Yellowstone County Implement is one store of four dealerships in Montana owned by C & B Operations.  The partnership of Dan Cronin and Rod Burwell began in 1988 with a single store located in Gettysburg, South Dakota. It has since expanded to into twenty-four stores located throughout Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, North Dakota, and Minnesota.

Eric Esp, manager of Yellowstone County Implement has been attending the MATE Show for at least three decades. He says his store along with other regional dealerships, C&B Operations and John Deere are happy to donate the grand prize for the MATE Show each year because they value the show. "The MATE is run by the NILE, which is made up of our local ag producers. These are our main customers."

John Deere, founded in 1837, is one of the oldest companies in the United States.  While technology has changed radically since its inception, the company still sticks to its high standard of quality, refusing to put its name on "anything that is not the best of us." "We are doing things today we wouldn't have dreamed of twenty years ago," Eric said. "Producers are growing way better products today. We have to change and get more out of our inputs in order to feed the world."

Even with all the changes in equipment over the past 179 years, one thing C & B Operations stores continue to value above all else is customer service. According to Eric, "It is our only focus."   With their commitment to exceed customer expectations by providing the highest quality products, service and after-market support, it is no wonder that Yellowstone Valley Implement and its partner stores continue to make a noticeable impact in the communities they serve.

Eric will have a variety of equipment at Yellowstone Valley Implement booth 47 inside the Expo Center to suit the yard-keepers, recreationists, and ag producers.  To learn more about C & B Operations and Yellowstone Valley Implement, visit www.deerequipment.com. For more on the MATE Show, go to www.themateshow.com.