EUGENE, Ore. — Longtime dealership Cascade Garden Equipment is rising to business challenges in its eighth decade in business. Premium power equipment and timely service are the dealership’s calling cards, and owner Bob Peabody is working to boost web sales.

The dealership has been around a while as a fixture in the local small engine market: Established in 1959, Cascade Garden Equipment has been at its same location since the mid 1990s. Peabody has owned the business since 2008.

He notes the business has grown quite a bit since he bought it: Aside from the owner who had sold, Peabody had only one other employee. From that small start to nine employees now that include five technicians plus a shop assistant, two parts people and a front counter person. “Everyone does sales to a certain degree,” Peabody says.

The dealership carries Honda, Toro, Grasshopper, RedMax, Cub Cadet, Hustler Turf and DR Power Equipment, plus handles Honda, Kawasaki, Kohler and Briggs & Stratton engines.

Peabody claims his business was the first DR rep in Oregon, and he’s sold the line for 25 years. “We might not be the biggest DR dealer, but we do well with it every year,” he says.

The dealership has also been a Honda dealer for 20+ years, and Peabody said he was sad to see the company drop out of the walk-behind market, although Toro is taking up that walk-behind product slot for Cascade Garden Equipment.

The dealership’s handheld line is RedMax. They also sell some battery-powered handheld product, although it’s still a minor product category, Peabody says. While customers with small lots might do well with battery-powered units, he still has a lot of larger lot and commercial customers who prefer gas-power.

One battery product issue the industry needs to solve is the handling of old and worn out batteries. He has different policies from different suppliers; meanwhile, batteries are considered a storage and shipping liability. It’s something the industry needs to solve if the product segment continues to grow like it has, Peabody says.

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