Billings Lawn Equipment Celebrates 60 Years with Move to Clawson
Clawson
“My grandfather bought the business in 1959 when it was Billings Feed Store,” said current owner Scott Johnson. “We used to supply the zoo with all their feed years ago.”
SCOTT JOHNSON (center, in gray)
“My grandfather worked for him [Les Billings] as a young guy. He was a truck driver,” said Johnson. “He ended up buying it from Les Billings and he ended up keeping the family name.”
Johnson recalls being in the store as a kid, making tunnels in the feedbags, ripping open feed bags and playing with the cats in the store.
The Billings store has a long history in Royal Oak at Main and Lincoln, and Johnson plans to continue in the new location on 14 Mile Road in Clawson, which opened in November.
Initially, Billings had two stores near each other: one was lawn equipment the other was a feed store. The feed store was sold, leaving the lawn store for Johnson to run.
Today, the newly re-opened Billings Lawn Equipment has all the trimmers, mowers, snow blowers and weed whippers homeowners and business owners need to keep yards looking their best.
Travis Beard, co-owner of Worry Free Outdoor Services, has been a loyal Billings customer since opening his business in 1998.
With 11 employees, Billings Lawn Equipment has the experience and knowledge customers want when looking to make an investment in machinery. At one time, almost everyone working at Billings was family.
“We have a lot of long-term employees. People leave, but they always come back. Everyone’s been here on average 15 to 20 years,” said Johnson. “That is one advantage of coming to a place like this is the knowledge. You don’t get that when you go to Home Depot. We try to get things done efficiently and cost effective as possible.”
Johnson explained that while the Billings team can sell lawnmowers and snow blowers, they also have a full parts department with roughly $500,000 in inventory and service area. In fact, Johnson is one of the mechanics.
“The coolest thing is it’s a third generation, family-owned business,” said Johnson. “That doesn’t happen very often.”
You’re in the woods. It’s dusk. In the dim light you see a shape in the sky. You hear the solid beat of wings. The shape lands on a post or a tree branch and hoots. Or maybe it darts into a hole in a tree and trills. It may be a great horned owl or a screech owl. And if you’d like to hear their distinctive hoots and trills in person, come on out to Tenhave Woods on Thursday, January 17, at 7:30 p.m. for a one-hour naturalist-led program. Walk into the woods from the Lexington and Marais lot and listen for these nocturnal neighbors to answer to tape recordings of their calls. The walk is free and does not require registration.
Is your teenager a bit of a mystery to you? You’re not alone. To help your family chart an easier course through this challenging transition to adulthood, Royal Oak Middle School is hosting a series of discussions for parents. All Royal Oak Schools families are welcome, and free babysitting and dinner are available. Discussions are 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the ROMS Learning Commons on January 17 and March 21. Babysitting and dinner begin at 5:30 p.m. Topics include:
Monarchs used to dance abundantly in our gardens, but today they’re hard to find. Natural perils and man-made changes in the landscape have reduced their numbers and made their survival uncertain. Although it’s the state butterfly for several states, the milkweed plants Monarch caterpillars depend on for food are often eradicated as weeds. Debbie Johnson, Monarch Watch Conservation Specialist, will speak about Monarch biology, migration and natural enemies, as well as human threats to their survival and ways you can help conserve this magnificent migrating butterfly on Wednesday, February 6, at 7:30 p.m. at the Royal Oak Middle School.
Safewise, the home security website known for its safe cities rankings, recently listed its top twenty safest cities in Michigan. Rankings are based on Federal Bureau of Investigation crime statistics and population. Birmingham ranked as the 12th safest city. In addition, in cities with a population of at least 20,000 residents, Birmingham is listed as the second safest city.
Birmingham recently added the sculpture “Sound Heart” by Jay Lefkowitz to its growing public art collection. Lefkowitz is a renowned abstract artist whose works can be seen in private collections and museums around the world. Donated by longtime resident Christina Heidrich, the eight-foot-tall sculpture was installed at the northeast corner of E. Maple and Woodward Ave. in the pedestrian plaza of Kroger. It is made of Corten steel – a metal that acquires a rust-like appearance with exposure to weather. The installation of Sound Heart fulfills Kroger’s 2014 site plan approval that had the condition of placing City-owned artwork within its semicircle pedestrian plaza.
Haven’t had the time yet to check out the award-winning exhibit “The People of Birmingham: Celebrating 200 Years of Stories”? Great news! The 
Christmas trees are being collected through Friday, January 11. A separate service is used for disposal of holiday trees, so collection will not necessarily be at the same time your rubbish is picked up. The trees are ground into wood chips for recycling, so please remove all lights, ornaments, stands, etc. If you used a bag to contain the needles while removing the tree from your house, please remove it and dispose of it in your regular garbage. For more information call the Birmingham Department of Public Services at 248.530.1700.
Birmingham Fire Department Chief John Connaughton and Assistant Fire Chief John Donohue have recently retired. They have been recognized by the city for their many years of dedicated service. Former Assistant Chief Paul Wells is serving the City as Interim Fire Chief until further notice.
The National Council for Home Safety and Security has announced the safest cities in Michigan and fifteen of the twenty are in Oakland County, including Clawson, which is ranked Michigan’s 15th safest city.
The Royal Oak Public Library will sponsor their 20th annual Preschool & Child Care Information Night on Monday, January 28 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Royal Oak Farmers Market. Parking will be free. Julie Bokor, Clawson Public Schools Preschool Coordinator, and Renay Swords, Clawson Childcare Director, will be on hand to talk to parents and answer questions about programs, including parent-tot classes, preschool programs, the Great Start Readiness Program and child care.
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