It’s New to Us by Jean Stratton

FAMILY FOCUS: “Our specialty is our service and our focus on garden tools and equipment. We are a family business, and we pride ourselves on that.” Charles, Jr. and Donna Baldwin, owners of Baldwin Unlimited, Inc., are shown with their son Brad (right) beside the Bad Boy Z.T.R. (Zero Turn Radius) mower.

Lawn Equipment and Full Service Highlight Baldwin Unlimited, Inc.

Once seen on nearly every street corner in times gone by, a long-time family business is much more of a rarity these days. When such a business weathers the changing times, trends, and customers’ choices, it is a source of pride.

Baldwin Unlimited, Inc. at 1627 Reed Road in Pennington, which now includes three generations of the Baldwin family, is still going strong.

Baldwin Tractor Sales and Service was started 56 years ago by Charles Baldwin, Sr., explains his daughter-in-law Donna Baldwin. “In 2004, my husband Charles, Jr. and I became owners, and focused on garden tools and lawn equipment. Our son Brad has joined us in the business, and my father-in-law still has his hand in as a consultant.

“Brad has been a wonderful addition,” she continues. “It’s new blood in the business. A different energy, different experiences, and different perspective. I have loved watching him grow in the business.”

Sales and Service

Now, Baldwin Unlimited offers sales and service on a variety of lawn mowers, lawn equipment, and garden tools. Z.T.R (Zero Turn Radius) mowers, mini-skid steer loaders, power blowers, pruners, edgers, trimmers, etc. are among the products available at Baldwin.

In addition, the company’s service department will work on any brand, make, or model of machine or power tool, whether it’s as big as a farm tractor or as small as a household weed whacker. Lawn mowers, and snow and leaf blowers are often serviced.

Baldwin Unlimited also takes care of welding and fabrication needs. “We do welding and fabrication on anything, even patio furniture, and we do hydraulic hose repair,” says Mrs. Baldwin. “We are also a certified dealer for Kohler and Kawasaki, and can fix their engines.”

“We offer honest and dependable service,” adds Brad Baldwin. “A lawn mower should be serviced every year. Changing the oil is the biggest thing, but we also look at the tire pressure, deck level, sharpen and balance the blades, check the spark plugs, and change the filter. We go over the entire machine from top to bottom. Even if the customer just asks for an oil change, we will check the entire machine. It’s important for customers to know if repairs are necessary, both for the longevity of the machine and their own safety.”

Hot Product

The hot product in sales today is the Z.T.R. mower, report the Baldwins. “We have a big focus on commercial and residential Z.T.R. mowers. They offer more efficiency, a higher quality cut, and big time savings. They are 36- to 72-inches, and brands include Dixon, Bush Hog, and Bad Boy.”

With the versatility and maneuvering ability of these popular mowers, a customer can whiz around trees and bushes with ease, and often cut lawn maintenance time in half.

Another top-quality machine is the Boxer compact utility mini-skid steer loader, with a wide range of applications, covering a broad spectrum of uses, from tree removal to breaking up concrete.

“We give demonstrations of how these machines work and instruct the customer on their use,” says Brad Baldwin. “Safety is always uppermost.”

Power Tools

Tanaka power tools, including trimmers, brush cutters, edgers, pruning saws, weed whackers, and blowers are all offered, along with other brands. And such products as tillers and spreaders are also available.

Baldwin customers are from all over the area and beyond, including Princeton, Pennington, Lawrenceville, Ewing, Hunterdon County, and northern New Jersey. Many are regulars who have been customers for many years.

The Baldwins take pride in their products and in knowing they have given their customers the best service they can offer. “We have to please our customers,” points out Brad Baldwin. “That’s when they’ll come back. We are very straight-forward, direct, and up-front. We really go above and beyond for our customers.”

“I think we are set apart as a family business,” adds Mrs. Baldwin. “We depend on that one customer walking through the door. We take more time to focus on each individual customer, and we give the best service and knowledge we can.”

Pick-up and delivery is part of the Baldwin service, and she notes that competing with the big stores, such as Home Depot and Lowe’s, is a challenge. “We meet that challenge with our special service and high quality products. I have always loved dealing with people, and we look forward to growing the business with more customers and more product lines. At the same time, we always want to have hands-on ownership. If you get too large, you can lose the family feeling. We always want to be that dependable dealer for people.”

Baldwin Unlimited is open Monday through Friday 8 to 5, Saturday 9 to 12, and by special appointment. (609) 737-8348. Web: www.baldwinunlimited.net.

Return to Top | Go to Next Story