Founder of Agri-Service, Farm Equipment Dealer Hall of Famer, Dies

Cleve Buttars, founder of Agri-Service died April 13, 2025. Buttars was part of Farm Equipment’s Dealer Hall of Fame inaugural class.

“Buttars was a pillar of his community. We are honored to be a part of his legacy, and we hope to continue to honor his vision for Agri-Service for many years to come,” Agri-Service wrote on its Facebook page. 

At age 12, Buttars began working at his family’s business, Buttars Tractor, starting in the parts department and later moving into sales and management. 

In the fall of 1989, at the age of 35, Buttars decided to strike out on his own and leave the family business. He was encouraged by Paul Rudge, district manager of Hesston at the time, to look at a failing dealership in Twin Falls, Idaho, some 200 miles away from Buttars’ Tractor.

Rudge arranged an interview with Fiat Corp., which owned Hesston at the time. With some help from Fiat with start-up costs, Buttars hired another salesman and a parts person, eventually adding a service tech and a bookkeeper. He also invested $5,000 in “an old truck and some tools.”

In January 1990, Agri-Service was born as a Hesston dealership. Fourteen months later AGCO acquired Hesston, which at the time was in a 50/50 participation arrangement with Case IH. So, Buttars was not only stepping into the arena with established John Deere dealers, but he would also be selling the same Hesston big bale equipment as Case IH. The only difference was the Case IH balers were painted red.