Board of Directors

Brad Hershey is one of four on Hoober, Inc.’s “Third Generation Ownership & Leadership Team,” founded in 1941 by his grandfather. Hoober is a nine-store retail dealership representing Case IH/JCB/KUHN/Great Plains/Kubota, along with specialty lines, located in PA, DE, MD and VA. Brad started with Hoober in 1985 as a salesman in Delaware and was assigned Store Manager of Hoober’s third acquired location in Mifflintown, PA in 1996.

Jared Nobbe is the fourth-generation member of Sydenstricker Nobbe Partners., Inc, a 27 store John Deere Dealership in Southern Illinois and Missouri.  He currently serves as Vice President of Centralized Services.  Before his current position he served in other capacities for the dealership in sales, parts, and service. 

Jared is a graduated of the University of Illinois with a bachelor’s degree in Technical Systems Management.  He is also a graduated of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Program.  Jared has served in leadership roles in his local Farm Bureau Foundation, director of First National Bank of Waterloo and his church.  Jared currently serves as President of Clifftop NFP.  An organization dedicated to conservation of the Bluff land in his home county of Monroe, IL.

Jared and his wife, Rebecca have three children Aiden (age 8), Noah (age 5) and Adelynn (age 2).  During their free time, he and his family love spending time outside whether hiking, landscaping, or playing sports. 

Joe Nash is the Chairman of the North American Equipment Dealers Association.  He is chief operating officer of Ayres – Delta Implement dba Delta Group which sells Case IH and Kubota equipment from four locations in Mississippi.   Nash’s grandfather was part of the dealership’s original ownership group, which opened the business in 1925. Nash is one of four third-generation family members who now own and manage the company.

Nash graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn. and is currently active in his community of Greenville, Miss. He is an elder in the First Presbyterian Church and a member of the Greenville Rotary Club. He has served on the Greenville Public School Board and is past president of the United Way of Washington County and the YMCA Boys and Girls Club of Washington County, He is also past president of the Greenville Arts Council.

Eric is the Vice President of Mason Machinery, a two store Massey Ferguson and New Holland operation in Utah that Eric’s grandfather started in 1948. Before becoming general manager 2012, Eric spent seven years as a technician and six years in sales and sales management. In his role as general manger Eric spends most of his time traveling between the two stores to oversee processes and company culture. Eric has served on the Far West Equipment Dealers Association board of directors since 2011and is currently serving as Past-President.

Kevin is the President and Chief Executive Officer of AKRS Equipment Solutions, a 27 store John Deere dealer located in Nebraska. As a born-and-raised Nebraskan, Kevin has been involved with agriculture throughout much of his life. His undergraduate degree is from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and his graduate degree is from De Paul University in Chicago. Kevin has a vast set of experiences, including working in over 25 countries throughout his career. He has experience in agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, finance, and consumer goods. Kevin and his family live in the Omaha, Nebraska metro area.

Landis Stankievech is Business Manager at Trochu Motors, a single-store AGCO, Versatile and Kubota dealership in Trochu, Alberta, Canada. As a third generation family member at Trochu Motors, Landis grew up working in the dealership but left for 10 years to play hockey and attend post-secondary school. After university, he worked for the consulting firm McKinsey & Company in Calgary before returning to the dealership full-time in 2013. Landis holds a BSE in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University, and a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. Landis and his wife Teresa reside in Three Hills, Alberta.

Ken graduated with a BS degree in Agriculture Economics from Michigan State University and immediately became involved in the Agriculture and Outdoor Power industry. He started a 13-year career with John Deere Company and then transitioned into the dealer side of the industry.

In 1998 Ken started Heritage Tractor, a John Deere dealership located just southwest of the Kansas City metro area. Since that time, he has led the organization and has grown the business into a 22-location enterprise with locations in Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas. Heritage Tractor serves a diverse marketplace involving large and small agricultural equipment offerings, turf and commercial mowing products as well as compact construction equipment. Ken currently serves as President of Heritage Tractor.

Ken is married to Diane, and they have two grown sons.

Steve Hunt is president of H&R Agri-Power Inc., a Case IH, New Holland and Kubota dealership with 20 retail locations in Western Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Northern Alabama, Southern Illinois, and Southern Indiana. Hunt is a board member of Agri-Chem Inc., board member of the National Equipment Dealers Association, a member of the Dealer Advisory Board Case IH Crops Committee, a partner in Hunt Farms, and Quarles Spring Farming operations.   

Hunt is also a twenty-two-year board member and secretary of the Christian County Water District, a fifteen-year board member and past president of the Kentucky Small Grain Grower Association, and a member of Hillcrest Baptist Church, all headquartered in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Hunt is married to Tamarha for forty years and has three son’s, Brandon, Darrin, and Shane.  Steve and Tamarha also have three grandchildren Case, Ella, and Eli.

Josh Vines is the Dealer Principal of Allegiance Ag and Turf LLC, a store Massey Ferguson dealership group in Louisiana. Josh currently serves as a Director on Deep Southern’s Equipment Dealers Association’s board and graduated from Louisiana Tech University. Josh previously was the Vice President of Goldman Equipment LLC a 13 store John Deere dealership for 19.5 years.

Jon Castongia is the owner of Castongia Tractor and grew up in the small town of Morocco, Indiana where his Grandfather originally started the dealership in 1939.   After hanging out at the dealership with his father Roger, sweeping floors from a young age, and working in the parts department while in high school, Jon decided that being an equipment dealer was going to be his life’s work.  After graduating from Purdue University in 1989 with a degree in Management, Jon joined his father at the dealership until he took over the business in 2002.   Castongia Tractor operates 5 stores in Northwest Indiana and is the oldest continually owned John Deere dealership in the State.   Along with John Deere, the dealership also sells and services, Unverferth, Brent, Frontier, Stihl, Landoll, Honda, Grouser and Tiger boom mowers.