Flagstaff Featured Business: Battle River Implements
(as published in the August 5 edition of The Community Press)
The Flagstaff Region Featured Business is a monthly newspaper and web feature presented in partnership by Flagstaff County and The Community Press.
Battle River Implements Ltd.
1-877-913-3373
5907 51 Ave., Killam
Ask Aaron Lassu what sets Battle River Implements apart from the competition, and he doesn’t hesitate to respond.
“Our staff. Easy answer,” says the corporate service manager during an interview at Battle River Implements’ Killam location.
“Anybody can build a shop. Anybody can sell a combine. Do you have the team that can sell it, support it, fix it, optimize it, teach the grower how to get the most out of their investment to better their own farm? …Easily, we can put our team up against any other dealership in Western Canada, and pretty confidently say we’d come out on top.”
Indeed, Battle River Implements is staffed with well-trained experts that strive for customer satisfaction. And for that, Lassu is extremely grateful.
“We’re pretty lucky to come to work with an amazing group of people everyday, that are all local people,” he adds.
“They’re all from our towns. So we get to see them at the hockey rinks on the weekends, and we get to come to work with them Monday morning. That’s a pretty positive experience every week.”
Along with a crack staff that, according to the company vision, is dedicated to becoming “the leading agriculture service provider in our marketplace,” Battle River Implements also boasts a rich history in the area dating as far back as 1928.
Proof of that comes from a timeworn photograph depicting one of the earliest recorded shipments of John Deere equipment into the Killam area. The photo is dated 1928.
“So there’s been a John Deere presence in this area for darn near a hundred years,” notes General Manager Terry Hamilton.
The most recent incarnation of Battle River Implements began in Killam in 1998. In 2007, the ownership opened a second location in Camrose. Two years later, they opened two more locations in Provost and Wainwright.
The four locations employ approximately 90 people year-round.
“We are 100 per cent locally owned,” Hamilton adds. “There’s four partners in our business. We all work daily in the business and live locally as well.
Over the years, the company – and its product selection – have expanded right along with the size of the latest technologically advanced machinery.
“Agriculture has changed,” Hamilton says. “There was a need for a different building, different facilities, just due to the fact that the size of the equipment had increased so dramatically. Our previous service shop was no longer adequate, so we built out here.”
Lassu adds: “Another way that we’ve grown is we’ve had to change what we offer to our customers. We try to be a solution for them, not a one-stop shop for just equipment. So we’ve had to change our business and how we’ve had to staff our business and train our staff, to offer customers a complete package. And that’s our goal.”
Battle River Implements offers the newest models, including John Deere, Gehl, Degelman, Salford, Meridian Manufacturing Inc., Macdon, Farm King, Haybuster, Leon, Manitou Group, and Brandt.
Each location is complete with service, parts and sales departments. They will help you maintain your tractor, utility vehicle, lawn mower, snow removal equipment, harvester, mower, sprayer, grain harvesting equipment and container mower so that it runs for years.
Their parts department also offers the largest selection of high-quality parts and accessories in the area. Fill out a parts request form to see if they have the part in stock. If they don’t, they’d be more than happy to order the item for you!
Battle River Implements has a regular presence in the newspaper, is active on social media and has a website that’s both relevant and up to date. But Hamilton says their truest source of advertising is often word of mouth.
“Hopefully, if our customer is pleased with the services, with the results of the investment he’s made through our organization, hopefully he tells others,” Hamilton says.
“Similarly, if he’s not happy, we hope he tells us. We can’t fix what we don’t know is wrong. So if we’re not hitting the mark on various initiatives or areas of our business, we’re really hoping that our grower is forthright and honest about that and tells us.”
For more information, visit www.briltd.com, or follow them on all social media.
As published in the August 5 edition of The Community Press – on newsstands today or purchase a digital copy below. Never miss an issue, become a SUBSCRIBER today!
The Flagstaff Region Featured Business is a monthly newspaper and web feature presented in partnership by Flagstaff County and The Community Press. For more information, contact Jenalee Waring, Economic Development Coordinator, at 780-384-4152.
