A Step Back in Time

For a brand that’s been around for 100 years, there’s a lot of history worth keeping alive. Mel Edinger, Earl Herring, and other retirees enthusiastically tell those stories at the Ariens Company Museum.

The brainchild of Dan Ariens, current president and CEO, the Ariens Company museum opened in the summer of 2003 and is housed in our original manufacturing plant. Earl, who at that point was already retired and spending winters in Gulf Shores, remembers, “I volunteered to help as soon I as heard about it.”

Open by appointment Monday through Friday, the Ariens Company museum showcases generations of Gravely machines, most of which have been donated by avid Gravely collectors. It also includes a replica of Benjamin Gravely’s original motor plow designed and crafted by artist Paul Kaufmann.

Currently undergoing its fourth renovation, the museum will reopen later this summer with a fresh design including exposed beams, new brickwork, and wallboards designed to make visitors feel like they’re walking through history.

Mel notes he’s seen all types of visitors over the years including distributors, former employees and avid Gravely owners. Asked what he hears most often from guests, Mel answers with a smile, “I had one of those!”