Sterling Farm Equipment marks 75 years

A Wayne County business with deep agricultural roots is marking a milestone year.

Sterling Farm Equipment is turning 75.

The Wayne County commissioners recently recognized the company’s long-standing presence in the county and its support for local agriculture and rural communities since its founding in 1951.

Today, the company operates locations in Sterling, Wooster, Medina and Millersburg, continuing an expansion that reflects changes in both the agricultural industry and the communities it serves.

“We have four locations now,” said co-owner and CEO Conrad Amstutz. “Sterling is the main location where it all started back in ’51.”

Amstutz, a lifelong Wayne County resident who was raised on a dairy farm, said agriculture has remained central to both his personal and professional life. He joined the company more than 30 years ago after working in the parts department and later became a part owner.

“Agriculture has been in my blood for my whole life,” he said.

Over the past seven decades, the company has witnessed major changes in farm equipment technology, particularly with the growth of GPS systems and precision agriculture.

“The basic tractor is still the same,” Amstutz said. “It still has an engine, a transmission, and it still goes up and down the road. But the technology on the tractors has changed phenomenally.”

Amstutz said many of those advancements have focused on helping farmers improve efficiency and productivity while facing tighter financial margins and changing agricultural economics.

“The small mom-and-pop farms — it’s very hard for them to make it financially anymore,” he said. “Everybody’s trying to find a better way to make more with less.”

Despite technological changes, the core mission of farming has remained consistent across generations.

“The goal is still the same as it was 100 years ago,” Amstutz continued. “Grow the best product, so it yields the most and the healthiest plant.”

The Wayne County commissioners recognized the anniversary as part of the county’s ongoing acknowledgment of long-standing local businesses and organizations that have contributed to Wayne County’s agricultural and economic history during the nationwide America 250 celebration.

Dan Starcher is the communications coordinator for Wayne County.