Busted tractor turned out to be the start of Boxrucker’s business.
Young Entrepreneur Spotlight: Brandon Boxrucker
Brandon Boxrucker’s business started
with what could have been a big mistake. He bought a tractor that he planned to
restore and keep for himself, but ended up finding out it had a hole in the
block and was in need of more time and money than it was worth. Instead, he
decided to sell its parts on eBay and ended up making more than five times what
he had paid in the first place. After that, he said, he was ready to try it
again, and that was the beginning of BB Tractor Salvage & Parts, located in
Glen Haven, Wisconsin.
At first, it would take him several
months to completely dismantle one tractor and sell the parts. Now, he works on
several within a day and can dismantle one for parts in about two days. Since
he launched his business in 2012, Boxrucker has worked on nearly 60 tractors.
In addition to dismantling and selling them for parts, he also buys older
tractors in need of TLC and gets them up and running.
Though he has run into a few
challenges with customers and finding ways to haul tractors, he has been able
to overcome them with the help of his parents.
“I learned to stick with my goal and
stay determined through the ups and downs of running a business,” said
Boxrucker, who won the NFIB/Innovations in Agricultural Entrepreneurship by
ANIMART Young Entrepreneur Award for his business endeavor. “I think the key to
my business’ success is having a good reputation. Reputation means everything
to me. I would go out of my way to make sure a customer is satisfied with my
product.”
Boxrucker will soon be attending
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College to study agricultural mechanization, and
he plans to continue his business while in school to cover the costs.
Long-term, he hopes to make the business his full-time job.
“Never lose sight of your goals,” he
advises other young entrepreneurs. “Sooner or later, with determination and
perseverance, those goals will be reached.”
