Staff photo by Mindy Kepfield
Farm equipment looks like modern sculptures lined up at PrairieLand Partners in Marion.
Dealer steady amid uncertainty
Staff writer
Sales at a John Deere dealership in Marion have stayed steady despite a climate of uncertainty that has continued to haunt agriculture.
PrairieLand Partners kept the doors open for its customers despite nationwide shutdowns forced by a pandemic.
“We kind of got through it just like everyone else did, manager Brad Wheeler said.
Demand for equipment largely depended on farmers’ needs throughout the year.
Higher prices have caused some to be more optimistic about the new year, but Wheeler, who has run the Marion store for two years now, said he hasn’t seen this in his customers.
“I think people are just doing what they can do, and getting on with it,” he said.
PrairieLand Partners was formed in 2008 when three John Deere dealerships serving nine locations merged, including Marion’s Deere Trail Implement.
The firm purchased O’Malley Equipment Company in 2019.