The Heritage Tractor Story
In the late 1990’s, John Deere Company determined that a new John Deere dealership was needed in the corner of Kansas where Johnson, Franklin and Douglas counties merge. While still catering to the traditional large agricultural market, the close proximity to the metro KC market presented a unique opportunity to serve the growing small property owner and turf equipment market with John Deere’s expanding line of mowers, compact tractors and turf care equipment. Ken Wagner was approached for his advice and leadership for the new Baldwin City location.
Ken and partner, Richard Dummermuth, had many years of experience with the John Deere line. Ken had worked for JD Company for 15 years as a territory manager. The Dummermuth family had owned and operated Dummermuth Implement in Marysville, Kansas for many years. When deciding on the name for the new dealership Ken felt strongly that the history and culture of the area (the historic Santa Fe Trail runs through the property) along with the tradition of the John Deere brand lent itself to name a dealership that would reflect the value of good service, honesty and integrity — Heritage Tractor.
In 1998, the first location opened on the 17-acre property in Baldwin City. Operations began in a small job trailer while the building was constructed. In the first month of operation, Ken and one salesman sold a million dollars’ worth of equipment. Within months, trailers for parts inventory were added to the property and a service department developed in a customer’s barn two miles down the road. The current facility was completed in September 1998.
Today, twenty years later, that heritage continues. We’ve grown from a few trailers on a vacant lot to multiple locations in the midwest, but we still strive to offer good service, honesty and integrity to each of our customers.
Heritage Tractor Mission
Our purpose is to deliver customer solutions that produce mutually sustainable business results and rewarding careers for employees.
Factors Enabling Success
We credit our success to the communities that we are part of as well as our customer’s loyalty and faith in the Heritage brand. We also credit our amazing and hardworking employees who strive every day to further that tradition.
Future Plans
We are not sure exactly what the next 20 years will look like but believe that with the support of great customers and employees that we will grow to more locations across the area. Recently we had the opportunity to add capacity here at our Baldwin location by acquiring a 3 acre area in the Northeast corner of the industrial park.
Whatever the future may bring, we believe that we must always strive to be adaptable with the many customer segments we serve to provide them an excellent product, solution or support.
Heritage by the Numbers
Heritage Tractor has been proudly serving customers for 20 years.
We now have 18 locations in 3 different states.
Heritage Tractor employs more than 400 employees.
Donated thousands of volunteer hours each year to our communities
Our employees took 2,500 hours of continuing education in 2017
Help Midwest farmers feed 151 people each day
Heritage Tractor’s 20th Anniversary Celebration Events
* Tractor Show July 20th from Noon to 7pm
* Heritage Day of Play, July 21st from 8am to Noon.
