An Idaho-based equipment dealership recently celebrated the grand opening of a new location in Jerome with a community barbecue, flag raising and car smash.
Farm Equipment USA recently moved into a new 6,400-square-foot office and shop building in Jerome along I-84. They invited customers and local farmers to a Friday afternoon barbecue to check out their now second location in the state. The company has been in business for 16 years and has two locations – one in Fruitland, Idaho, and the newest one in Jerome.
President of the company, Ben Nelson, said Jerome was calling to them from their current homebase in western Idaho.
"We wanted to be in Jerome," Nelson says. "There's something here. We want to support the farmers in this area."
Local farmers went to bat for the company with the county to rezone the property where the new business is located from agricultural use to commercial use. What once was the corner pivot area of a field is now interstate frontage property for Nelson's Magic Valley team. The business will service clients as far east as Ashton, Idaho, and as far south as Nevada. The company is an authorized dealership for Deutz Fahr, Krone, Versatile, Yanmar and Rhino Ag equipment.
The centerpiece of the new dealership's lot is a 120-foot-tall, lighted flagpole. It's the second-tallest flagpole in town, flying the second-largest American flag – a 30-by-40-foot flag. (The largest flag in the county is at Crossroads Point at the interchange of I-84 and Highway 93.) Installing the flag was a priority for Nelson, who says the American flag is a symbol of his company's culture.
"When others are burning flags, we say no way," Nelson says. "This country is great. We wanted to build the biggest flag we could and represent our country."
Several of the company's employees are military veterans.
"Often, as companies get bigger, they take relationships out of the business, and people no longer matter," Nelson says. "We want to strengthen relationships and build new ones in the Magic Valley. I'm the owner of this local business, and I want customers to feel they can call me up at any time."
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