By MINDY POEHL | Central Texas Edition

Collins Tractor and Equipment, located in Crockett, just moved to a new location that is three times bigger than the last building and has more product lines. The grand opening of the new store will be held Saturday, April 1 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with specials, product seminars  held throughout the day, including lunch.

March 30, 2006 - Collins Tractor and Equipment Inc., has served the town of Crockett, and surrounding cities, with farm equipment for the past three years, but now, the store has moved to a larger, more prominent location and will host its grand opening on Saturday, April 1.

The grand opening will begin at 8 a.m. and last until 1:30 p.m.

“At 10 o’clock we’ll have specials on products and a tractor maintenance clinic,” explained stockholder, Janet Whitmore. “At eleven, we’ll have a chainsaw demonstration and safety session. And at noon, we’ll have a barbecue and give away. We’ll also have a ribbon cutting ceremony.”

Collins Tractor’s main manufacturer is New Holland. They also carry 150-horsepower tractors and Vermeer hay equipment, Whitmore explained.

 “We also carry other farm implement lines like Modern and Land Pride,” Whitmore said.

“We carry Land Trekers, that are little utility vehicles like the Gator, that you can ride around on.”

The new store is three times as big as the old store, and the new store is taking on new product lines, such as Stihl, which is the number one chainsaw and garden tool.

“We’re taking on a good lawn care line, too,” Whitmore said. “We have the Toro lawn mower.”

Tractors and hay equipment have been the company’s best sellers in the past, but “now people come in to buy the chainsaw line and hopefully they will come in to buy the Toro lawnmower,” Whitmore added. “It’s a good competitor and it’s a well known line.”

The main reason a new store was opened is “because we needed a larger facility and we wanted to modernize the store,” explained general manager and part owner, Kevin Sims.

“Collins Tractor and Equipment has been here for three years, but we bought an existing business that had been around for 62 years.”

Jim Whitmore, Janet’s husband and other company stockholder said, “Our new location is on the Loop and the new store has improved visibility.”

For more information on the products sold or for more information on the grand opening of the Collins Tractor and Equipment, call 936-544-3157.