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The third and fourth generations of Killians of Hickory, North Carolina, include (from left) Susan Killian Kirby, Whitney Kirby, Jennifer Gott and Sharon Killian Radke. Whitney is Susan’s daughter and Jennifer is Sharon’s daughter.
Photo courtesy of Shane Greene Photography.
Millennials Share Their Roles in a Family Dealership
Jennifer Gott and Whitney Kirby, part of the fourth generation of Killians of Hickory, North Carolina, share their millennial-view and why they chose to return to the family dealership after college.
Killians
Founded: 1963, current owners took over in 1997Location: Hickory, North Carolina
Employees: 17 full time, 3 part time and various interns
Business System: Blue Ridge
Website Vendor: ARI Network Services
Lines: Billy Goat, Briggs & Stratton, EdenPure Heaters, Husqvarna, Kawasaki, Kohler, Little Wonder, Maxim Tillers, Merry Tillers, Oregon Log Splitters, PECO, STIHL, Toro, Wilmington Grills
Officially, millennials are those who were born between 1981 and 1996. Unofficially, there are many opinions about the characteristics, other than age, that define this generation — generalities for which millennials Jennifer Gott and Whitney Kirby have their own opinions. Gott and Kirby, who are cousins, are part of the fourth generation of Killians of Hickory, North Carolina.
Gott, who is 33, is the daughter of Sharon Killian Radke, and Kirby, who is 25, is the daughter of Susan Killian Kirby. Radke and Kirby are sisters who took over the dealership in 1997 after their father Elmer died.
Rural Lifestyle Dealer profiled the dealership in the winter 2018 issue, talking with Radke about their beginnings as a feed mill in 1953 to now carrying 14 lines of outdoor power equipment.
We head back to the dealership for a conversation with Gott and Kirby about why they returned to the dealership after college and what they see for the future of the family business.
Rural Lifestyle Dealer: Can you explain when and why you came back to work at the dealership?
Jennifer Gott: I never thought I would be in the business. My…
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