Anderson Enterprises hosting July 8th celebration

Last year, when Andy and Denelle Anderson decided to host a grand opening celebration for their business, Anderson Enterprises, they weren’t sure if anyone would attend.

“We went from, ‘What are we going to do with all this food,’ to ‘Will we have enough food?’” said Andy. More than 700 attended the event.

Because of last year’s success, the couple decided to mark the first anniversary of their Annawan business with a similar celebration.

Anderson Enterprises, located at 505 S. East St., in Annawan, will host an anniversary celebration from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 8.

The day will feature a picnic lunch, door prizes, children’s events and more.

The couple see the celebration as a way to give back to their customers and the community.

“I think it’s good to show the customers you care,” said Andy, before jokingly adding, “It also makes us clean up our shop.”

“It’s a family oriented, fun atmosphere,” said Denelle. The event gives the Andersons a chance to socialize with their customers and showcase their business.

In 2016, the couple purchased the former Hatzer & Nordstrom Consignment Auction business and re-named it Anderson Enterprises.

“When we first bought the business, we’d answer the phone ‘Anderson Enterprises,’ and people would think they had the wrong number,” said Denelle. However, customers have since adapted to the change.

The consignment auctions, which takes place annually the third weekend in August and the third weekend in March, draw huge crowds to Annawan.

The consignment auction is just one business that falls under the Anderson Enterprises umbrella.

The company offers farm machinery repair, sale and restoration. In the past year, the couple expanded their business to become a Versatile-brand tractor dealership.

The business employs full-time technicians certified to work on Case IH, John Deere and Versatile equipment.

Andy said he’d next like to expand the business’ lawn mower sales and service offerings.

“Doing that would be a bit like going back to where I started,” said Andy, whose first foray into business started when he opened a lawn mowing business at age 8.

At its heart, Anderson Enterprises is a family business, and Andy and Denelle’s three children, Ella, 10, Owen, 8 and Iyla, 4, take an active role.

“Iyla has decided a closet is her office, and she’ll go in here to ‘work,’” said Denelle. Her son, Owen, has his own tools in the shop in and likes to work on go-carts and Ella “just always keeps busy.”

For more information, Anderson Enterprises can be reached at (309) 935-6700.