George Edward Hilt

George Edward Hilt
circa 2000
Born	George Edward Hilt (1916 -03-07)March 7, 1916 Muskegon, Michigan
Died	October 2, 2012(2012-10-02) (aged 96) Juno Beach, Florida, U.S.
Spouse(s)	Martha Monroe Hilt Betty Jean Hilt

George Edward Hilt (March 7, 1916 – October 2, 2012) was a businessman and philanthropist. Many of his financial gifts benefited Muskegon and Whitehall, Michigan. He developed out an art museum and a historic park open-air museum that cost millions of dollars. Hilt started his business career selling farm merchandise and equipment from a renovated grocery store. He developed this into the Quality Farm & Fleet store chain, which briefly became the United States' largest farm-store retailer. It had sales of over a billion dollars annually from its hundreds of retail outlet stores in several states.

Hilt served in the United States Army during World War II during the D-Day invasion. He was a truck and watercraft driver when assigned to general George S. Patton's unit.

Early life[]

Hilt was born in Muskegon, Michigan, on March 7, 1916. His parents were John and Margaret Hilt. He had a sister, Marguerite and five brothers, Jack, Charles, Wayne, Raymond and Robert.^[1][2]

Mid life[]

Military[]

Hilt served in the United States Army from 1943 to 1945 during World War II. He was in the Third Army, Seventh Corps, Quartermaster Corps in the European Theater. Hilt was an amphibious landing craft and supply truck driver. He landed at Omaha Beach one day after D-Day (June 7, 1944) and was in charge of a landing craft filled with five-gallon cans of gasoline. Seven days after D-Day he became a supply truck driver and was assigned to follow General George Patton's unit into Germany.^[1][2]

Career[]

Tractor Supply Company store sign

Hilt and his younger brother, Jack, worked in their family hardware business in Muskegon when able as young men and were trained in business management.^[3] With these skills they decided to open a retail store chain that sold farm equipment and merchandise. They started Quality Farm & Fleet Supply.^[4] Their first store was a 4,000 square foot (370 m²) renovated grocery store and opened in Hudsonville, Michigan, in 1962.^[5][6] Hilt and his brother later decided to move their business that was near Grand Rapids, Michigan to Norton Shores, Michigan, about 30 miles to the northwest of where they were then located.^[7] In 1976 they started an Employee Stock Ownership Plan that allowed an employee with over 1,000 hours of working time to join.^[8] Hilt and his younger brother Jack retired in 1986.^[4] The business comprised 100 stores by 1996. They had a 450,000 square foot (42,000 m²) distribution center in Fostoria, Ohio.^[9]

The chain merged in 1999 with Central Tractor Farm & Country of Iowa to form Quality Stores, a corporation with 360 retail outlets in 30 states and over a billion dollars in yearly sales.^[10] It was at one point the largest farm-store retailer in the United States.^[11][12][13] Management problems developed and in November 2001 they filed for Chapter 11 federal bankruptcy protection. They immediately closed 133 stores. They had 178 stores still operating, most of which were east of the Mississippi River.^[14] This entire enterprise was sold to Tractor Supply Company in 2002.^[15][16]

Philanthropy[]

Hilt was one of the founders of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County through the Hilt Foundation, a philanthropy organization which he formed in 1986.^[17] The main motivation of the Community Foundation is to make Muskegon County, Michigan, a healthy and active place to live. They manage hundreds of funds and grants that have a positive impact on the area at the present time and into the future.^[18] The first gift was the Hilt Building, that was converted to a cultural center, located in the center of the city of Muskegon, Michigan. Other projects supported are the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Muskegon area, Muskegon Farmers Market, Muskegon Covenant Academy, Downtown Redevelopment, the Frauenthal Center, the Muskegon Promise, and Healthy Muskegon.^[19] Hilt also donated 100 pieces of Japanese Sumida Ware to the Muskegon Museum of Art in two parts, first in 1997 and later in 2008.^[4]

Michigan Heritage Park[]

Circa 1900 farm house at Heritage Park

A 300-acre (120 ha) property was bought in the mid-1920s by Hilt's father in the Whitehall area on the White River where it flows into White Lake. The property used to include a family cottage where he grew up. George and his siblings in 1979 made the decision to sell the family’s property to Muskegon County. Later Whitehall Township decided to buy it and obtained financial assistance from The Hilt Foundation. A new plan for the property was envisioned.^[20]

The Muskegon County Museum, in partnership with the Hilt Foundation, decided to develop a historic park. The park itself was to take up ten acres of the property and the remainder of the property would be left as natural space. Hilt made the contributions necessary for the unfolding and initial construction of the Michigan Heritage Park through the foundation. He created two funds at the Foundation that would divide the funds to build, operate, and maintain the Michigan Heritage Park (also known as The Trail at Hilt’s Landing). The Museum oversees any construction and operates the half-mile walking trail and its exhibits maintenance. Hilt’s charity donated over two million dollars for the Michigan Heritage Park. A portion of the donation went to building the historic park that is being done by the Lakeshore Museum Center, and another portion of the funds went for the operation and maintenance of the facility.^[1]

George Hilt mausoleum at Laketon Township Cemetery in Muskegon County, Michigan

Personal life[]

Some of Hilt's hobbies were playing cards, traveling, golfing, and fishing. He also took an interest in Hawaii and its people.^[21] His first wife was Martha Monroe Hilt. When she died he later remarried to Betty Jean Hilt.^[13]

Death[]

Hilt died October 2, 2012, in Juno Beach, Florida, at age of 96.^[13]

References[]

External links[]

• George Edward Hilt at Find a Grave