“Never sell a product or service that you would not buy yourself”
–Kevin Houtwed, President of Hotwood’s
The Story of Hotwood’s
It all began when I was a young man—around seven years old. Growing up on a farm in rural south Nebraska, I decided that I was going to have a store someday, so I put prices on everything I had in my bedroom. Anything lined up on any shelf was priced, just like the local merchant on Main Street. I don’t remember selling a lot of products to customers in my 7’ x 9’ upstairs bedroom in that drafty old house, but in my mind, I had a real store.
I started buying and selling old car parts off our farm as early as twelve years old, which then led to working on cars in my early teens. I would drag a Model A Ford home from some local farmyard after the owner would tell me to haul it off, and BINGO! I had parts to sell. The farthest away I sold a car in the early years was a 1934 Ford body to Cedar Falls, Iowa. I was fourteen.
I realized early on that you had to get a fair distance from home before most people took you seriously by stepping up and paying you for your hard work or ideas.
Going through high school, I always found something to fix or sell to make a little money. After my parents divorced when I was sixteen, I lived on my own, and I had to make money simply to survive.
The day after I graduated high school, I started a job in Superior, Nebraska, at the local John Deere dealership as a Setup Man. I really wanted to do sales, but the owner thought I would do better in the shop than in sales. He obviously never visited my bedroom store.
Kevin at the Boeing Museum in Seattle in 1990
A few years later, after a few ventures, I was walking across the Peru State College campus with my mother and was approached by the football coach. He asked if I had ever been to college. I replied that I hadn’t—that I was getting too old for that as far as I was concerned. He told me he was going to check on some things and get back to me. We exchanged phone numbers and I was on my way.
About four days later, I was sitting in my kitchen one evening, sweating from head to toe with no AC, when the old landline phone rang. It was that football coach. He told me he would give me a full-ride scholarship to Peru State if I would play football. I immediately said yes and asked how soon I could be there.
During my time in college—with no help from home for living expenses—I found I was buying and selling cars and trucks again to survive. I walked proudly with a smile at all times, but deep down I knew I was struggling. I knew I couldn’t keep it all up without some type of income.
So, I started developing accessories for the all-new Yamaha four-wheelers with the help of a few friends to try to catch the attention of the big boys at corporate headquarters. Well . . . I did, namely when I came up with a hydraulic system for a Yamaha four-wheeler and then added accessories like post hole diggers, blades, and rototillers.
At one point, a friend working with me wanted to build a boat just to see what we could come up with. While we were putting it together, the local Chevrolet dealer wanted one like it, only bigger. Then someone else wanted one too. Now, ten thousand pontoons and 35 years later, I am in the boat business for real.
Once, my second-grade teacher asked me what the most important thing I wanted to do was. I told her I wanted to meet as many people as I could in my lifetime. Mrs. Pohlman reminded me of that right here in my showroom in Grand Island a few years ago when she came for a visit.
As for the name of Hotwood’s, when I was in fourth grade we had a new teacher come to Ruskin that was Native American. After about a couple weeks of school, Mrs. Youngblood decided the four boys in that class needed little Indian names. After all, the school mascot was the Ruskin Indians. Mrs. Youngblood gave me the name of Little Hotwood. Needless to say, it stuck. I have carried that name ever since. It worked out great because Hotwood was much easier to spell and pronounce than Houtwed. I wish I could find her today and thank her for that.
At Hotwood’s, I believe it is important to always take care of the customer, new or old, as we press very hard to always have a live voice answer the phone when a customer calls. We also maintain the farmer mentality that any day is a good day to do some work if it needs done.
My motto for Hotwood’s is and always has been to never sell a product or service that you would not buy yourself.
Always be truthful and honest and the rest is easy.
– Kevin Houtwed
Our Values
Our Customers
Here at Hotwood’s, we believe that a customer who walks in the door or calls for the first time is just as valuable as the one we have been doing business with for years.
Once you do business with us you become part of the Hotwood’s family, as we strive hard to take care of you, the customer, to assure your satisfaction is met.
Our Team
Hotwood’s in Grand Island, Nebraska, and Emory, Texas, is proud of its employees as they are all team players from the top to the bottom.
I, Kevin Houtwed, as the owner and creator of the company, decided from the start that no one works for me, we all work together. Besides, if we do not work together we do not work at all.
Our Products
The Hotwood’s product lines have been designed over the years by in-house members of the team along with you, the customer. We are attentive to our customers with great ideas, who help us develop extensions to our product lines. Each one makes it possible to manufacture quality products and accessories that are sure to satisfy each and every new customer we add to our family.
