Gilmore Farm Supply

Gilmore Farm Supply... Past and Present
In 1966 Ivan, Ray and Fay Gilmore left the family farm in Moorefield and moved to Harriston to start a new farm equipment dealership, Gilmore Farm Supply. Fay married in 1967 and moved to Monkton as Mrs. Harvey Machan. Ray married Sandy in 1968 and gained a much needed office manager.

Massey Ferguson was our main line, which proved to be very popular, and fortunately the business succeeded after a trying startup. From the beginning, short lines with tillage, haying etc. proved to be a large part of our business as it is now.

We opened in the old Massey Harris, then Massey Ferguson facilities in the Harriston Legion, with ten foot doors, and an eight foot ceiling, we were very restricted in what went inside, so a lot of work was done outdoors.

In 1970 we bought a farm a couple of miles south of Harriston on Highway 9. As the machinery got bigger, we had to get out of town. We were planning a building in 1973 when Ivan passed away, and we decided to proceed with our plans. We are still around 39 years later in the same location, minus Massey Ferguson. Bobcat now occupies that part of our venture. We still however, get Massey parts daily, and service Massey Ferguson and other makes of tractors and equipment.

We were proud to move into our new premises in 1974. What a change! We added a second building the same size in 1980, as our business was growing with the addition of the Versatile tractors and Wil-Rich tillage lines.

But as always in the farm pricing cycles, the four dollar corn of the early 1970s dropped in half (sound familiar?), and beef and hogs went the same way. Old companies such as Versatile, New Holland, Allis, and International were going broke and that started the trend to what is now know as rationalization and it still continues today. We have been fortunate enough to have lines such as Sunflower, Wil-Rich, Great Plains, H&S, and some smaller lines that have remained largely intact. These companies survived and continue to flourish because they can act and react quickly to changing market conditions and trends.

In the early 1990s Ray developed some serious health problems and his son Scott, fresh out of University, came home to manage Gilmore Farm Supply, as the third generation. Scott and Sandy operated Gilmore Farm Supply and Ray tried to farm a bit after his recovery from surgery. In 2000, Scott acquired the Bobcat line of loaders and mini excavators. This is now a mainstay of our business.

In 2001, our friends Jim and Dianne Snyder approached Scott and asked if we would be interested in taking some shares in Bruce Tractor and Lawn Care in Walkerton. The decision was made to accept, and Scott took over the position as General Manager at Bruce Tractor.

In 2003 we picked up the Ventrac line of compact tractors and accessories. This goes well with our Bobcat line as it is our consumer/commercial part of Gilmore Farm Supply.

Gilmore Farm Supply... Past and Present In 1966 Ivan, Ray and Fay Gilmore left the family farm in Moorefield and moved to Harriston to start a new farm equipment dealership, Gilmore Farm Supply. Fay married in 1967 and moved to Monkton as Mrs. Harvey Machan. Ray married Sandy in 1968 and gained a much needed office manager. Massey Ferguson was our main line, which proved to be very popular, and fortunately the business succeeded after a trying startup. From the beginning, short lines with tillage, haying etc. proved to be a large part of our business as it is now. We opened in the old Massey Harris, then Massey Ferguson facilities in the Harriston Legion, with ten foot doors, and an eight foot ceiling, we were very restricted in what went inside, so a lot of work was done outdoors. In 1970 we bought a farm a couple of miles south of Harriston on Highway 9. As the machinery got bigger, we had to get out of town. We were planning a building in 1973 when Ivan passed away, and we decided to proceed with our plans. We are still around 39 years later in the same location, minus Massey Ferguson. Bobcat now occupies that part of our venture. We still however, get Massey parts daily, and service Massey Ferguson and other makes of tractors and equipment. We were proud to move into our new premises in 1974. What a change! We added a second building the same size in 1980, as our business was growing with the addition of the Versatile tractors and Wil-Rich tillage lines. But as always in the farm pricing cycles, the four dollar corn of the early 1970s dropped in half (sound familiar?), and beef and hogs went the same way. Old companies such as Versatile, New Holland, Allis, and International were going broke and that started the trend to what is now know as rationalization and it still continues today. We have been fortunate enough to have lines such as Sunflower, Wil-Rich, Great Plains, H&S, and some smaller lines that have remained largely intact. These companies survived and continue to flourish because they can act and react quickly to changing market conditions and trends. In the early 1990s Ray developed some serious health problems and his son Scott, fresh out of University, came home to manage Gilmore Farm Supply, as the third generation. Scott and Sandy operated Gilmore Farm Supply and Ray tried to farm a bit after his recovery from surgery. In 2000, Scott acquired the Bobcat line of loaders and mini excavators. This is now a mainstay of our business. In 2001, our friends Jim and Dianne Snyder approached Scott and asked if we would be interested in taking some shares in Bruce Tractor and Lawn Care in Walkerton. The decision was made to accept, and Scott took over the position as General Manager at Bruce Tractor. In 2003 we picked up the Ventrac line of compact tractors and accessories. This goes well with our Bobcat line as it is our consumer/commercial part of Gilmore Farm Supply.	Gilmore Farm Supply
Bobcat of Owen Sound Now in 2005, again we are making changes. We have set up a location for Bobcat and Ventrac at Springmount near Owen Sound as "Bobcat of Owen Sound". We are located with Springmount RV Centre. Jim Priebe is the General Manager and in charge of Sales, with Dan Locking on parts and service. Also we formed "Bobcat of Harriston" to handle the consumer/commercial division with Bobcat and Ventrac and let us focus on these markets and hopefully service our customer better. Lastly, we have "Gilmore Farm Supply" as our agricultural division to focus on our specialized AG lines and parts distribution. We have the finest tillage, planting and spraying equipment available on the market. We have a staff of 12 to serve you. This brings our changes up to date and as in business and life, change is inevitable. The Gilmore family, Ray, Sandy, Scott, Tracey, and Angie.	Bobcat of Owen Sound