For many, 100 plus years in business translates to shifting away from values and founding principles and focusing on profitability. However, this is not the case for Hardings Heavy Equipment Inc, the Indiana-based heavy equipment dealer. While much has changed for the third generation family-owned construction, industrial and agricultural equipment company, family ideals and a drive to offer the best customer service in the region remain integral parts of Hardings Heavy Equipment Inc’s identity.

Clarence continues a family tradition initiated in 1916 by his grandfather, Emil Harding. Emil grew up in a farming family but was diagnosed with a heart condition that prohibited him from doing manual labor, so he got into the farm equipment business. In 1916 he sold his first machine, called a Work All, and by 1923 he built a shop in downtown Lowell, Ind., where he began selling John Deere Equipment.