Dealer News Update

J D Equipment, Inc. has begun construction on a two and a half acre site in New Albany, OH, in order to accommodate the need for additional space as the company continues to grow. The site will become the new home for their current store located at 4075 Westerville Rd., near Easton Town Center. The new store will be a 17,000 square foot facility that will house a state of the art retail store, service shop, parts department and a new corporate training center.

“The new facility will allow more space for our current customers and allow us to more effectively serve new customers. The location, in combination with the lot size, were key factors in the decision to move. We will be able to improve customer service and increase our selection of inventory,” said company CEO Jeff Mitchell.

The new J D Equipment building will handle sales, service and parts for John Deere equipment, along with many other lines including Scag, Hustler Turf, Honda, Stihl, Generac, and many others.

Rocky Mountain Dealerships Inc. said it has completed its previously announced agreement to purchase 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of MJ Solomon Ltd., operating as Murray’s Farm Supplies. For the most recent fiscal year, Murray’s had revenues of approximately $15 million. Murray’s operates two stores located in Shoal Lake and Russell, Manitoba, and is a dealer of various agriculture short-lines including Bourgault, MacDon and Kubota. This latest acquisition brings the number of dealerships in the Rocky network, which are primarily Case IH outlets, to 39.

Rocky’s CEO Matt Campbell said, “Rocky views Murray’s as a strategic acquisition. Murray’s shortline brand profiles complement our current Case IH stores in the region and provide our customers with the broad range of products and knowledge that they expect from a dependable partner. We look forward to serving new and existing customers in this important agricultural region.”

Butler Ag Equipment, a division of Butler Machinery of Fargo, ND, announced it will buy Johnson Farm Equipment Co. and merge the firm’s North Bend and Fremont locations with its own Fremont store. Butler Ag Equipment said the acquisition will be finalized by June 1.

The acquisition includes a transition of all Johnson Farm Equipment operations from North Bend and Fremont to the new Butler Ag Equipment facility currently under construction there.