Community & Business
17 June, 2022
110 years of tractors and cars
Few Australian companies can lay claim to the kind of history and continuous family ownership as Pittsworth's Lindenberg & Co.
The car dealership is today managed by Mark Lindenberg whose great great grandfather, Charles, started the business as a general merchant in 1898.
Ahead of speaking at next week’s business breakfast meeting of the Pittsworth District Alliance, Mark has been delving into some of the history of the family business.
It was in 1912, with Charles’ son, Henry, at the helm, that Lindenberg & Co. ventured into farm machinery.
By the 1920s, Sunshine Machinery and Twin City Tractors were flooding into the region.
Around 500 Twin City tractors were sold through the business from 1924 to 1940.
The US-made tractors would arrive in parts to be assembled “across the road” at a site that is now home to the Pittsworth swimming pool.
In 1937 Lindenberg set a record for 70 headers sold in a year.
Cars were also introduced during the 1920s with General Motors’ Chevrolets, Buicks and Oldsmobiles arriving in the district.
Later, Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth dominated the yard, Dodge trucks were particularly popular, then Allis Chalmers, John Deere and Chamberlain tractors were added.
Since the 1980s, Lindenberg has grown to become a leading rural dealership in Australia.
These days the Lindenberg dealership achieves consistently high results, including highest Mitsubishi sales per capita in Australia, and has earned numerous sales and customer service awards.
The dealership also stocks machinery, mowers and used vehicles anddespite the unprecedented
delays for new vehicles, because of a Covid-induced componentry shortage affecting all car manufacturers, the orders are still happening.
"Even with four to eight month delays on some vehicles, we are still receiving orders and people are understanding of the constraints Covid has brought about," Mr Lindenberg said.
Honesty and treating customers as they would want to be treated themselves were simple philosophies ingrained in the business team, Mark said.
"There's an emphasis on being honest... this is a small country town and we've got to make sure we treat people well," he said.
"Back in the first half of the 1990s Henry's sons Markus and Marshall eventually took over the business, followed by brothers Clie and th late Lloyd and their cousin Wayne.
Mark Lindengberg is one of three directors now, along with his father, Wayne, and uncle, Clive.
He will be a guest speaker at the breakfast meeting of the Pittsworth District Alliance win Tuesday, June 21, at Rusty's Bar & Grill, Pittsworth Motor Inn, from 6.30am for a 7am start. Tickets are $30 and everyone is welcome but places are limited so bookings are essential via phone or text to 0481 353 055.
