“Massive” is an appropriate word to describe the new PrairieLand Partners’ facility at the northwest corner of U.S. 169 and Oregon Road. As construction continues on the 25-acre site, the vision of the new store is coming to fruition.
PrairieLand Partners plans to spend an estimated $14 million on the new store, which serves as a John Deere farm implement dealership. The new facility will be 64,000 square feet.
The main level, at the front of the building, will include the showroom floor, offices and a meeting room. An ample amount of space on the ground floor and in the upstairs mezzanine will be dedicated to parts storage. A large elevator, located in the front of the store, serves to transport both people and equipment parts.
The rear of the building will boast an impressive shop area. Giving an idea as to its enormity, PrairieLand store manager Dale Lalman notes the shop can accommodate nine combines at once. “We can assemble equipment here, work on big sprayers, planters, and headers,” said Lalman about the multipurpose use of the shop.
Located next to the shop is a drive-thru wash bay for machinery. Lalman explained that with the size and scale of dealerships today, it’s almost inevitable that something bad can happen.
“Any time you have employees reversing and backing machinery up, usually nothing good happens over time,” he said. “With the drive-thru wash bay, we can pull the equipment through here and right on out. We don’t have to worry about having flaggers behind it to make sure we’re not backing into something.”
The wash bay can easily hold two combines and a tractor, again, all at once, noted Lalman.
Another highlight is the storage facility located directly behind the store.
“In the winter time, customers don’t like to have their $700,000 combines sitting outside,” as they wait for repairs or tune-ups, Lalman said. “We’ve got to keep our shop busy, so it’s nice to be able to have six or seven combines in the storage facility ready to come into the shop and not worry about having to schedule around the weather.”
The construction crew is currently finishing up the siding of the main building and will be installing the roof in the coming days. The completion date is on schedule for December, according to Lalman. He hopes to have the business open and operational by March 2025.
