Most of us have our parents’ eyes or smile, we may even inherit a similar birthmark. But not many of us share a career with our parents. At the Titan Machinery store in LeMars, Iowa, family legacy is front and center with Dan Carpenter Sr. and his junior.
After decades working in sales at the LeMars, IA Case IH dealership, Dan Sr. has been eyeing retirement, but is still unsure if and when the right time to step down is. With an accomplished career that spans decades in an industry that he loves, it’s hard to step away from the legacy he leaves behind. As an equipment sales consultant at Titan, Dan has seen an evolution in farming equipment, having watched machines get bigger, faster, and smarter. And along every step of a 60-year-journey was Dan Jr.
“He was with me all the time. He was with me at the store, I imagine, from the time he was 2 or 3 years old”, said Dan Sr.
From the day Dan Jr. was born he was destined to be a ‘red’ man -- taking his first steps inside a dealership his dad worked at; saying “Case”, and “tractor” as his first words; and, of course, starting a career in the same building his idol did.
“We’d see somebody, it was a customer out and about, and we’d go up to say hello and here I am asking ‘hey how’s your combine running?’. Now, my boy does the same thing”, said the younger Dan.
It was an easy decision for Dan Jr. to follow his dad’s footsteps. And once he got a taste of selling Case IH equipment, there was no turning back.
“When he came to me and said ‘What do you think about me applying for that job?’ I said ‘no, this is not the business to be in’. And he said to me ‘too bad, I already applied’”, explained Dan Sr.
You can see their strong relationship when the two joke with each other. You can also see their passion for the industry. A passion that’s spilling into the next generation. Dan Jr. has two young kids who are growing up much in the same way as he and his siblings did. His son, already loyal to Case IH, will hold his breath every time they pass a dealership with green machines.
“It comes kind of organically”, said Dan Jr. “Believe me, we’re pretty biased. I don’t even want to tell you what my 4-year-old daughter says when she sees a green tractor. It’s about the only time she’s allowed to swear”, jokes Dan Jr.
As for the man who has 60 years of experience selling Case IH equipment, well, he knows there comes a time for everyone to step off the road and let the next generation take over.
“We don’t want to, but everyone has to. You gotta leave that job for somebody else”, said Dan Sr.
And the job is in good hands. Because the bond of a father and son goes beyond mentorship or friendship. It’s a special bond that’s hard to define, and that’s why the Carpenter’s legacy will continue into the next generation. Not only as farmers and salesmen, but as fathers.