Heath's Inc. celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2004; having been founded in the small town of Cisco, Illinois as a hardware
and implement store in 1924 by James Heath. Horse-drawn implements were the norm in those days and horses were later traded in to the Heath's after the advent of self-propelled tractors.
In 1931, the business was moved to Monticello, Illinois in a small downtown location. The founder's son, Bob Heath, joined him and remained active in the business until his death in 1994. The downtown location burned down in 1960 and was moved to a site at the edge of town in a new building where it is still located today. The original building has been added on to four times since then in addition to two outbuildings for storage. Today's General Manager, Gary Huisinga, is the great-grandson of the founder and has been active with the business since 1983.
Many lines and products besides John Deere have been handled over the years, but maybe most interesting were televisions and antennas in the early 1950's. Bob Heath sold and installed them for many years when television first came to Monticello!
Another affiliated store has been added along the way. Heath's Tire and Automotive (www.heathstire.com) is an
independent tire and automotive repair center in Monticello.
We are pleased that you have chosen to visit our web site and hope you have found it interesting and informative. Please call or e-mail if we can be of further assistance.
