Trusted Dealer:Mearle Marcum

About 164 miles east of the Country Music Hall of Fame, just a little ways down Buffalo Road., you’ll find Oneida Broadcasters, Inc. 

Once home to nothing more than a farm field and an old radio tower, the newly-ish (1972, actually) constructed broadcast building is home to The Hive 105.5FM.  They play a charming mix of adult contemporary and country – the kinda stuff your mom would probably enjoy, and every Sunday evening they feature live performances from the Junior Potter Singers.  All of this translates to a richly soulful combination of gospel and bluegrass that would seem  right at home on “A Prairie Home Companion,” with Garrison Keillor.

But Mearle Marcum insists they aren’t a band.

Mearle is the not-band’s bass guitar player. He’s also their harmonica and banjo player, and, as it turns out, Mearle is quite the entrepreneur.  

Mearle  used to sell used cars, and given all of what he has done and still does, it may come as a shock that Mearle Marcum is blind.  That unfortunate turn of events happened  in an ultralight plane crash about 15 years ago. It was his own ultralight plane.  

By now, it’s clear that Marcum is the kinda guy you could listen to for hours.  And you’re welcome to try it out any time, at North Star Auto Sales.

“We don’t do auto sales,” contradicts Marcum. 

“My partner and I started out selling used cars in 1994 and quickly learned we could make more money selling outdoor power equipment.” 

Originally, North Star Auto carried ECHO. They liked the brand and expanded to Shindaiwa.

“Shindaiwa was the first trimmer I ever used personally – and I loved it. Why would I recommend anything else?”

These days, their success has allowed them to expand to stand- and ride-on mowers; North Star Auto carries a full line of pro-grade machines. It’s a far cry from used cars and old jalopies.

"Shindaiwa got us here, they stood behind us and we stand behind them.”

It’s a nice sentiment - sounds like a line out of a solid bluegrass number, right?