Massey Ferguson red dominates the color scheme of the newly remodeled Central Sales Inc. operation south of Jamestown. It is a color scheme that has been years in the making.

“We started in 1974 with Alice Chalmers so we had orange,” Fran Romsdal, co-owner of Central Sales, said. “In the early 1980s, Deutz bought them out and we had green tractors. About 1990 Agco bought them out along with some other lines so now we have Massey Ferguson red.”

Romsdal said the original Central Sales operation started in a building that was 50 by 100 feet. Over the years three additions were made to the building but none of the remodeling efforts compare to what has been done this year.

“We had decided several years ago to remodel,” Romsdal said. “Then Agco came along with the identification program. The silo entry way is a big identification item.”

The program arranged for the renovation of Central Sales to Agco’s specifications and paid for a part of the remodeling.

The entryway resembles a round steel grain bin. It leads to a newly remodeled showroom, office space and parts department.

“We have parts kiosks now,” Romsdal said. “The customer and the parts person are on the same side of the counter looking at the computer screen together.”

Those innovations are meant to improve customer service.

“Repeat business is what we survive on,” he said. “There are no new farmers to win as customers. The half-million dollar upgrade hopefully has made us more efficient.”

Central Sales handles a complete line of farm equipment, Romsdal said. Massey Ferguson is its principal tractor line with most of its units having less than 100 horsepower. They also handle Versatile tractors, Farmhand loaders, Gleaner combines, Hesston hay equipment, White planters, Sunflower tillage equipment and New Idea manure spreaders, among other lines.

“We’ve been a Bobcat dealer for 25 years,” he said. “They are one of our most constant sellers. For a community our size we sell more Bobcats than most.”

Romsdal said the new look to the building is part of the changing agricultural equipment industry.

“Now everything’s bigger,” he said. “The equipment is bigger and the dollars are bigger and now there are all the high-tech items farmers use.”

The new look will be showcased in a grand re-opening scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday [August 14th}. A a number of executives from Agco are scheduled to attend the ribbon cutting at 3 p.m.