Hutson Inc. and Graves County Economic Development joined special guests for a groundbreaking ceremony on September 22. This ceremony celebrated the start of construction for the state of the art 50,000 square-foot Hutson John Deere Dealership in Mayfield.
Hutson made a promise after the tornado destroyed their existing store that the flagship location would be rebuilt bigger, stronger, and better than ever. Hutson purchased an additional eight acres adjacent to the existing property to ensure the promise was made good. This facility will be home to more than 50 employees. The new Hutson will have sales, parts, service, support center, training facility, and their precision ag teams all housed under one roof.
“This new facility will allow us to offer the greatest dealership experience possible to the local heroes that feed the world. We are humbled to have witnessed the power of community and what has been on full display by the incredibly resilient Graves County population, and we can’t imagine calling anywhere else but here home,” said Josh Waggener, CEO of Hutson Inc.
Mayfield and Hutson have always had a strong relationship. The Mayfield location was Hutson’s first of 29 John Deere dealerships and just recently the Graves County Chamber of Commerce awarded them with the 2022 Agri-Business of the Year award.
“It is such an honor to welcome back Hutson as they lead the way in the restoration of industry in the City of Mayfield. We are thankful for their investment in our community as we continue to grow and recover from the devastation of last December, and we look forward to the continued success of this most impressive company,” said Mayfield Mayor Kathy O’Nan.
The City of Mayfield and Graves County continue to press forward from the events of December and look to rebuild everything that was lost. This groundbreaking is one of many that will help revitalize the community and bring Mayfield and Graves back stronger than before.
Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles attended the groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday. “I just want to say that when a business gets wiped out, when a county has to rebuild itself, we all have choices to make. We have choices out what our future, our county and our town may look like, and I’m so proud that Hutson and John Deere made the choice to stay here and build back, and build back bigger,” he said.
“It’s great to see jobs supported in Graves County and the City of Mayfield through the commitment of companies that were destroyed on the night of December 10, 2021. Hutson is a significant part of our agricultural history, and we are excited to see them rebuild,” said Graves County Judge/Executive Jesse Perry.
Jason Lemle, president of Graves County Economic Development, is proud to have Hutson rebuild back on the property that was devastated from the events of December 10, 2021. “Seeing the devastation from the events of that night and where we are today is truly remarkable. Hutson’s commitment to Mayfield and Graves County is an outstanding example of the resiliency and passion businesses and people have for the community. I congratulate Hutson and their team on their rebuilding and look forward to seeing the walls raised on their new facility,” he said.
The Graves County High School FFA presented Waggener with a banner thanking the company for its $25,000 donation at the recent Farm to Table dinner hosted by the Chamber of Commerce.
The new store plans to be operational late 2023.