Reynolds: John Deere dealer will stay in Fishers

When Reynolds Farm Equipment moved its corporate headquarters last year to a sprawling facility it built along U.S. 31 north of Westfield, observers pondered the fate of its high-profile location in Fishers.

Second-generation company President Gary Reynolds told IBJ this month he has no plans to leave Fishers, but left open the possibility of selling some land there.

The John Deere dealer is still using its 12,000-square-foot store at 12501 Reynolds Drive for residential sales and equipment rentals, among other purposes, Reynolds said.

“It is a very viable business entity for us,” he said. “We have no intention of leaving town.”

But the family-owned firm doesn’t necessarily need the 7 acres or so it owns along State Road 37 south of 126th Street. With larger farm equipment now housed at Reynolds’ 63,000-square-foot facility in Atlanta, leaders are weighing its future.

The complicating factor: From mid-November through the end of the year, the property houses Reynolds’ annual jaw-dropping display of Christmas lights, which draws gawkers and ties up traffic for miles.

“We have to be good stewards” of the family-owned company’s assets, he said. “But that’s a pretty expensive venue for us to only use the land six weeks a year.”

Reynolds said he can’t promise that the free light show will continue in its current location forever, but any move likely would be nearby.

“We still hope to promote the Christmas lights in that area,” he said.

Reynolds Farm Equipment, Gary Reynolds and his wife, Cindy, last year pledged $1 million to Conner Prairie Interactive History Park in Fishers, payable over 10 years. As IBJ reported in its Jan. 26 edition, the company also agreed to sponsor the museum’s iconic tethered helium balloon.