Martin Equipment Celebrates 100 Years of Growth as a John Deere Dealer

Jan 08, 2026

Martin Equipment, a fourth-generation, family-owned John Deere Construction & Forestry dealer, is proud to announce a major milestone: 100 years of being a John Deere dealer. This remarkable achievement reflects a century of dedication to customers, employees and the communities Martin Equipment serves across Illinois, Iowa and Missouri.

Since 1926, Martin Equipment has grown alongside John Deere, delivering trusted equipment, technology and support to generations of contractors and businesses. The company name has evolved over time, too, from Sam F. Martin Implement, Martin Implement and Martin Brothers Implement, to finally Martin Equipment when the construction division formed.

But while the company name has changed, the Martin family’s name, lineage, culture and values have remained steadfast. The company attributes its longevity to the relationships it has built with customers, employees and families who have been part of the Martin Equipment story.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.