PrairieLand Partners of Iola invited some friends over to dinner Wednesday evening. The occasion? An open house celebrating its new $14 million facility at 1690 Oregon Rd.
From the north, the 75,684 square foot facility is quite the statement as one approaches Iola on U.S. 169. And on the inside, it’s all the more impressive.
A sparkling showroom complete with offices and a conference room welcomes guests. It’s very nice. But the really impressive part — and the reason the store was built in the first place — is beyond the double doors.
You’d step into a gigantic shop space measuring over 36,000 square feet. Five-ton electric bridge cranes allow technicians to complete repairs safer and faster. A 40’ x 20’ hydraulic door wasn’t enough, so they added two 28’ x 20’ doors just in case. And it’s all climate-controlled by two 55-ton air rotation units.
With a much larger shop than their prior location on N. State Street, PrairieLand intends to increase their number of employees. Iola store manager Dale Lalman said they plan to expand from 14 full-time technicians to 20.
But there’s more to see. A whole second floor more. A 19,200 square foot equipment shed waits outside, too, with enough space to hold 30 combines under one roof.
Guests soaked it all in Wednesday, as PrairieLand fed them a dinner of pulled pork.
“We’re in the people business,” said Lalman. “And I can’t say enough good things about our team in Iola.” Lalman’s pride was only surpassed by his gratitude. In a touching moment, he thanked his wife, Cindy, and son, Dawson, for sticking with him throughout the store’s construction.
CEO Jeremy Ostrander was on hand as well. “This is a long-term investment in the people of Iola,” Ostrander said. “We think in 50-year investment cycles, so we’re excited to be able to serve our customers here for a very long time.”
THE ROAD to Wednesday’s celebration was a long one, and it required collaboration. In July 2023, Iola and Allen County officials cleared the way for the city to annex more than 105 acres of property owned by Sally Huskey.
Iola Council members voted in August 2023 to provide the equipment and labor necessary for expanding water to the site, as well as obtaining water service rights. PrairieLand Partners agreed to pay for all project materials. A month later, Iola’s council also agreed to split the cost with PrairieLand to extend a new sewer line to the facility.
PrairieLand broke ground on the project in December 2023.
Lalman recognized those contributions Wednesday, thanking Thrive Allen County and the City of Iola for helping make the new store possible. Both he and Ostrander praised Huskey as well, noting that “without Sally, none of this could have happened.”
Huskey was a bit more serene. She simply smiled and told those gathered, “I just appreciate knowing that my husband is looking down at us right now and saying, ‘You finally did something with that land!’”
Something, indeed.
