By Kyla Hurt
Photos/Kyla Hurt
Casey and Monica Hummer opened Mower Medics in May 2022. Located at 1407 Village Lane in South Jacksonville in what many would recognize as the “old bike shop,” or Village Cyclery, the business services all makes and models of outdoor power equipment.
Casey Hummer had earned a degree in automotive tech before returning to achieve a degree in elementary education. After marriage and needing a bit more income, he went back to being a mechanic. Before opening Mower Medics, Casey Hummer worked at E&D Repair in Lynnville and Monica Hummer worked as a stay-at-home mom.
The two had originally looked into purchasing an already established shop before discovering the Village Lane property for sale. The place had been gutted, the couple explain, as the roof had leaked prior.
“When we did the remodel, we used probably 90% reclaimed materials,” shares Casey Hummer. It makes for a cool interior, plus helps with the costs and keeps stuff out of the landfill, they add. The inside of Mower Medics reveals a multi-colored, stained pallet wall made from materials left after a Walmart remodel and upcycled tin ceilings using tin from local barns in Lynnville and Murrayville. The framing for the walls even came from salvaged wood from sheds that had been torn down.
The two joke that the floors are in process. Monica Hummer laughs, “We still have to do the floors … but the mowers don’t care.”
Hummer explains the meaning behind their business name: “I was a paramedic for years. I volunteered for the Chapin Area Rescue Squad and for the Meredosia-Bluffs Rescue Squad … and so, the medic thing was always kind of there, and I blended it with the mowers, and there we are.”
The couple reside in Lynnville and are both originally from Quincy. Curiously, their sisters were best friends in high school, but the two (Casey and Monica) did not actually know each other then.
Together, they have six children: 18-year-old twins, Dalaina and Lorissa; 16-year-old Daivlynn; 14-year-old Brendan; 6-year-old Malachi; and 4½-year-old Zemirah (Mom assures that she is very adamant about that ‘half’).
As one might guess, the Hummers are very family-oriented, and one might even see evidence of the kids in the shop … art supplies, toys or other “kid paraphernalia,” they joke.
However, the show room and otherwise in the business display all sorts of mowing equipment and the like that is for sale. There is back stock of equipment, too, and a large back room filled with mowers, snowblowers and more that is being serviced. Casey Hummer summarizes, “We conduct sales of new equipment, but then we also service all the equipment that we sell plus anything else that comes in the door basically … [We handle] sales, parts, service, all that stuff. There’s sharpening [services], too … and we handle tune-ups for service.”
Mower Medics is also an authorized TORO dealer. Hummer shares, “It’s a long process with tons of paperwork … in Jan [2023], we finally got it all set up and then we started receiving equipment in February.”
The regular hours for Mower Medics are Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Starting April 1, the two plan to add the Saturday hours of 8 a.m-noon, which is seasonal to accommodate needs.
Mower Medics is holding a “Grand Opening” on Saturday, April 1 from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. In conjunction with the grand opening event is a raffle, which will be drawn at 2 that afternoon.
Hummer expresses, “We’re going to have a bunch of free giveaways that day, a bounce house for kids, food and more.”
The raffle grand prize is a new TORO 42” TimeCutter® MyRIDE® Zero Turn Mower and second prize is $500 cash. They will also be drawing for additional prizes. Note: one does not need to be present to win. Hummer notes that the raffle tickets have been going quickly and might sell out before the event, so he recommends for anyone interested to call about them or stop in to try to purchase. Tickets are $5 each or five for $20.
Casey Hummer summarizes, “We’ve had great support from the community and a lot of people have been coming in and supporting us. We’re glad that we’re here and that this building is being used for something.”
