MADISON, Wisc. – Gempler's, a landscape supplier operating out of Wisconsin, was purchased by Carl Atwell, the company’s new president, in January.
Atwell and his family purchased Gempler's, which has two locations (Mount Horeb and Janesville) and has 50 employees, plus some seasonal help. The company had been seeking a new buyer as recently as last summer, when previous ownership – Ariens Specialty Brands – announced its own layoffs.
“The difficult decision to divest of these brands is to ensure we focus our resources on the tremendous growing demand for Ariens and Gravely brands of lawn and snow equipment,” the release stated last year. “The past three years has provided record growth in this core business. It will allow us to concentrate capital and talent in our manufacturing operations.”
The Gempler's company relaunched its website in March to improve functionality and better showcase their curated selection of problem-solving products.
“If you’re one of the small business owners we’ve served over the years, I want you to know we’re still the great company we always have been,” Atwell said. “We’re even more committed to excellence, more demanding of ourselves, more disciplined, and unwilling to compromise from the high standards we’ve set for our products.
“Every company says customers are their (number one) priority," Atwell said. "At Gempler’s we walk the walk and treat our customers like a neighbor, not a number.”
