Don Van Houweling, Pioneering Dealer Who Built Van Wall Equipment

The 80-year-old entrepreneur started his first business at 18 and has grown Van Wall into a 33-store John Deere dealership group.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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Don Van Houweling started his first business, a carwash in Nevada, Iowa, when he was just 18 years old. As he approaches his 80th birthday, the energy of that young entrepreneur is still going strong. Today, he heads up the 33-store John Deere dealership group Van Wall Equipment, which was named Farm Equipment's 2016 Dealership of the Year. Van Houweling's journey from a Deere factory worker to a pioneering multi-store dealer is marked by innovative thinking, a strong work ethic, and a commitment to building trusted relationships.

Why it matters

Van Houweling's story highlights the evolution of farm equipment dealerships, from the days when multi-store operations were "frowned upon" to the present, where scale and innovation are key to success. His ability to adapt, diversify, and lead through challenging times serves as a model for other dealers looking to build resilient, community-focused businesses.

The details

After working his way through college at Iowa State and gaining experience at Deere's factories, Van Houweling transitioned to the retail side of the business in the 1970s. He became a junior partner in a dealership in Woodward, Iowa, and later bought out the owner, Barney Wall, to form Van Wall Equipment. Van Wall was the first multi-store John Deere dealership in Iowa, a move that was initially met with skepticism from the manufacturer. However, Van Houweling's operational excellence, financial management skills, and innovative spirit allowed him to not only survive the farm crisis of the 1980s, but to thrive. He developed products like "The Extender" to help farmers, and leveraged scale to provide better service to customers. Van Houweling also played a key role in Deere's "Dealer 20 Group" program, learning from and mentoring other multi-store dealers.

  • In 1974, Van Houweling opened Four Seasons Lawn and Sports Center, a Deere lawn & garden store in Ames.
  • In 1977, Van Houweling became a 20% junior partner in a dealership in Woodward, Iowa.
  • In 1980, when the original owner Barney Wall retired, Van Houweling bought out the rest of the dealership over the next 10 years.
  • In 1979, Van Houweling bought a second dealership in Perry, Iowa, creating the Van Wall name.
  • In 1983, Van Houweling opened another store in Madrid, Iowa, and shortly thereafter opened another lawn & garden store in Des Moines.

The players

Don Van Houweling

The 80-year-old entrepreneur who started his first business at 18 and has grown Van Wall Equipment into a 33-store John Deere dealership group.

Barney Wall

The original owner of the dealership in Woodward, Iowa that Van Houweling became a junior partner in and later bought out.

Charlie Gause

The retired vice president of marketing for John Deere who believed in Van Houweling's ability to grow with more dealerships.

Bob Currie

The late founder of Currie Management who managed the "Dealer 20 Group" program that Van Houweling participated in.

Mike Van Houweling

Don Van Houweling's son and the current CFO of Van Wall Equipment.

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What they’re saying

“Don has set an example for the rest of the industry. His ability to effectively plan, organize and control his dealerships has been a template for the success of other multi-store dealerships...”

— Charlie Gause, Retired VP of Marketing, John Deere (farm-equipment.com)

“He's the poster child for an owner who goes through this transformation process. Most of the owners start off and stay in this owner-operator mode, with the emphasis on operator. They want to drive operational excellence and that's their whole goal in life. In the beginning Don was doing that; driving operational excellence, and he was very good at it.”

— Bob Currie, Founder, Currie Management (farm-equipment.com)

“That would've been in the '70s and early '80s or so. At that time, there were a lot of dealers who were pretty focused on the thrill of selling the tractor, selling the combine, selling the whole unit, and maybe not as focused on the importance and the value both to the dealership and to the customer of the parts and service process.”

— Mike Van Houweling, CFO, Van Wall Equipment (farm-equipment.com)

What’s next

Van Houweling continues to provide feedback and guidance as a member of Farm Equipment's Dealer Advisory Board, using his decades of experience to help shape policies and decisions that impact the farm equipment dealer industry.

The takeaway

Don Van Houweling's story exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit, innovative thinking, and commitment to customer service that have allowed independent farm equipment dealers like Van Wall to thrive, even in the face of industry consolidation and economic challenges. His legacy serves as an inspiration for the next generation of dealers looking to build resilient, community-focused businesses.