General Info

West Side Tractor Sales was started in 1962 by Rich and Mary Benck and it continues to be a "family operation" currently being run by the 2nd generation. Rich Benck was working for a John Deere dealer on the South side of Chicago and when the territory on the "west side" of Chicago became available. Rich and his then employer formed a partnership and opened up their first branch in Lisle, Illinois (now our Naperville location). After a year, Rich and Mary became the sole owner of West Side Tractor Sales and bought out their previous employer. Through the years the company grew rapidly. The north side Chicago location was purchased in 1969 and a branch was opened in Wheeling, Illinois (our current Wauconda facility). During the downturn in the early 80's, Rich bought out the Rockford John Deere dealer, and finally in 1984, Rich bought out the dealer on the South Side of Chicago, his original employer and partner in the first dealership. Although the name "West Side" no longer describes the scope of a construction equipment dealership that currently covers Northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana, it still reminds us of our founder and humble history. Rich and Mary have three children who are each actively involved and equal shareholders in West Side Tractor Sales. Rich turned everyday control over to his children in 1987 when a very short semi-retirement led him to the purchase of a multi-branch dealership in Texas. Steve, the President, focuses on machine sales and the specialized rail business. Diane oversees product support and general operations of the company. Tom manages the company's used equipment and consignment fleets, as well as serving as the facility manager. All three take great pride in staying focused on building and maintaining customer relationships throughout all levels of the organization, especially on a personal level. A significant amount of each of their time is spent out of the office with customers developing these relationships. They believe that West Side Tractor Sales is a direct reflection of each of them, and the Benck family values. In June 2010, West Side Tractor welcomed the 3rd generation into the business with the addition of Brian Benck (Steve's son). This represents our family's commitment to the long-term future in this business and continuing to provide a stable, healthy business partner to our customer base. As Marketing Manager, Brian focuses on Deere CWP line sales, equipment marketing and advertising along with general projects across all departments of the Company. West Side Tractor Sales has grown considerably under the leadership of the 2nd generation. On December 17, 2010, the owners announced the acquisition of five construction and forestry equipment dealerships located in Indiana through an affiliated company, West Side Tractor Sales of Indiana. New dealership locations include Indianapolis (Indiana headquarters), South Bend, Fort Wayne, Lafayette and Bloomington. The Indiana acquisition has expanded the West Side territory to serve over 80 counties with 10 locations spanning across Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. In addition to the Indiana acquisition, the 2nd generation also created a specialized rail business (RCE) and early in 2008 opened a facility for business in Joliet, Illinois. The Benck family recognizes that the key to their success lay in their customer's perceptions of their products and services, and consequently they continually strive to improve the value that West Side Tractor Sales provides to their customers.