Our History
Here is a little of our history dating all the way back to the 1800’s! We’ve been serving our customers since 1942 and we’re proud to say so!
- 1899-Alexander Lauf (Founder of Lauf Equipment) is born on Mar 17 in Toas Mo to
- Henry B ‘Hy’ Lauf (1824-1930) of Taos
- Catharine (Rehagen) Lauf (1874-1901) of Westphalia
- 1924 Alex Lauf Married “Fronie” Hieronyma Veltrop Nov 24th
- Gave birth to 6 kids
- 1926-Harry Ferguson patents the 3-point hitch
- 1929-Great Depression begins
- 1930-Massey-Harris produces the first 4-wheel drive tractor
- 1929 to 1935- Alex & Fronie live on their farm in Boonville
- 1931- Harold Lauf (2nd generation owner) is born to Fronie & Alex Lauf on May 11
- Grace (Vanloo) Lauf-Harold’s wife is born on May 10th.One year and one day before Harold
- 1936-“We had 4 little kids ..I bought some stock in Heisingers (auto)garage and worked at night for quite a while“-Alex Lauf
- Worked at the auto garage from 1935-1942
- 1941 Attack on Pearl Harbor Dec 7th
- 1942- Lauf Equipment starts business
- “Worked in the (auto) garage about 6 years then war came along—didn’t have no cars, no tires, nothing to sell. So we decided to get into farm machinery” Alex Lauf
- Located at Mill Bottom in Jeff city
- We carried farmall, international harvestor, case
- Formerly an international dealer who wanted out of business
- Alex purchased IH dealer for 9500.00 with 3500 down and a 6000 loan
- “Bought it for $3500-He had a couple trucks-bins-machinery-not much, everything was gone during the war. And the next year we got some machinery-“ Alex Lauf
- Metal rationing during WWII limited tractor production so Alex often sold most of his new inventory right off the rail cars
- “Had a tablet page full of people that wanted to buy a tractor”-Alex
- “Stayed there for 7 years-(International Harvester Company) said they should have somebody here who would build a building- I went to tipton and took the dealership up there for a while- don’t think they were satisfied with me yet-so I came back down to jeff city and started selling Minn-Moline & Case and finally Massey Ferguson. They got some other dealers they thought was good- in Tipton- couple didn’t know a cream separater from a mower- was the blockmans brother in law…just kept if 4 or 5 years-they went out-nobody there….then same blockman that put me out up there says ‘Alex if you want to go back up to Tipton or start a store here, you can start-run it just the way you want to.’ But I had something started here (Jeff city/Cedar city) so I didn’t do it.
- 1951-Lauf Equipment survives the flood of 51’
- 500 year flood
- Alex watched his barn from a farm in Boonville float past bridge in Jefferson City
- 1953-Massey-Harris and Ferguson merge
- 1955-we became a Massey Ferguson dealer, which is our primary brand today
- 1955- We became a Gehl dealer which is one of our current brands today
- 1955-Harold Alexander Lauf Marries Grace Helen Vanloo on Aug 27
- 4 children: Thomas, Mary, Michael, & James Lauf
- 1957-Harold rescues lady from Missouri River on December 26th
- 1957-Sir Edmund Hillary makes the first land crossing of Antarctica using Ferguson tractors
- 1958- “Harris” is Dropped from name to become “Massey Ferguson”
- 1959- Hawaii & Alaska are recognized as states
- 1960s-Lauf equipment would pick up the equipment at mill bottom off railroad cars
- 1962-Massey Ferguson becomes the world’s best selling tractor brand
- 1963-Harold bought the business from Alex Lauf—Massey Ferguson and Minneapolis Moline
- 1964-Massey Releases the 100 series tractors
- Massey 135 becomes the most popular tractor ever sold worldwide
- 1969-a teenager named Larry Swillum starts his first day at lauf equipment
- Larry later became the longest-serving non-family member employee at lauf equipment
- 1975-Vietnam war ends
- 1977- Lauf equipment is awarded top Hesston pull-type windrow dealer award
- Lauf Equipment sells more Hesston mower conditioners than any other dealer in North America
- Flat rate eight hours to assemble one, Jim could assemble two mowers in eight hours.
- 1979-Lauf Equipment moves into its new (and current) building at 541 West Highway 94, Jefferson City Missouri
- 1980-Interest rates 18% and one of the hottest summers on record
- Harold cashed in some of his life insurance policies to keep business afloat.
- 1981-Reagan is sworn into office
- 1981-Massey Ferguson introduces the “Gentle Giants” The 850-860 big capacity combines
- 1986- Alexander Lauf founder of Lauf Equipment passes away on March 16 in Jeff City mo
- 1989-Lauf equipment gets first computer system used for parts and sales
- 1991-AGCO corporation is formed along with Allis-Gleaner Company
- 1992-expand shop portion of business adding appox 6,000 square feet
- 1993-flood of 93’
- CNN live covers at Lauf equipment
- 10,000 sandbags
- Over 5 feet of water in the building
- The flood came while Harold was on vacation in Alaska, so his children and employees moved all the equipment to higher ground and operated the business out of Harold’s home
- made many trips to northern customers by traveling to Boonville to cross Missouri River and come back down since highways in Jeff were down
- 1994-AGCO acquires Massey Ferguson
- 1995-Tom Mary, Jim purchase Lauf Equipment from Harold
- 1995-Became a Kuhn dealer
- 1997-Massey Ferguson was the largest-selling tractor brand in the world for the 35th straight year
- 2006-Massey and Hesston merge
- 2007- Massey Ferguson modernizes its three triangles logo representing the “Ferguson System, based on the important invention of the 3-point hitch and the partnership among Massey, Ferguson, and Harris
- 2007-Lauf receives contract & becomes an eXmark dealer
- 2007-December Harold Lauf passed away
- 2009-Lauf equipment purchases its new & current computer system
- 2012-Lauf Equipment wins Callaway county Agri-business of the year
- 2012-Grace Lauf passed away
- 2016-Larry Swillum retired from lauf equipment as the longest-serving nonfamily employee, 46 years
- 2015&2016-New roof, ventilation system, and interior redesign
- 2016-current family members employed at Lauf Equipment
- Full Time: Tom, Jim, Mary, Elizabeth, Zachary
- Part-time: Jon, Patty, Justin
- 2017-Lauf Equipment celebrates 75 years in business!