Proudly serving the industry for which it was named for more than 50 years, Outdoor Power Equipment provides dealers who sell and service outdoor power equipment with valuable information to succeed in a competitive market.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/286953
1030 W. Higgins Road, Suite 230, Park Ridge, IL 60068 Phone: (847) 720-5600 • Fax: (847) 720-5601 www.outdoorpowerequipment.com OPE Staff Group Publisher Jeff Patterson Associate Publisher John Kmitta Editor Steve Noe Art Director Brian Snook Production Manager Karen Kalinyak Direct Mail List Sales MeritDirect, Jim Scova, (914) 368-1012; e-mail jscova@MeritDirect.com Reprint Service Debra Welter, Circulation and Audience Development Manager, e-mail dwelter@specialtyim.com Editorial Advisory Board Former Executive Director, EETC (retired) Jim Roche Senior Advisor, Servantage Dixie Sales Jim Starmer Pres., Plano Power Equipment and Whipper Clipper Glen Whitt Director of Sales and Marketing, Central Power Distributors, Inc. John D. Hedges Circulation For subscription inquiries and customer service questions, please call (847) 763-9565 or fax (847) 763-9569 business hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. EST Publisher's Notice: We assume no responsibility for the validity of adver- tising claims in connection with items appearing in Outdoor Power Equipment. Commercial product names are used for the convenience of the reader. Mention of a commercial product does not imply endorse- ment by Outdoor Power Equipment or Specialty Information Media, or preference over similar products not mentioned. Account Representatives: EAST Chris Pelikan Senior Account Manager Phone: (954) 964-8676 cpelikan@epgmediallc.com MIDWEST Peggy Tupper Senior Account Manager Phone: (763) 383-4429 ptupper@epgmediallc.com WEST Leslie Palmer Senior Account Manager Phone: (248) 731-7596 lpalmer@specialtyim.com Upfront Editor Steve Noe snoe@specialtyim.com 6 O U T D O O R P O W E R E Q U I P M E N T w w w. o u t d o o r p o w e re q u i p m e n t . c o m 1030 W. Higgins Road, Suite 230, Park Ridge, IL 60068 Phone: (847) 720-5600 • Fax: (847) 720-5601 uring the past 16-plus years, I've been fortunate to meet many great people in this industry, including Stan Crader, president of Stihl distributors Crader Dis- tributing Co. (CDC) in Marble Hill, Mo., and Blue Mountain Equipment (BME) in McKinney, Texas. Regrettably, I never had the opportunity to meet his father, Don Crader, founder of CDC and CEO of CDC-BME, who passed away Feb. 23. He was 81. Since Don's passing, I've read and heard so many wonderful things about him and the many lives he touched. Getting started in this business by selling a few chain saws out of his trunk, Don established Crader Equipment as the most successful Stihl dealer in the Midwest. He was then given the opportunity to become a distributor, and eventually built CDC-BME into one of the world's largest Stihl sales and distribution organizations, serving more than 2,200 servicing Stihl dealerships in Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Ne- braska, southern Illinois and Texas. Don meant so much to Stihl Inc. and this industry that, following his passing, Stihl Inc. ran a full-page tribute to him in his local newspaper. Titled "Man of STIHL," it featured the fol- lowing touching letter written by Fred J. Whyte, president of Stihl Inc., which is worth shar- ing in its entirety. "Don Crader, longtime friend and business partner, passed away peacefully Sunday at his beloved Bollinger County home. As one of our original North American Distributors, we've always known Don as a true 'Man of STIHL.' But we will remember him as a man of great principle, integrity and moral fortitude who placed a very high premium on love of family and on supporting the many lives he touched. "Don's passing has stirred deep sadness in the worldwide STIHL organization, but it is fitting to pay tribute to his remarkable life. His legacy will be one of provid- ing opportunity — and encour- aging people of all ages and walks of life to cherish, embrace, and pursue the American dream. "Man of Stihl" remembered D Don Crader poses with the Stihl tractor that was presented to him by Stihl Inc. in 2010 for Crader Distributing Company's 50th anniversary as a Stihl distributor. He was very proud of the tractor and hauled it to county and regional fairs. Continued on page 39