BY DANI TIETZ
dani@sjodaily.com
Lucinda Paganin and Matt Knoop have a unified message: they want East Central Illinois residents to know that their business Falcon Equipment and Supply Company is here to serve.
The brother and sister duo grew up watching their father manage businesses as they grew up in the Heritage School District. The lessons they learned from their father and the ones they gained from traveling the world or working overseas are those that they have installed in the outdoor equipment business located at 204 W Broadway St. in Ogden.
“It’s nice being your own business; you listen to the customers,” Lucinda said. “You don’t have to listen to anyone else. You have to listen to what the customers want.”
Opening their doors in September 2019, Lucinda and Matt sell land rollers from Accessories Unlimited, Bad Boy zero-turn mowers, rugged 4×4 accessories for off-road side-by-sides, ATVs and pickup trucks from Battle armor, Bristol chainsaw attachments, out-of-sight fencing from Dog Guard, subsoiler/chisel ripper from J&D FarmBuilt, Loglogic wetland management equipment, ATV trailers from MUTS and organic tillage from Premier Cultivating Greener Tomorrows.
Lucinda said that people who come into the shop are always surprised by what they can find. For example, many people don’t know about chainsaw attachments.
“On almost any model chainsaw, you take off the blade and put on an attachment to make it into a wood drill, saw mill, a boat motor a fogger,” she said.
Matt, who spends time outdoors, hunting, fishing and camping said that they want Falcon Equipment and Supply Company to serve the needs of those who have an outdoor need at an affordable price.
Since opening, they have had about eight people come in to look for deer plot feeders. While there are some available at other outlets, they are often expensive. Matt is interested in fabricating products to serve local needs.
“When people come to us with something that they are interested in finding or they would like something, we were always open to the idea,” Matt said. “If we could make something at a good price point that does what people want, then we are always interested in hearing from the community.”
Lucinda said that she and her brother, with the help of their parents, are trying to learn from the good that happens inside the shop to continue to grow their success. She also said that because they are close, they can bounce ideas off each other.
As the chill of East Central Illinois turns into the warmth that will sprout new life, Matt and Lucinda know that Falcon Equipment and Supply Company can help homeowners and professionals with the equipment they need to do their work anywhere in the world.
But, they are putting a special focus on East Central Illinois.
“We are trying to focus more on our local community and be active here,” Lucinda said.
“Both of us grew up here, our roots are here, our friends are here, those childhood memories are here,” she said. “This feels like home. We want to be here to serve our friends and serve our community.”
Falcon Equipment and Supply Company will host an open house from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 6. Matt and Lucinda, alongside their Bad Boy representative, will be at the store to show off the facility, to answer questions and to gain a better understanding of the needs people are experiencing.
They will also draw a name for a Yeti cooler at 2:30 p.m.
