Merger will create a larger John Deere network

Jay Dee Equipment has announced plans to merge operations with Green Acres Equipment Ltd., Greenstar Ag and Turf Ltd. and Humboldt Farm Equipment Ltd. The merger, effective Feb. 1, will create one of the largest privately held John Deere dealer organization networks in Canada.

Jay Dee Equipment consists of five John Deere dealerships with locations in Swift Current, Kindersley, Maple Creek, Kyle and Leader. Green Acres Equipment Ltd., Greenstar Ag and Turf Ltd., and Humboldt Farm Equipment Ltd. have four John Deere dealerships with locations in Unity, North Battleford, Humboldt, and Kelvington. The combined operation will have approximately 170 employees.

Duane Smith, General Manager and Partner of Jay Dee Equipment, noted there is currently a merger trend in John Deere Dealer Group which is similar to consolidations by other implement companies.

"It does position us well for the future," Smith said. "Given the number of consolidations that are happening, there's no such thing as kind of standing still. You're either driving the growth yourself and being a player, or most likely you're going to have to be selling out down the road. So we had made the decision that we wanted to be a player and to develop a strong organization for the future that can meet the needs of shareholders and customers and staff, and we think we've done it with this merger."

"Our dealership footprint is a big area north and south. So when you look at weather patterns, our risk of a drought in the south or too much rain in the north, reduces the risk in our business because we can weather it easy."

"This merger of operations will ensure that our organizations will remain strong,
viable and positioned for continued long term sustainable growth in the future," Smith said. "This merger will provide greater opportunities and security for our staff and
will ensure the customer experience we offer is the best in the industry."

"Our customers can expect improved access to a larger parts supply, a more diverse inventory of new and used equipment and broader staff expertise," added Boyd Hofmann,
General Manager and Partner of Green Acres Equipment, Green Star Ag & Turf and
Humboldt Farm Equipment. "This merger will ensure we can continue to
meet our customer requirements and provide the best solutions to their operations."

The management team will be implementing a consolidation plan that integrates
the nine locations. The business practices of the existing operations are similar, which will allow for a seamless transition for both staff and customers. Each dealership's best practices will be evaluated and incorporated into the new organization to form
an even stronger customer-focused dealership to meet the needs of today and in the future.

"The consolidation plan will result in an efficient operation that will have a customer focus,"
added Smith. "The intent is to prioritize all operations; equipment sales, service
commitments and our parts inventory in a manner that ultimately reduces our
customer's down time."

Hofmann also announced that the new organization is planning a "Name
the Dealership" contest. "This contest will allow both our staff and customers
some input into this important decision. Names do not have to be farming,
equipment, or John Deere related, and they can be of a generic nature as well."
Details of the naming contest are available from any of the companies' existing locations.