News

Tweed County Ag enters 10th year

By Alicia Wicklund

05/01/2012

Three generations of Tweeds have expanded what is now called Tweed Country Ag, located just off the south side of Highway 5 in Bottineau. Tweed Country Ag is entering their 10th year of business, with current owners, Jeremi and Carrie Tweed, taking over complete ownership in January of 2012.  

Jeremi and his father Clark purchased and opened Tweed Country Ag in February of 2003.

“We had a store up in Canada (in Medora) and it was just an opportunity to expand to the U.S. market where we had a lot of good customers already,” Jeremi said.

At one time they had two stores in Canada.

“My grandfather started the business in 1943 as a farm equipment and automotive dealership in Medora. It was called Tweeds Garage. Grandpa later acquired the Dodge and Chrysler sales contract,” Jeremi said. “My dad worked there as a child. In 1979, my grandfather and father branched the two stores, with my dad taking over the farm equipment side of it, then known as Tweed Farm Equipment.”

He continued, “Once I graduated, I started working at the implement business. This was just the right fit, so my wife and I came down to Bottineau to run and now own this one. It’s been a great fit for us.”  

Tweed Country Ag currently carries Bobcat Skid Steers, a Bourgault line, CarQwest autoparts, MacDon, Freeform plastic products, Hercules tires made by Cooper, as well as many other products.

“We do full automotive and ag-repair and skid steer repair,” said Jeremi. “We are looking at some sort of expansion in the next short while. Truthfully, we have almost outgrown the facility in the parts business alone.”

He said they would expand off the existing building.

“We will just need more room to carry more parts inventory. We carry about $600,000 worth of parts inventory at all times,” said Jeremi.

They employ 10 full-time employees; two are original employees from when they bought the store in 2003. With all employees combined, Tweed Country Ag has upwards of a couple hundred years of experience amongst all the departments.

“We continue to look for qualified employees not because people are leaving, but because of the growth,” said Jeremi.
One of their newest products is the Hercules tire line they brought in February 2011.

“We dabbled in tires, a set here and a set there. But it got busier and business picked up so we put in a complete line of tires and new state-of-the-art equipment. We decided we wanted to get right into it and go from there,” Jeremi said. “Now we stalk around 200 tires of various sizes at all times for farm implement equipment, skid steers, cars, trucks and tractors.”

Tweed Country Ag employees mount, balance and install tires right under their roof, but they also have pick-up and delivery service and will go on farm calls.

“We carry a good selection, but if we don’t have it we can get it. We can get most of our inventory overnight if customers order it by 5 p.m.,” Jeremi said. “Providing it comes out of the Minneapolis warehouse, there is no freight charge for the customer.”

He said pickup and car tires are the big thing. Yet, they are selling more and more ATV and skid steer tires too.
When asked how often someone should change their tires, Tweed said, “It really depends on what they have had on there before…it depends on the wear and even if they are driving on pavement or gravel. Maybe our customer has put an inexpensive tire on before…it really all varies.”
“We have had very good luck and success with the Hercules tires,” Jeremi added.

Murray Lane, parts manager, said, “Customers want great service and that’s what they get.”  

Jeremi mentioned, “We are more than competitive with our pricing and having a lot of what people need basically in-stock.”

“We do get compliments on our service and how quick we can get items,” said Murray, who has been the parts manager at Tweed Country Ag since October 2008.
He started in the parts business in 1980 and ran a store in Brandon, Manitoba, up until he came to Tweed Country Ag.
When they opened in 2003, they didn’t have the automotive repair service either.

“We got into that about three years after we came,” said Jeremi.

As for how Tweed Country Ag supports the community, Jeremi said, “We help with benefits for people with illnesses, support the college and the school in the areas of arts, academics and athletics. We also support rodeos, or whatever it may be by giving donations or gifts for fundraisers.”

He continued, “We try to be involved in as much as we can. This past week the hospital had their foundation fundraiser in which Tweed Country Ag helped out at. We try to make sure our staff is out and about in the community.”

Jeremi himself is on the Chamber of Commerce Board, as well as on the Dakota College Foundation Board of Directors.

“We are completely and 100 percent solely owned and operated,” Jeremi said. “We are embedded in the community and we are raising our family in the community.”
Tweed Country Ag staff either lives in-town or on a farm outside of town.

“So it’s important to us to have the local ownership and ties to the community. Our employees have kids going through the school systems, so it is important to attend their functions and be a part of it,” Jeremi said. “Bottineau is a great place to own a business and a great place to raise a family. We have staff and customers that are excellent.”
Tweed Country Ag held their annual open house at the end of March, which coincides with their farm-filter sale.

“We always have in-house sales going on,” he said.
Jeremi said the needs of consumers have changed, even through just the last 10 years they have been in Bottineau.
“Farms are getting bigger, meaning bigger equipment,” Jeremi said. “We can provide them with the equipment, but with that comes more parts and more service. We provide service on the farm or in the field; wherever we have to go to do the service work.”

He added, “We try to keep our place clean and welcoming and I think people really enjoy coming here. We just invite everyone in to come check us out, whether it be for a cup of coffee or just to visit or see what we are,” Jeremi said. “The coffee is always on.”

Tweed Country Ag is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. They are also open straight through lunch.

“So we typically can catch most people if they need us at anytime throughout the day,” Jeremi said.  

For more information about Tweed Country Ag, stop by their location at 102 11th Street East in Bottineau, visit their website at www.tweedeq.com or call (701) 228-3733.