‘It’s time’: Jack’s Wheel Horse in Sarver to close after 67 years
Leroy Jack, founder of Jack’s Wheel Horse, was a salesman unlike any other.
Jack started the Wheel Horse tractor outlet located at 280 Sarver Road in 1955, but now, after 67 years of business, current owners Rita and Clyde Bush, are closing the business after many attempts at selling it.
“We have been trying for four years,” Rita said. “We’ve had several interested people, but nobody ever came up with the money.”
Rita, Leroy’s daughter, said she is very thankful for the business local customers have brought to their store over the years.
“The important part we are trying to get out to people is to thank them for all their years of support and everything with our business because we have had fantastic customers,” Rita said. “It’s with great sadness we have to do this.”
Jack passed away in July of 2010, but his story started back in 1947 when he and his brother, Joe Jack, founded Jack’s Auto Sales, now known as Jack’s Ford.
One day while working at Jack’s Auto Sales, Leroy was approached by a man who wanted help from the business in order to sell his Wheel Horse tractor.
After LeRoy protested, the man was able to persuade him to leave the tractor and see what would come of it.
It just so happens that tractor sold later that same day, and the following day, two more tractors took its place. Thus began the journey of Jack’s Wheel Horse.
“(Leroy) could sell ice to an Eskimo,” Clyde said. “His personality was amazing, and he was a great man.”
Jack’s eventually became one of the largest Wheel Horse dealers in the country, earning top honors in 1976 for record sales.
Clyde and Rita purchased the business from LeRoy in 1982 when he decided to retire.
In 1992, the Toro Company bought Wheel Horse, making Jack’s a Toro dealership.
Despite the change of ownership for the business and Wheel Horse itself, Jack’s continued to offer some of the best high quality power equipment in the area.
This included lawn mowers, weed whackers, snow blowers and of course, Wheel Horse tractors.
“All kind of steel equipment,” Clyde said. “We repaired everything we sold.”
With the final day of operation coming up on Dec. 31, Jack’s will be offering discounts to customers in order to get as much equipment out the door.
“We are not permitted to advertise certain brand names,” said Juanita Bush, daughter of Rita and Clyde. “In conjunction with the closing, we will be offering 10% off selected merchandise.”
Rita said the store prided itself on always having available parts for its customers as well as servicing everything they sold.
If they didn’t have a part a customer needed, Jack’s would do whatever it took to get them the part they needed as fast as possible, she said.
“If somebody came in and needed a part and for some reason we didn’t have it, we would take it off a new tractor,” Rita said. “Then once we got the part order in we would put it back on the new tractor. So many people came back to buy tractors because we got them out of trouble.”
Clyde said he was also very grateful for the support from the local community over the years.
But Rita and Clyde, in their mid to late 80s, said it’s time to enjoy retirement.
“We really want to thank our customers that have been really loyal to us over the years,” Clyde said. “I hate to leave them, but it’s time.”
