Having sold Terex construction equipment for years led to becoming a multi-location dealer for JCB, a global leader in construction equipment.
Hlavinka Equipment Company has five convenient locations in Texas to serve their customers. When you visit any one of our stores, you're dealing with a Certified Case IH® dealer so you know the staff has the knowledge and expertise you need. Wherever you are and whatever your needs, Hlavinka Equipment Company is never too far away.
Joe Hlavinka, Sr. in partnership with the Boettcher Family, placed the sole bid to purchase the Farmers Lumber Company in East Bernard, Texas. After considerable debate, the bid was accepted and the Boettcher Hlavinka Co. was formed.
Boettcher-Hlavinka Co. was actively supporting farmers in the community offering farm equipment along with a variety of other services. In addition to offering International Harvester farm equipment and trucks, the Boettcher-Hlavinka Co. was also active in the retail hardware and lumber business. Other products included automobiles such as Kaiser-Frasier with innovations such as fancy new turn signals and air conditioning. The company even once stocked an inventory of caskets to support the funeral business.
Cotton became a major crop in the South. As a result, new methods of harvesting were needed. The exclusive red IH cotton picker became all the rage, this made sore hands everywhere applaud the new miracle of the modern machine. The Hlavinka family purchased the remaining Boettcher family shares to become Hlavinka Equipment Company, a family business.
Two-row cotton pickers were introduced, and diesel tractors became commonplace. Hlavinka Equipment Company was right there to bring in the tool of the future. Joe Hlavinka, Sr. (Mr. Joe) officially retired from the company he founded. He remained active in various aspects of the family business for the next couple of decades. His sons, Bill Hlavinka (deceased) and Joe Hlavinka, Jr., took the helm of running daily activities.
Grains and rice acreage increased significantly in the area. Farmers demanded higher horsepower tractors and combines. Other features included tractors with four-wheel drive and air-conditioned cabs became standard improving productivity and comfort for operators. The added productivity and reliability of this large red equipment offset the inflationary prices.
The farm equipment division changed its name to Hlavinka Equipment Company. Boettcher-Hlavinka Co. continued operating in the lumber and hardware business. Tenneco purchased the International Harvester farm and construction equipment division and merged this with J.I Case forming the formidable Case IH business. Axial-Flow combines and Cotton Express pickers dominated fields in the area with their superior performance characteristics. The all-new Magnum tractor was introduced proving to be the most successful tractor launch since the Farmall series in 1923. Hlavinka Equipment Co. and employees became active in international business after supplying equipment and technology to operations overseas.
The utility of the Steiger tractors increased the company's focus on the construction equipment business. The Schaeff line of light equipment was added. Terex later purchased Schaeff providing Hlavinka Equipment with a complete line of construction equipment products. New stores were opened in Rosenberg, Nome, El Campo, Bay City, and Taft, Texas in order to provide a higher level of service to farmers in a greater area.
Hlavinka Equipment Company purchased its seventh location in Tivoli, Texas, which is now in Victoria, Texas. Case IH introduced the world's first cotton picker that had the ability to build on-board modules. Hlavinka Equipment opened its new headquarters in East Bernard leaving the downtown location where it had originated.
Terry Hlavinka serves as the president of Hlavinka Equipment Company with his brother and partner, Kenneth Hlavinka alongside as Vice President. The fourth generation of the Hlavinka family is active and very engaged in the equipment dealership throughout the complex. The Hlavinka family is loyal to their roots and remains active in the construction business as well as market rice, cotton, and cattle produced by family farms in the Gulf Coast Region. The family continues to concentrate resources in support of large-scale agriculture and construction operators. Recently, Hlavinka Equipment Company has made major renovations and facility expansions to consolidate into six major locations. We continue to represent outstanding companies such as Case-IH, AGCO, and JCB and with the support of our suppliers are able to offer the most innovative solutions for our core customers.