Asset Divide
In the early 1960s, the five Orscheln brothers divided up the family businesses. The largest portion was the truck line. It was given to brothers Ed, Ted, Al, and Louie. Bill took over the remaining businesses; Orscheln Brake Lever Manufacturing, an equipment dealership, a real estate venture, and a few farm stores. Bill’s son, Jerry, took over the farm supply business in the mid 1960s, creating an enterprise that has grown to more than 180 stores today. The first big order of Bill and Don’s brake levers came in the late 1960s, when American Motors added the Orscheln brake lever as standard equipment on the Dodge truck.