Jack Rollet had been a landscaper for 30 years, taking his equipment to D & F Power Equipment in Suffield for parts and servicing, when the founders, Don and Marlene Hoginski, told him they wanted to retire.
Jack and his wife Deena were interested in buying the outdoor power equipment dealer. “The landscaping business was beating us up,” she said. So, they bought D & F in 2013 and closed their business.
Deena and Jack Rollet, Owners of D & F Power Equipment, flank their mechanic, Brandon Marquis. Their Route 159 store is one-half mile from the Windsor Locks line near HP Hood.
They inherited premium brands of residential and commercial lawnmowers, snowblowers, string trimmers, chain saws, generators, water pumps and the like which they still sell today. They are authorized dealers for Honda, Echo, Ariens, Giant-Vac, Little Wonder, Scag, RedMax, Gravely and Shindaiwa which last for years when properly maintained. (As an aside, my 48” Scag commercial walk-behind lawnmower that I use weekly turns 35 years old next April.)
Their 2,000-square-foot dealership at 1106 East Street South can easily be missed if you’re driving by fast. “People come in every day saying, ‘Gee I never knew you were here,’” said Deena. But the building includes a showroom, parts room and maintenance shop.
Jack said that 70% of his sales is in repairs. He and his mechanic pick up and deliver equipment for maintenance throughout Windsor, Windsor Locks, Suffield, Enfield and the Granbys. Their turnaround is typically one to two weeks compared to months of waiting for repairs if you buy from a big box store, the couple said. “Even if you don’t buy it from us, don’t buy it from them [big box stores],” Deena advised.
According to their website, the Rollets give back to the community by supporting the American Legion and the FAA. They grant veterans a 10% discount on parts and service. They also continually advertise in The Suffield Observer, as the original owners did from the newspaper’s beginning.