Brief History of Lanford Equipment Company
Austin, Texas
Lanford Equipment Company was established by brothers Rex and Don Lanford in 1948 after both men returned from
World War II. Both had received degrees from Texas A&M College and wished to start a business that was related
to agriculture. They set up shop in Austin in a modest, rented facility. The brothers worked hard, acquired
property on Airport Boulevard and constructed a building of their own in 1951. The drought of the 50's was hard on
a growing business, but sheer determination overcame that obstacle and a business based on honesty, trust and
customer loyalty continued to evolve.
In 1973 Bob Lanford was released from the Army and decided to pursue a career in the family business. In 1977 an additional manager was needed to continue the increased volume and Jerry Rutledge decided to purchase a portion of the business and began as a co-owner with Bob. The business continued to prosper resulting from diversifications and soon it was apparent that the facilities on Airport Boulevard were not adequate. Again property was purchased and the current building was constructed in 1982 to accommodate the growth. Then the "bust" of the mid-80's ravaged central Texas. Lanford Equipment is the only equipment dealer that still survives. In 2003, an additional location was constructed in Marble Falls to serve a growing customer base in Burnet County.
Although there have been booms and busts, Lanford has continued to evolve based on sound, conservative business practices and a hand-shake that meant something. Employees are experienced, knowledgeable, individuals that are evaluated on the same basic principles that made the business grow. Employee turn-over is minimized by trying to provide a safe, family-oriented work site with a solid benefit package. These positive attributes are aimed at providing the best value for our customer's investment dollar and our best advertising over the years has been from satisfied customers. Not always is the best price the best deal — you, the customer, need to evaluate the whole package.