John Deere retailer coming to Thomas County

ALBANY — The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) announced Monday that a major John Deere retailer will soon be locating its corporate headquarters and creating over 50 new jobs in Thomas County.

According to a press release issued by GDEcD, Ag-Pro companies, a retailer of John Deere tractors with farm machinery repair capabilities will soon be making an economic investment in excess of $7 million dollars when it constructs a new headquarters in Thomas County.

Employing over 700 people in its 35 locations scattered across Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and Texas, Ag-Pro has more than $650 million in annual sales making it not only one of the largest John Deere dealerships in the world, but yet another industry leader choosing to make Georgia the hub of its company.

“Ag-Pro is joining an elite group of companies who have chosen to establish their headquarter operations in Georgia,” said GDEcD Commissioner Chris Carr in the release. “With our pro-business climate and access to a highly killed, quality-trained workforce, I expect to see their business thrive as a result of this decision.”

Ag-Pro leadership also has high hopes for the move, citing its long connection to the area.

“Ag-Pro is excited to locate our corporate headquarters in Thomas County where our roots trace back to 1958,” said James Groover, CEO of Ag-Pro. “The centralization of our key business functions will position Ag-Pro well for future growth while providing many new jobs to the local community.”

Local officials also lauded the announcement saying that such a large investment and the creation of jobs in the area, was welcome news for the south Georgia community.

“Ag Pro has a long standing presence in Boston and Thomas County,” said Executive Director of the Thomasville Payroll Development Authority Shelley Zorn. “We are grateful they are continuing to grow their presence with this state of the art headquarters facility. We appreciate the commitment and investment Ag Pro has made in high quality jobs for our community.”