With deep roots in Aroostook County and a history of running successful family businesses, the Smith family is celebrating their 30th anniversary as a John Deere dealer this spring. They are proud to be one of two remaining, locally owned John Deere dealerships in Maine.
In March of 1994, the Smith family purchased Greenway Equipment Sales in Ellsworth. Originally founded in the early 1950s as Hancock Power Equipment, Greenway was operating from a newer facility at 58 Bangor Road/Route 1A. Carl “Rick” Smith, Jr. and his sons Tyler and Mitchel embarked upon a new career selling outdoor power equipment, with the John Deere brand as their primary line. Tyler and Mitch took over day-to-day operations, while Rick served in an advisory capacity. The “Smith Brothers” are proudly carrying on the family business 30 years later.
The Smith family had been well-known statewide from their family’s wholesale food business, Carl Smith Foods, which originated in Aroostook County in 1948. They made a smooth transition to selling power equipment, adhering to the same principles that had made their food business such a success for several generations … offer an outstanding quality product at a fair and competitive price, back it up with a team of highly trained and skilled employees, and treat your customers honestly and fairly to earn their trust.
Tyler Smith, president of Greenway, is grateful for the support of both the Ellsworth and Bangor communities over the years, as well as the many long-term employees at both locations. “When we purchased the Ellsworth store, we knew that John Deere would give us the opportunity to also open in Bangor. The customer base that we’ve built in both locations has been tremendous. We attribute our success to both the loyalty of our long-term customers and employees, and we thank them all,” Tyler remarked with gratitude.
Greenway has grown dramatically in the past 30 years, with the Bangor store now in its third location on Outer Hammond Street (just across the Hermon line), purchased and renovated in 2015, to accommodate more inventory and a much larger service department to keep up with increased demand. Along with their signature green and yellow equipment from John Deere, they now offer complimentary lines from Stihl, Honda, Ariens, and more. Mobile service trucks operate out of Ellsworth and Bangor to bring convenient service right to customers’ driveways in Hancock and Penobscot counties and beyond. Greenway employs more than 40 employees between the two locations.
Everyone has heard John Deere’s famous tagline, “Nothing runs like a Deere!” And, in this age of buy-outs and acquisitions, the Smith family promises to keep those Deere running in eastern Maine for many more years to come!