Potter sells John Deere

implement dealership

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM--This is Don Potter's last weekend as a John Deere implement dealer as he has sold his New Ulm dealership to Mankato Implement, Inc., who takes control of the business Monday.

But it's not his last time at his desk back behind the parts department at Potter's, Inc. on South Broadway.

"The firm name is being changed to Potter's Equipment, and the new owners want me to stay on for at least another year," the 82-year-old Potter explained. "I don't know about that, but I will stay long enough to help them out."

Potter is happiest about the new owner's pledge to retain all eight of his employees. Meanwhile, Potter retains ownership of the firm's buildings and land.

Potter, who has spent 50 years in the implement business including a 40-year stint as the John Deere dealer in New Ulm, now joins the ranks of farm implement dealers who are leaving the business. Earlier this year, he expressed concerns about that trend.

"The main thing is we've lost a tremendous amount of dealers. There's a lot less dealers than there was going back 50 years."

However, Potter said his leaving the dealer ranks now was mainly a matter of estate planning as his children are not involved in the business. Still, he understands his decision affects his customers, too.

"It assures New Ulm to keep John Deere by having Mankato Implement buying it; that's one of the agreements. A lot of people were concerned that all of a sudden I'd be gone, and there wouldn't be no John Deere," Potter said.

"We've got a good bunch of followers, but our business is changing a lot. I was just talking with someone in the twine business, and he was saying how in Iowa, where there used to be a lot of dealers, now one dealer has maybe four or five stores."

While Potter hasn't developed a list of things he will be doing when he ends his connection with Potter's Equipment, he's certain that he won't be spending a lot of time looking back.

"I've seen a lot of changes, some good and some not so good, but I guess it's the time that change happens."