QUALITY AND SERVICE: “The tractors have brought us new customers and a whole different business opportunity. We’re enjoying this new adventure, and offering the best service for all our customers is always our priority.” Belle Mead Garage owners (from left) Kip Higgins and Chris Carnevale, and former owner Roy (Murph) Higgins, are shown by the Massey Ferguson GC sub-compact tractor. The most popular seller, it is very versatile, and not only cuts grass, but can include the addition of a back hoe and front loader, among many other features.
By Jean Stratton
A lot of changes have occurred since Leroy Higgins opened Belle Mead Garage in 1927. The location at Route 206 and Station Square in Belle Mead was then surrounded by farmland, and Higgins first lived in the attic of the original building. No SUVs, minivans, or Jeeps were in evidence in those days, nor were seat belts and airbags. There was not even a glimpse on the American horizon of Hondas, Toyotas, or Kias.
The longtime family business, now owned by Higgins’ grandson, Christopher (Kip) Higgins and Chris Carnevale, has built an outstanding reputation and is known for exceptional customer loyalty. As one longtime customer put it: “Their word is their bond, and a handshake is their guarantee of dealings that are honorable throughout. They are outstanding people.”
Three generations of Higgins men have seen to it that their reputation has remained intact through all the ups and downs of the automobile industry.