Dealer adding 6,750 feet

By ADAM STEWART

News editor

People driving past PrairieLand Partners in Marion have seen construction in progress for several weeks.

The John Deere dealership is adding a 6,750-square-foot shop to its facility so it can move setup of large equipment indoors. Store manager Chad Gormley said that work has had to be done outdoors. The construction wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision.

“We’ve talked about it for two or three years, probably,” Gormley said. “It got approved last fall by the board.”

Mark Smith said assembling large equipment outdoors has posed difficulties. It has required using a forklift to get parts into position. With the new shop, he will be able to use an overhead hoist for that work.

He has also had to work in the elements to piece together air seeders and tillage equipment. With late snows this spring, he was assembling planters in the snow.

The shop will be 75 feet by 90 feet with sidewalls 28 feet high. There will be a door 50 feet wide on the east side to move large equipment in and out. The new shop may see secondary use for repairs on similarly large equipment.

Rick Hauschel said construction will be done in August if everything goes according to schedule, but the weather plays a big role in that.

Builders have had to delay putting tin on the sides because of strong winds, he said.

The work is being done by Catlin Creek Builders of Aulne.

Smith is eager for it to be up and ready.

“I won’t be baking in the sun or freezing in the cold,” he said.