LAUF EQUIPMENT - Key Persons
Curtis Keller has been with us since 2019. His mom actually called Jim's wife and asked if we needed summer help. We begged him to return on Christmas breaks and the next summer. After he graduated with his Bachelor of Social Studies in Teaching from University of Central Missouri, Curtis came to work with us full time. He handles all of the lawn mower and small engine repairs. But, there's not much Curtis can't do! He works hard and brings a great attitude with him. We are so blessed to have him!
Doug started at Lauf Equipment while attending high school in 2009. After receiving his AAS (Associates of Applied Science) Degree in Farm and Industrial Equipment from Oklahoma State University IT in 2011, Doug started working as a full time technician. Doug enjoys hunting, fishing, and anything outdoors.
Elizabeth currently works full time with her dad, Jim, in the service department. She assists with ticket write ups and scheduling. Elizabeth also works in the parts and bookkeeping departments, and occasionally, will help in the sales department. In 2011, she graduated from University of Central Missouri with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Elizabeth's creativity and new ideas have been a great asset to Lauf Equipment. Elizabeth married Adam Berendzen from Mary's Home on September 20, 2014. They currently reside in Jefferson City and have two children.
Jason is the grandson of Martin Hammann, who worked at Lauf Equipment years ago. Jason started working on equipment in the shop for us in January of 2015. He is now one of our salesmen! He also delivers and picks up equipment for us. After graduating from Jefferson City High School, he went right into farming. He is also an Assistant Chief for Cole County fire protection and a Cole County first responder. He is married with two daughters.
Jeff works full time as a service technician. He mostly works with large diesel engines. He has been with Lauf Equipment since 1998. Jeff had over twelve years experience in a truck shop before coming to Lauf Equipment. In his spare time Jeff is an avid archer and likes to hunt. He is married with one child.
Jeremy, Tom's nephew, is the behind the scenes guy at Lauf Equipment. He works full time in the parts department receiving inventory, ordering parts, returning parts, and sending in warranties. He started working at Lauf Equipment part time in 1998 and has been working full time since 2006. Jeremy graduated from Central Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science in 2005. He has attended warranty, parts, and sales classes provided by Agco Corporation. He married Anne Marie in the summer of 2011 and has two sons.
Jim is part-owner of Lauf Equipment, son of Harold Lauf, and grandson of Alex Lauf (founder). He has worked at Lauf Equipment since he graduated from Helias in 1979, after his two older brothers and sister. Before working full time, he raised hogs, cows, and geese. Jim mostly works with the technicians in the service department, but can sometimes be found in the parts and sales departments. Jim married Betsy in 1981 and has two children and six grandchildren. Jim's favorite holiday is April's Fool Day, but he is ornery all year round.
Jim (or as you might hear occasionally called "Jimmy" because we have two Jims) is our first full-time pick-up & delivery driver. For many customers, Jim is the first point of in-person contact for discussing and troubleshooting issues, which is awesome because Jim brings an upbeat can-do and professional attitude to Lauf Equipment that is hard to mistake. Our customers and employees know that their information is being relayed accurately and on-point thanks to Jimmy's strong listening and communication skills.
While mentioning skills, it is worth noting that Jimmy has earned his Class A CDL which isn't easy in today's day and age, and he maintains all the protocols to go along with it. We are delighted by his strong safety-first tenancies. When he isn't picking up and delivering heavy equipment, you can find him in the service department, helping out where ever he can. We are blessed & thankful to have Jimmy on the team!
John works full time in the parts department. He has been with Lauf Equipment since 1998. He knows where and how to locate parts easily. He is in charge of ordering all the Agco parts. John likes working with the collectable toys at Lauf Equipment. John lives in Wardsville with his wife Janet. He has two daughters that are grown and one grandson.
Jon is the son of Jim Lauf. He has grown up around Lauf Equipment in the service department. While attending Helias and St. Louis University, Jon worked part time as a service technician. After graduating from SLU with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Jon worked full time at Lauf Equipment as a warranty reporter and service technician from 2005-2008. He worked as a mechanical engineer at a local electric power plant but he now works full-time at Lauf Equipment! He is an Agco Qualified Service Technician. He has also been trained in Gehl XPRT Service, Echo Factory, and Dixon Serviced Clinic. Jon lives in Jefferson City with his wife, two daughters, and two sons.
The Man, The Myth, The Legend… Joshua started working at Lauf Equipment in May of 2017. He graduated from State Technical College of Missouri in Linn with an Associate's Degree in Medium and Heavy Duty Truck Technology. Joshua also serves our country as an Army National Guard generator and wheeled vehicle mechanic. Joshua has worked on many different things and brings a lot of enthusiasm to the shop!
Mark has worked full time at Lauf Equipment since 1992 and worked in construction for two summers before that. He works in the service department, making most of the service calls in the field. His work motto is "whatever it takes to get done". He has two sons, Austin and Logan. Mark enjoys hunting, trapping, and working on the farm. You never know what kind of critter Mark will have with him!
Mary is daughter of Harold Lauf, and granddaughter of Alex Lauf (founder). She has grown up in and out of the shop. Mary is primarily the office manager, working with bookkeeping, account receivables, finances, etc. She has her high school diploma and some college; however, Mary has been trained by her mother, father, and brother, Mike. Mary has four children, five grandchildren, and a wonderful husband, Don Nichols. She works part time at the shop to pay for travel expenses to see her grandkids.
Patty, daughter of Mary Lauf, joined Lauf Equipment part time in September of 2010. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Graphic Design from Avila University in Kansas City. She works as a project coordinator and miscellaneous jobs. She does all the graphic design work, including business cards, flyers, promotional materials, tags, etc. Her creative talents and skills turn ordinary documents into eye-catching tools for our customers. Patty also functions as our photographer when needed. She has a daughter, loves painting in her spare time and works full time at Community Asset Builders LLC as a graphic designer.
Shannon works full time as a service technician. He is knowledgeable in all types of mechanical work. His talent and fearlessness on the job has proven to be a great asset when it comes to working with some of our larger equipment. He's a hard worker and has been a great addition to our service department since 2016.
In his spare time, Shannon enjoys hunting and fishing.
Terrance is a salesman at Lauf Equipment. He has worked at Lauf Equipment since 2004. He is very interested in the agricultural field. He graduated from University of Missouri Columbia with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business. Terrance was raised on a farm near Russellville, MO and enjoys keeping the farm up to date. Terrance is also very interested in sports and outdoors. He has worked for four NFL training camps.
Tom is part-owner of Lauf Equipment, son of Harold Lauf, and grandson of Alex Lauf (founder). In his eyes, teamwork is the most important part of Lauf Equipment. He is knowledgeable in service, sales, and parts. Tom enjoys spending his free time fishing and cheering on Mizzou football. He is proudly married to Dolores and has two daughters, one son, and six grandchildren.
Zack adds a positive attitude and a unique set of skills to Lauf Equipment. Typically, you'll find him managing our marketing efforts, selling equipment, and working as a parts associate. He has worked diligently to develop our online platform and recently spearheaded our trailer package promotions.
According to Zack, he is not only the youngest of Harold's grandchildren but also the wisest He believes that variety is the spice of life and is passionate about our dealership and is constantly finding ways to grow our dealership to new heights. He is one of the many bright, young, and eager members of Alex's 4th generation Lauf Family.