Member Spotlight- Hometown Outdoor Power
Hometown Outdoor Power, co-owned by Brian Anderson and Rick Bressie, is in its 20th year of business. They began the business in McPherson on Main Street in 2003. Back then they did Firestone tires, a little bit of service, and sold Toro lawnmowers. Fast forward to 2023. They are now located at 610 W. Kansas Ave. They thought that they had a ton of space in the new facility, but have been able to utilize all of the space and have expanded from three employees to twenty one!
In 2019 Hometown Outdoor Power expanded into the Salina and Minneapolis markets in the lawn and garden area. They sell five of the major brands: Hustler, Toro, Gravely, Grasshopper, and Walker, as well as Echo products and in Salina you’ll also find they have STIHL equipment. They are preparing to introduce the DeWalt line in the next couple of weeks which will include chainsaws, tools, and power washers.
Hometown Outdoor Power has been able to expand its automotive service department. At this location, they have 9-10 bays, which is triple what they had at the Main Street location. They also have lifts and the facilities to handle this level of business. They offer maintenance-type services for vehicles, such as front-end alignments, suspension work, lube and filter services, tires, transmission flushes, and oil changes.
The same type of service is available for mowers. Hometown Outdoor Power has a Winter Service Program. They are able to offer this program to surrounding counties. Brian said, “We go all over … and pick up mowers. Service them here, service them in Salina and Minneapolis. Last year I think we did a little over 600 Winter Services. That doesn’t include just the walk-in stuff. That is what we went and picked up.” Folks, that’s DEFINITELY something to keep in mind when you’re looking at getting your mower serviced, especially if you have a riding mower. They sell around 500 to 600 mowers a year, Brian said and service close to 1500.
Brian’s son Jason, who handles the automotive scheduling and some of the marketing, shared a couple of tips with the group. The first tip was regarding the air filters in our vehicles. Jason held up a new air filter (totally white and clean) and a used one (gray and VERY dusty). He said the used one wasn’t even the worst one he’s seen replaced. The quality of air in a vehicle is very important, especially if you spend a lot of time driving. Every time you run your a/c, heater, or defroster the air comes through the filter. It’s recommended that a vehicle’s air filter should be changed yearly. Jason said that when you have your vehicle’s oil changed, have the filter checked as well. Then you’ll have your bases covered! His second tip: have your tires rotated — every 6,000-10,000 miles. Good advice on both counts!
When asked how Hometown Outdoor Power got its start, Brian said, “It kind of started on a Men’s Chamber trip to be right honest with you, in 2001 … We took a Men’s Chamber trip to St. Louis on a bus.” Brian owned a used car dealership at the time. Bob Moore, who was on the Chamber trip, was good friends with the owner of a local tire business. Unfortunately, that business was slowing down, so Bob suggested to Brian while they were on the St. Louis trip that since he owned a car dealership maybe he could give some needed business to this guy. Brian agreed and did just that. But over the next couple of months, things still didn’t seem to be going well for the tire business. As time went by, Brian got to thinking about what it would be like if he owned the tire business. It would be a good fit with the car dealership he had and he was able to find out what the owner would be willing to sell the tire business for. Brian then talked with coworker Rick Bressie and said, “Hey, do you want to own a business?” Rick and Brian talked about this possibility for a couple of weeks. And as Rick said, “The rest is history!”
History is right! And now we’re looking at more history with the next generation in the Anderson family, Brian’s son Jason, becoming involved with Hometown Outdoor Power. Jason’s transition into the business seems pretty seamless. Regarding Jason’s role at Hometown Outdoor Power, Brian said, “We’ve piled a lot of responsibility on him in November. We had a sales manager who’d been here 13 years … and he’s taken a lot of that over. So, actually, he’s done a very good job.” Seeing businesses stay within a family over the years while continuing to maintain a high quality says a lot about our business community in McPherson.
Hometown Outdoor Power, at 610 W. Kansas Ave., is open Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and Fridays 8 a.m.-noon / 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Saturday hours will start in April and go until November. Be sure to visit Hometown Outdoor Power’s website to get a better idea of their services and all the outdoor power equipment they have available. Also, visit their Facebook page to get updates on new arrivals and reviews on different tools and equipment. If you are looking for a new lawnmower or power tools you’ll want to check these photos taken at Chamber Connections hosted by Hometown Outdoor Power.