The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Local business looks to move to new location
Tractor dealer Jim Marl plans to put down roots in Milan at new building
By Brian Cox, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: April 17, 2008
On the wall behind Jim Marl's cluttered desk at J&R Tractor in Milan is a black-and-white photograph of his grandfather seated on a tractor and tipping his hat.
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Marl's grandfather, William F. Sells, opened a tractor dealership in Taylor back in the 1950s, and Marl is now carrying on the family tradition.
"I grew up in that dealership," said Marl, who joined the family business in Taylor after graduating from Western Michigan University. Marl eventually headed off to spend some 20 years dealing in heavy construction equipment, but he got back into the tractor business a little over three years ago when he and his partner, Mark Faske, opened J&R Tractor LLC in Monroe.
A year later, Marl was encouraged to expand into Milan to find market share in Washtenaw County. Two years ago this Memorial Day, he opened a J&R Tractor location on Dexter Street in a building that is a former car dealership.
"We rented because we wanted to test the market," Marl said.
The test results came back mixed.
The business experienced an increase in market share, but a dip in sales volume because of the downturn in the economy. Still, Marl saw enough good signs to want to try to establish business roots in the area.
"All of us business people have an optimistic outlook about the area," he said. "This bad economy isn't going to last forever."
With that in mind, Marl purchased a building on Plank Road that used to be a bowling alley, believing the US-23 corridor will be an area of growth after the economy picks back up. After some remodeling, he plans to relocate his business there in June.
To help offset lagging equipment sales, Marl has diversified his product line to include hay and straw, a U-Haul rental service, chainsaws, blowers and generators, and is considering getting into the construction equipment and landscaping market.
"I think the more diverse your product line the more secure the business," Marl said.
Marl is confident that the economy will show signs of recovery soon and he is confident more people will begin buying tractors again.
"It's a lot of fun to own a tractor," he said. "It's something you never grow out of."
Marl should know.
Staff Writer Brian Cox can be reached at 429-7380 or bcox@heritage.com.
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