The Stumpf Story
It has taken Stumpf Ford over three quarters of a century to build our present public
image. Founded in 1921 by John H. Stumpf and John F. Hartzheim, Stumpf Ford has a
philosophy that the public is entitled to the best service possible in satisfying its
transportation needs.
On December 13, 1921, Calumet Motor Company opened for business in Darboy.
During that winter, customers hauled their “Horseless Carriages†into the shop for repair
with a team of horses. The following spring, the founding partners moved the business
by horse and sleigh to Sherwood, where they started the auto sales and service business
of Stumpf-Hartzheim Company. The partners worked with car franchises including
Chevrolet, Nash, Packard, Dodge and Plymouth.
From Sherwood, Stumpf Ford moved first to a new facility in Kaukauna in 1969, and
then to its present dealership in Appleton in 1972. The Company opened a second Ford
dealership in Neenah in 1986, Neenah Menasha Ford. In 1997, that store was sold to an
employee. The exclusive Ford heavy-duty truck facility, L & S Truck Center opened in
Appleton in 1989 allowing the West College Avenue dealership to be dedicated to the
sales and service of cars and light trucks.
Stumpf Ford opened a second used car center, Stumpf’s Value Center, on College Avenue
in 1999. A few months later the Stumpf Family opened two Car Credit Centers, one
located on Wisconsin Avenue in Appleton and the other on Jackson Street in Oshkosh to
meet the needs of those customers that have financial difficulty in purchasing
automobiles.
Today, over 89 years later we are proud to be in our third generation with the automotive
industry and our philosophy remains as it was originally founded. Les Stumpf as
Chairman, Corey Stumpf as President still lead this company in
providing total customer satisfaction through employees who provide reliable,
courteous, and ethical service to our customers.