Gilby residents bid final farewell to Oppegard Implement, closed after 75 years of service
Nov. 9—GILBY, N.D. — Gilby residents and community members lined up for a meal of barbecue and pulled pork sandwiches in the empty Oppegard Implement, giving a final hurrah to a business that had been there for 75 years.
Lori Oppegard, granddaughter of the founder Harold Oppegard, said she remembered pretending to sell parts there with her brother when she was younger. Even through the process of shutting down and clearing out the building, the finality of the closure hasn't hit quite yet, she said.
"I think eventually it's going to hit when we hand over the keys," she said. "Taking the letters off the front of the building was tough. Just those things you don't really think about until you're doing them."
Oppegard Implement, a farm implements and mechanic shop, recently closed its doors and auctioned off many of its items and equipment before employees and Oppegard family members hosted the final lunch on Friday, Nov. 8. Lori Oppegard said the auction went well, and many buyers had their own stories to tell about their experiences with the business. The building was sold to Grand Forks County, which will be using it to house equipment for snow removal and road maintenance, like a snowplow and grader.
Rob McLean, an Oppegard employee for 30 years and mayor of Gilby, said he's heard a lot of conversation about the closure.
"When the first word got out that we were closing, a lot of farmers were coming in," he said. "It's a big hit because they're used to us being there. Plus, we usually had the regular coffee guys in the morning. They stopped for a cup of coffee, if they needed a part or something. ... They get their coffee and sit around for a few minutes and then get going again."
Harold Oppegard founded Oppegard Implement in 1949, setting it up as a John Deere dealership. Park River and Hillsboro also had locations, but both later closed. John Deere ended the contract with Oppegard Implement at the end of 1999, and the business focused on implements and mechanics work until the closure. Bob Oppegard, one of Harold's sons, and his wife, Pam, both worked at the shop before they were married, and Bob took over the business with his siblings following his father's death. When Bob Oppegard died in 2005, his daughter Lori, her mother and brother took over.
Ron Anderson, a past employee of the Park River location, said it was a sad day, but those at Oppegard did well.
"Very good people," he said. "Treated their employees very well."
The decision to close came from timing and a shrinking staff. Only one mechanic was working at the business, and more couldn't be found, McLean said. Most of the profit came from shop repairs, but with only one mechanic, the business had to take in less work. It was a struggle to find anyone to come work in a small-town repair shop, he said. Changes in technology also played a factor, and Lori Oppegard said it was just time to close.
"It just got tough to keep," she said. "You're just doing maintenance work, what you can do. ... It was becoming more just part sales, which was tough, and it was time."
Longtime Oppegard Implement customers attended Friday's lunch, reminiscing about the years of good service and their sadness over its closure.
"It's been so handy. We've been spoiled," said Jack Scott. "Our main street has just gotten so quiet — you don't want to think about it. It's a big change. We're sure going to miss it."
Duane Hunter added, "I've farmed for 46 years, and they're one of the reasons that we were able to do as well as we did. ... Everything comes to an end eventually. It didn't really matter who you were — they took care of everybody."
One past customer, Orvis Haugen, saw the original blacksmith shop Oppegard Implement was built onto, the beginning of the business and the changes it went through as the years passed. He said the lunch send-off was a great tribute to a very accommodating, friendly business.
"It was always a nice place to come into," he said. "There's a lot of people that have come and gone through here."
