It has been a year since Pattison Agriculture has opened its new location in Yorkton. The new facility celebrated its official grand opening the day before its anniversary.
Arthur Ward, President of Pattison Agriculture, says that the new facility was something they needed in Yorkton, as they were bursting at the seams at the former location on the opposite end of town.
“Based on the size of equipment and demands of producers today, we were just not able to properly service our customers and represent John Deere out of the facilities that we had.”
That lead to the new, much larger facility on York Road. The design was intended to provide better customer service, with more room for parts and service as well as a safer environment for employees.
The new facility also represents Pattison’s commitment to the region, Ward says.
“When you build a facility like this, at the cost of construction today, it isn’t a short term play. We’re not going anywhere, there will always be a John Deere dealer here in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. I can’t imagine a time in the future when it isn’t Pattison Agriculture. So when you build a facility like this you have to try to look forward and build it not just for today but for tomorrow as well. So that’s why when you see certain things, people may wonder why you did things a certain way, but it’s our best guess of what we’re going to need in the future.”
One unexpected feature is a teaching theatre, something that Pattison is putting in their new dealerships. Ward explains that they’re working to meet producer needs.
“Machinery is getting more and more complicated to operate, and experienced operators are getting harder and harder to find. So as a dealer, we want to help our producers by offering training services to them.”
They also will offer the dealership to community groups if they need a place to meet, Ward says, and encourages people to contact the dealership.
Jenny Ose, Manager Ag and Turf for the Canadian Sales Region for John Deere, notes that they feel that this is a commitment to both sides of the business, John Deere and the product they’re selling, and the customers who they are serving in the region.
Ose sees a challenging time for agriculture, especially as commodity prices aren’t increasing at the same rate as input costs.
“Commodity prices have been challenging in the past few years, export markets have been challenging and the other thing that has been challenging has been input prices, you think about fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and anhydrous... All of those input costs are very expensive and are continuing to grow year over year for our farmers. So when commodity prices aren’t at historically high levels, they put a strain on producers and their overall profitability year over year.”
The investment in the region by Pattison is something that she sees as looking towards the future of agriculture in the area.
“To make investments in agriculture, it’s showing a very strong commitment to the future of ag, feeding 8-9, eventually 10 billion people.”
Ose says they’re happy to see the investment Pattison is making in the area and they look forward to their continued relationship with the company.
“Saskatchewan is an incredible market for John Deere... It’s one of the key provinces in Canada.”
While the dealership represents the future, it’s coming on a celebration of the past for John Deere itself: 100 years of tractor production.
The final detail at the grand opening had little to do with tractors and farm equipment, but instead with a young man with cancer and his family. The dealership raised money for Zackary Pelly, who is suffering from acute leukemia, with the dealership matching donations up to $5,000 for the family. All Pattison Agriculture dealers have picked a charity to raise money for, and Ward wants to see them contribute the maximum amount.
“We wish him the best and we know it’s not easy for a young family.”
