The road to follow your father’s footsteps isn’t always straight.

Life for Korey Hagaman has taken a few twists and turns. He went from rodeo life to becoming a mechanic and general manager for the Small Engine Shop. While he never envisioned himself operating his dad’s small engine business in Madisonville, Texas, Hagaman has settled in and continues to successfully run the family business.

Established in 1994 by Korey’s dad, Whitt Hagaman, the Small Engine Shop serves customers from the Madisonville area and beyond. Whitt’s wife Kay described Whitt as an entrepreneur at heart. “He was always busy doing something and looking for ways to make money,” she described. “It was another avenue for that, and it turned out well. It was one of those things that just flowed into being.” Before opening the shop, Whitt ventured into cattle, oil, and real estate. Whitt passed in February 2022, and now Korey has taken the reins at the Small Engine Shop. Along with Korey, there is head mechanic James “Flinch” Stanton, who has been with the company for 13 years; and Alex Glover, who handles most of the pickup and deliveries.

“If you use it in the yard, we can take care of it,” said Korey. “If it breaks, we can fix it.”  Korey also refers back to his dad’s motto which still hangs on the wall, ‘We can fix your saw, trimmer, and mower. Jesus can fix your life.’

The small engine shop offers basic mechanic work, repairs, and warranty work. This includes equipment such as chainsaws, generators, pressure washers, welders, and blowers—just to mention a few. They are also a certified dealer for companies such as Bad Boy, Cub Cadet, Briggs, Honda, Homelite, Kohler, Kawasaki, Poulan, Stihl, Simpson, and M.T.D.

After years of enjoying college and the rodeo life of a team roper, Korey joined his dad at 25 years old at the shop, where he learned the business. “I learned everything I know about the shop from my dad and a mechanic friend of mine,” explained Korey. “My dad was way smart. When there was a problem, he could bounce ideas off that no one else could think of.”

One of Korey’s friends was influential in helping Korey decide to join his dad at the shop. “I figured if my friend could tell me how to fix engines over the phone, I could learn even more about how to successfully work on small engines in person,” explained Korey.  So, Korey’s decision to work in the family business was solidified.

“When my dad opened the store, I built all the shelves and helped him get set up, then I had full intentions of doing my own thing and going back to the arena,” said Korey. “However, they changed my mind. My dad would slowly force me to learn the different aspects of the business, such as ordering parts and customer service–by not doing them himself–so I would have to.”

Korey admits one of the most challenging parts of learning the business was the day-to-day activities and learning how to deal with the general public or customers he did not previously know. “I was still learning the business, so I didn’t want to answer the phones or talk to customers until I knew all I needed to know,” said Korey. “Talk to me about fixing horses, that I could handle–because that’s what I did.”

Those early, learning curve years have passed, with a lot of knowledge gained. Korey says he can now handle whatever may come his way regarding small engines. “I like to figure out what the engine is doing wrong and make it right. At this point in my life, I have literally rebuilt carburetors in my dreams.”

Thinking through possible solutions and actually fixing the problem for customers is one of the aspects Korey says he enjoys most about his job. Kay, Korey’s mother, is not surprised. She says Korey has always had a natural talent.  “Korey has such an intuition for this kind of work,” she explains. “He is very much mechanically inclined; it’s the way his brain works. Even as a little boy, he always had an interest in tearing things apart and putting them back together.” Korey jokes, “I like turning wrenches more than the management side of the business.”

The 12,500 square-foot building houses not only a small engine shop business successful for the last 29 years, but also the legacy of a successful and strong bond between a father and son who worked together daily.

Along with the typical small engine parts that fill the store, team roping photos of Korey, his dad, and other family members take up a section of the wall. Korey’s witty sense humor can also be found. From the mounted Longhorn cow ‘Curly’ to the Wall of Shame and the Aggie Man Cave sign, pieces of Korey’s life are scattered throughout the store.

When asked about Curly, Korey recalls the last time they tried to rope the steer. With full enthusiasm, Korey tells how, during roping practice one day, Curly started trying to hook the horses between their back legs—so, naturally, the horses started running off.  After Curly was eventually roped, Whitt, with two bad knees and a bad back, got off his horse and began stomping his feet at the steer saying, “We chase you Curly, you don’t chase us.” However, Curly soon retaliated and chased Whitt over an arena panel, where he got caught by his belt buckle; Curly then proceeded to flip Whitt several times, before a final somersault landed him on the ground.

The Wall of Shame is a reminder to customers of what NOT to do with their small engine equipment. As Korey shows the different pieces, he tells stories of how blades became bent or broken, air filters became clogged, and more. “I thought it would be a humorous way to remind customers to take care of their equipment,” said Korey.

When not taking care of business at the shop, Korey enjoys playing golf and spending time with his three children and their families: Tyler and his wife Michelle of Huntsville; Kaleah and husband Kelly of Newton; and youngest daughter Kate, who is a senior at Madisonville High School.

While Korey has no idea where the future might lead him, he is certain of one thing–his success is attributed to his dad Whitt and the fact that he pushed him to be his best, wherever life takes him. Who knows, Korey might even get a new horse and fade back into the arena. “They worked together a long time, and it worked out really well,” remembers Kay. “My husband was really proud of Korey.”

Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday 8:00 a.m. to noon
303 S May St
Madisonville, TX 77864
(936) 348-2786