50 years at Baxla

By Sherry Larson

People’s Defender

Jim Hupp has been working at Baxla for 50 years. That’s a lot of years to work for one company, and Hupp doesn’t plan on leaving anytime soon.

On June 5, 1974, Hupp started working for Harold and Jean Baxla. The company started with Harold and his dad at the Winchester location and remains a family affair. Hupp’s father-in-law, Harold, asked him to come on board, and Hupp obliged. He said, “I’ve been here ever since.”

Starting at the Winchester location, Hupp worked in the parts and service departments, although sales were also a part of the job. His brother-in-law, Eddie Hoop, joined Hupp at Baxla after returning from the Navy.

Years later, the Baxlas sold the Winchester location and opened a store on Tri-County Road in Seaman. Hupp and his wife Melissa moved across the street and still live there, although the Baxla location has moved to a new facility on Tranquility Pike.

Eddie Hoop has since passed away, but his son and Baxla General Manager, Jared Hoop, chuckled and said that his dad would tell stories about what a jokester Hupp was during their work years together. Jared said his Uncle Hupp’s most notable characteristic was his perfectionism. No one could line up equipment on a lot like Hupp, who later mentored others to do the same. Jared shared that Hupp was notorious for signaling and guiding equipment operators in the lot to get the lines perfectly straight, referring to him as a human GPS.

Hupp said the business started small and just kept getting bigger. Today, it is in a state-of-the-art facility. He said, “Everywhere you look, there is a place you could work out of for years down the road.”

“Too many memories to tell,” said Hupp. “I miss my old customers who have passed away. I love to be around people, and that’s probably one of the reasons I’m still here.” Hupp also thinks highly of his co-workers in Seaman and the Batavia location. “We probably have some of the finest people who work for us – men and women. They do an excellent job.”

Jim and wife Melissa reside in Seaman. Their six children are the “J” team: Jason, Jayme, Josh, Jeanne, Jenni, and Jansen. They have 11 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and one more on the way.

“I love this work. I can’t imagine doing anything else,” said Hupp, who has no plans of retiring. Smiling, he said, “I can’t imagine staying home every day—I’ll probably stay here until they carry me out.”