Agricultural implement dealer Young’s Equipment has operated out of its Moose Jaw building for years, but the company has decided to build a bigger structure that better meets its needs.
The company’s current location in Moose Jaw is on the north service road on Highway 1 East leading into the city. Its new building will be on the south side of Highway 1 west of the community.
Sean Young, assistant general manager, explained that the current location has been good for the company for years. However, it has become too small for today’s operations, which include larger farm equipment and a growing volume of business.
“It will be a big step up and it’s something that we’re really excited to have,” he said.
A new structure will be great for staff since many have worked at the current building for years and deserve a new venue, while customers will be better served in a large building, he continued. The company hopes a bigger building will also attract more technicians and employees who can help grow the business.
Young estimated that the new building would be roughly 5,400 to 5,580 square metres (60,000 to 62,000 square feet) in size and be the company’s second-largest structure.
“It’s going to be really good,” he said, noting the new structure will incorporate updated technological features that other company-owned venues possess. “We’re really excited about this building.”
The assistant general manager thought the building’s completion would occur this winter but wasn’t sure because it depended upon the timely delivery of certain components.
A bigger building will allow Young’s Equipment to service bigger machinery and allow the company to fit more equipment inside for technicians to work on, he added. Furthermore, technicians can leave a machine inside if parts are on back order and work on something else until the parts arrive.
State of the ag industry
It has been an interesting year — and a couple of years — in the agriculture industry, especially with supply chain disruptions and acquiring equipment, said Young. The industry was fortunate during the latter half of 2020 and early 2021 to not see much disruption but did see delays during the second half of 2021 and early 2022.
“It messes with timelines. We’re in a slightly more time-sensitive industry than some others,” he continued, pointing out that while waiting three months for a car isn’t disastrous, producers need parts when facing tight deadlines during seeding and harvest.
The agriculture industry has been strong in 2022, while the weather has been more co-operative — especially with precipitation — than in past years, which is welcomed, Young said. While the crop isn’t in the bin yet, he believes harvest will be productive and moisture levels will be adequate for 2023.
“There’s always going to be ebbs and the flows, and there’s going to be the up years and … down years, but … the demand for food and food products is not going away,” he continued, noting while producers will face challenges in the years ahead, he is confident they can work through them.
“It’s a great industry to work in … ,” Young added. “I’m very optimistic that the future is bright for agriculture.”
