For our team of specialists, bragging rights aren’t earned by how many pieces of
equipment we sell. Our success isn’t measured by the size of the invoice, but by
the look on a customer’s face when they’ve found just what they wanted and more.
And when we see them walk back through our door for more—that’s when we know we’ve
done our job right. In keeping with the Highland Tractor spirit, we take pride in
everything we do both on and off the job. Click on our names to read more about
us.
Originally from the mountains of Southwest Virginia, Sid graduated from Virginia
Tech University. After graduating, he went to work for John Deere & Company in the
fledgling Construction and Forestry division. In 1974, he came face-to-face with
an opportunity he couldn’t pass up: He purchased a dealership in Ocala. Sid still
comes to work every day as excited as he was on the day he started. He still lives
in Ocala with his wife, Carolyn, and they enjoy spending time at the beach in St
Augustine, where they love fishing and boating with their grandchildren. He’s proud
of the growth Highland Tractor has been able to achieve over the years, and he looks
forward to what the future holds for his family as the business continues to grow
in Central Florida.
Growing up around this business, Joe’s done it all. From washing tractors, Joe’s
risen through the ranks to become VP/COO of Highland Tractor. It all started in
1995, after he returned from college. He took on an outside sales position that
helped him learn the ins and outs of the industry and prepared him for growth into
a management role. He’s been an Ocala resident since 1975, and he’s quite the athlete,
having played high school football, baseball, basketball and baseball in college.
He met his wife Kelley while attending Central Florida Community College, and they
now live with their two boys and two nieces. A bonafide sports nut, Joe enjoys going
to Gator football games and coaching his sons in baseball. If it involves his family,
he’s content—especially when it’s spending time at the beach and fishing.
Born and raised in exotic Panama, Gabriel Isaacs joined Highland Tractor in January
2008. He enjoys the camaraderie that comes with being a Highland employee—and he
gets a rush from a job well done. Before entering the industry, Gabriel worked in
the academic field, teaching business management courses. He also worked in the
service and retail industries as part of operational management. This smarty-pants
has earned himself a Master of Science in Engineering Management, an MBA and a PhD
in Business Management with an emphasis in Strategic Planning and International
Business. When he’s not at work, he spends time with his wife, Christy, traveling
and scuba diving.
Jersey born and Miami raised, Norma began her career at Highland as a temp and was
recently made a permanent member of the team. Her favorite part of the job is interacting
with people. She loves to hear the voices of new customers and she prides herself
on recognizing the voices and numbers of regulars. When she’s not working, she enjoys
the greatest reward of all—being a full-time mom to her daughter, Chloe. Norma also
loves to travel. If you look on her passport, you’ll find stamps from London and
Spain, and she’s also been to Hawaii, New York, Alabama and pretty much everywhere
in Florida.
A Florida native, Randy’s been in the construction business from the moment he shed
his cap and gown. Highland Tractor came calling in November 2006, and since then,
he’s established trusted relationships with customers from around the globe. When
Randy’s not “sealing the deal,” he’s busy being a husband and father of four. On
weekends, you can find him kicking back with friends and family and relaxing on
his farm. He also enjoys fishing, camping and people watching.
An Indiana native, Bob grew up on a farm, and couldn’t wait to get away from anything
that had to do with farming. After college, he spent two years teaching before deciding
to call it quits. He got a job at a John Deere dealer, and swore he was just going
to help out for a couple of weeks. Twenty-seven years later, Bob’s still in the
industry, and he’s been with Highland Tractor since December 2005. His favorite
part of the job: the feeling you get when a customer shakes your hand and leaves
your store knowing they were taken care of. A true romantic, Bob got hitched to
his high school sweetheart, Deborah. They have four sons and 12 grandchildren, who
they try to visit whenever they can. Bob’s a NASCAR fan (go JR), and he and Deborah
are still lamenting the demise of music since the 1960s.
Having grown up in and around a large outdoor power equipment dealership, it’s no
wonder Dan’s been dreaming about and doodling tractors for as long as he can remember.
While his first grade drawings of Gravely garden tractors didn’t win any art shows,
they did foresee a career that’s still going strong. After working in the service
and parts department, his Uncle gave him the chance of a lifetime—the chance to
put his dream to the test. You could say he never looked back. Since 1993, Dan’s
either been selling equipment or working with dealers or manufactures to market
and advertise it. A Florida boy, Dan now lives in Clearwater with his wife, three
boys and two dogs. When he’s not competing in sales, he’s competing (though he’s
happy just to finish) in triathlons. He also enjoys fishing, traveling and playing
cards.
Born in Kentucky, Kerry moved to Florida in 1992. His experience in the equipment
business spans more than 30 years, and he takes pride in overcoming the challenges
he faces in his job—like managing and keeping the right inventory at all times.
He and his wife, Milissa, have two teenagers who are very active in sports which
keeps him busy while away from work, and when Kerry isn’t busy making his customer’s
lives easier, he likes fishing, hunting and enjoying the great outdoors.
As the branch manager in Palmetto, FL, Paul brings more than 22 years of business
management experience to Highland’s table. He’s been in the heavy equipment and
agricultural industry since 1997. A Florida native raised in Brooksville, Paul moved
to Manatee County more than 10 years ago with his wife and two children. He’s been
there ever since. He and his family are very active in the local community and enjoy
a variety of outdoor activities including camping, fishing, bicycling and youth
football.
Stephanie has been in human resources for the last eight years. Before that, she
worked as director of retail for a ladies clothing manufacture in New York City.
A real people person, Stephanie enjoys interacting with employees and finding the
best fit to move Highland forward. She likes helping employees utilize their strengths
and overcome their weaknesses. Her philosophy: if employees are happy, it’ll show
in their performance, and that keeps Highland’s customers happy. She has been married
for almost 12 years and has two children. She spends most of her free time with
her family, and at her other job as PTO President for Virgil Mills Elementary school.
This University of Florida graduate has been a Highland Tractor employee for two
years. Married with two boys, Dad/Coach Tim enjoys coaching his sons’ basketball
and flag football teams (an undefeated record speaks for itself). He received his
MBA from Webster University, and enjoys exploring psychology, philosophy and religion.
Tim loves all sports, especially basketball and mountain biking.
Tiffany has worked in a dealership for much of her 18-year career. She moved to
Florida from Arizona to be part of the Highland team in August 2006. Her favorite
part of the job is working with the team delivering the unrivaled Highland Tractor/John
Deere experience to customers and ensuring customer satisfaction. A graduate of
the University of Phoenix, Tiffany earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Management
in November 2005. When she’s not working, this desert native finds a way to be out
on the Florida’s lovely waterways fishing, boating or beaching. She also loves reading,
traveling and getting to know new people.
This native Ohio boy was born the “baby” of the family, having grown up with three
older brothers and three older sisters. Gary’s been in his current position as CFO
for 20 years. He prides himself on consistently outperforming fellow JD dealers
in financial and operating benchmarks. He found his way to Tampa when a basketball
scholarship was thrown his way. And college was where he met the future Mrs. Coffman,
now a behavior specialist that works with autistic children and special needs children.
Together they have two sons, Josh and Jake. When Gary’s not working, he’s more than
likely doing community service, or any one of his many hobbies, which include following
his son’s football career, Biblical studies, diving and snorkeling.
Florida-born and raised, Ryan has been working with John Deere dealers for 20 years.
His favorite part of the job is helping customers find solutions. When he’s not
being a problem solver in the office, he’s probably spending time with his beautiful
wife, Amy and his three equally beautiful daughters—either that or he’s taking advantage
of some valuable man-time by saltwater flats fishing whenever he can. He thrives
on all kinds of competition, from sports and games, to just about anything that
includes the possibility of winning.
David Varner has been involved with Highland Tractor since the late 70’s in various
positions throughout the company. He currently works in the Ocala branch in a utility
role providing support to the front office.
