 months 1.99% fixed to qualified buyers

Financing

Available

Ask about

Ft snow blade

and Grapple

options!!!

(517) 279-8002

BX23SLSB-R TRACTOR-LOADER-BACKHOE

• 23HP Kubota diesel


• 4wd


• Differential lock


• Power steering


• Hydrostatic
  transmission


• Mid/Rear PTO


• Cat I 3pt hitch


• 48” universal QA
  bucket


• 6ft digging depth
  backhoe


• 12” backhoe bucket

HURRY!!!! TRACTOR LOADER BACKHOE’S IN STOCK GOING FAST!!!!!

*0% Down, 1.99% A.P.R. financing for up to 84 months on purchases of select new Kubota BX23S equipment from participating dealers’

in stock inventory is available to qualified purchasers through Kubota Credit Corporation, U.S.A.; subject to credit approval. Example:

84 monthly payments of $12.76 per $1,000 financed.

CASH PRICE $21,495 or

Or FINANCE PAYMENTS OF $296.46 per month*

*84 months 1.99% fixed to qualified buyers

Financing

Available

Ask about

Ft snow blade

and Grapple

options!!!

0% for 60 months

only $108.48

per

month

ZT-XL60

#918016

Beech and Rich, in Springfield, celebrated their 100th anniversary this spring.

(Shopper News photo by Leila Wood)

He was an inventor, aviator, and

respected businessman, serving

as Chairman of the Battle Creek

Chapter of the National Federation

of Independent Businesses

and a member of the Industrial

Coordinating Committee of the

Battle Creek Area Development

Corporation.

“My dad was a very likable, well

known man around town,” Hegner

said.

James Beech said he worked for

his father for about five years when

he was young, and then he got mar-

ried and settled in California.

“I came back when my father

passed away,” he said, “and my

mother wanted to ask me if I was

going to stay and run the business or

just close it. Well, I gave that some

thought, and I thought to myself, you

know, if I don’t do this, I’ll always

wonder if I succeeded, so I made

the decision then to stay and run the

business.”

His niece, Victoria Morgan, who

has been working part time for the

company for a couple of months,

filling in wherever she is needed,

said he has worked with many

people and businesses in this com-

munity.

“It’s really been a community busi-

ness,” she said.

Beech and Rich has done work for

the City of Battle Creek and many

other local organizations and busi-

nesses.

James Beech now suffers from

Parkinson’s and was semiretired

for about 10 years, but when their

manager quit, he came out of retire-

ment a few months ago, to run the

company.

“I’m keeping it going for the

employees, so they’ve got a job and

can take care of their families,” he

said.

“There’s probably nobody in Battle

Creek that hasn’t had a family mem-

ber work for Beech and Rich at some

point in time... that’s been one of his

biggest joys, is being able to employ

his hometown,” said his daughter

Christina Beech, who works as an

administrative assistant at Beech and

Rich and has been with the company

for about eight years.

She said everywhere she goes, she

runs into people who have worked

for Beech and Rich at one time or

another.

The company has been struggling

with a staffing shortage and decrease

in work since 2020, but she said they

have been “fighting really hard to

bring it back.”

At one point, they had about 70

employees, she said, but now they

only have about 15.

“We started gradually losing work,

because the companies we were

doing the work for were losing their

sales,” said James Beech.

He, Christina Beech, and Victoria

Morgan are the only family members

still working with Beech and Rich.

They celebrated their 100th anni-

versary at Brady’s Pub, just down

the road from their facility, on May

18.

Christina Beech organized the cel-

ebration.

She said about 30 people – friends,

family, and past and present employ-

ees – came, and they presented her

father with a plaque.

“He was beaming, and it was a

good time,” she said.

After 100 years, they are now look-

ing to sell the business, as James

Beech is ready to retire, and none of

the other family members are in a

position to take over from him.

Christina Beech said they have a

couple of leads on potential buyers,

but if those do not pan out, they will

keep it going until they find someone

to carry on their family legacy.

100

Continued from Page 26