TRI-COUNTY EQUIPMENT ISSUES PRESS RELEASE ON LOSS OF 44 YEAR JOHN DEERE FRANCHISE

Some in the area may have heard Tri-County Equipment in Crossville was losing the John Deere dealership.  There have been several stories circulating about the reason for the loss of John Deere – Clifford Pugh of Tri-County Equipment has issued the following press release with the explanation:

First, I want to express my appreciation to all our customers, new and old. Your
continued loyalty and support mean so much to me and the Tri-County family.
I was the John Deere dealer here in Crossville from February 1977 until March
15 th , 2021. In recent years John Deere has pushed to consolidate their single store
dealers in favor of those that own multiple (corporate) locations and I have been
the last single store owner in Tennessee for the last 4 years. On March 5 th , 2020, a
John Deere Division Manager hand-delivered a termination letter to me stating
that they would close me down as a dealer on September 2 nd , 2020 because of
below expected market share performance, which is set by Deere, for the sale of
“NEW” tractors.
After lengthy negotiations with John Deere and their single, specified potential
buyer, I decided not to sell and let John Deere terminate the dealership. They
then told me that March 15 th , 2021 would be my final day as a John Deere dealer.
On that day they brought in several trucks, loaded their equipment, took the John
Deere sign down and drove away. This was of course a painful moment for the
entire Tri-County family.
Now to the future:
Tri-County Equipment Sales & Service Inc. has no plan to close its doors.
We will continue to serve our loyal customers with the same superior service they
have become accustomed to, as the vast majority of our employees are staying
with us and they have always been our best asset.
We will be taking on Simplicity lawnmowers and Ferris Zero-Turn homeowner
and commercial mowers. We will have the Yanmar compact utility tractors, &
Schulte rotary cutters, with a few other brands in negotiation.
The brands may be different but the service will remain the same. Nothing has
changed in Tri-County Rental nor in Tri-County Parts & Equipment (Federated
Auto & Truck Parts)

So come by and see the same faces you have seen for many years now:
Roger & his staff in Rental.
Chris Smith in Wacker-Neuson (Compact construction equipment) sales
Earl Reagan and his staff in Federated Auto & Truck Parts in Crossville, Monterey
and Huntsville TN locations
Link Cox in Mowers, Compacts, Tractors & Equipment
John Hall, who has been with us for 38 years, and his staff of trained technicians.
Marshall is now the go to for Oxbo/Pixall, plus many other products.
And of course, myself for almost anything.
Thank you for reading and again we deeply appreciate our customers and
community of Crossville that have supported us for so many years as we look
forward to the years to come.
Clifford Pugh
Tri-County Equipment Sales & Service, Inc.
Crossville,