You may have noticed the tagline on recent advertising for Walker: "Independent, Family Owned Company, Designing and Producing Commercial Riding Mowers since 1980." It's obvious we think of our family-owned and -operated business as a strength and distinctive advantage. Some might suggest we are advertising a "weakness" in contrast to the strength and stability of big corporate business. However, as the "pendulum swings" with mergers, consolidation and downsizing in big corporate America, it is becoming apparent that "big corporate" is not necessarily synonymous with strength and stability. This is particularly true when a big company has lost "family focus" and begins to treat people like a commodity.

Nestled along France's southwestern coast is the peaceful fishing village of Loctudy; peaceful, that is, until the European holiday season when the population swells from 3,800 to almost 12,000.

Why would a homeowner spend upwards of $9,000 on a mower? Just ask Carol Nelson of Paris, Illinois.

When the father, son and son-in-law team comprised of Gerald and Gerry Peddycord and Mike May drive the Walker mowers off their trailers, customers aren't surprised. After all, why shouldn't a lawn maintenance company from Walkertown use Walker mowers?

M any larger contractors employ in-house technicians who repair everything from string-line trimmers to the company dump trucks. Other larger companies "contract out" service on their fleet truck, yet still maintain their lawn equipment lineup.

A drive through Holmes County, Ohio, about 1-1/2 hours south of Cleveland, will turn up all sorts of interesting sights. This Mecca of tourism will introduce visitors to one of the largest Amish settlements in the country and an attendant array of shops and restaurants, enough to keep even the most avid visitors busy all day. What the locals can't provide is bestowed by Mother Nature, a geography of beautifully rolling hills and steep valleys.