By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Plans are moving forward for Bucklin Tractor and Implement Co. Inc. (BTI) to construct a new 35,000 square-foot building south of Great Bend to house sales, parts and a repair facility for its line of agricultural machinery.
The Great Bend City Council approved the rezoning of land at the intersection of South U.S. 281 Highway and Southeast 30 Road from agriculture to light manufacturing/service.
Great Bend City Attorney Bob Suelter says BTI is ready to move quickly on the construction of the new building.
"They're probably going to start dirt work as early as November," said Suelter. "They want to get started on it and that's one of the reasons they are taking care of this right now."
Ellinwood Land and Cattle applied to have the real estate located in the three-mile limit of Great Bend rezoned so they could sell the property to BTI.
BTI’s current Great Bend location, further south on U.S. 281 Highway, currently has 35 employees and the new structure will add 10 new employees.
BTI sells John Deere implements and other lines of agricultural machinery. The company started in Bucklin in 1944 and has expanded to six locations. The new building will be similar in size to BTI’s location in Pratt.
BTI plans on actual construction to commence next spring.