KELLY SAUDER RUPIPER EQUIPMENT, LLC

What KELLY SAUDER RUPIPER EQUIPMENT, LLC does

Kelly Sauder Rupiper Equipment, LLC was a small agricultural equipment dealership headquartered in Pontiac, Illinois, with approximately 13 employees. The company sold new and used John Deere equipment, parts, and maintenance services to two horizontal customer segments: commercial farmers and agricultural operators, and residential homeowners needing lawn, garden, and property maintenance equipment. Pricing was quote-based and not publicly disclosed, consistent with standard dealer-channel economics where margin is captured across equipment resale, aftermarket parts, and recurring service contracts.

In 2021, Kelly Sauder Rupiper Equipment merged with fellow Illinois dealer Holland & Sons to form Prairie State Tractor, combining two multi-generational Illinois ag-equipment retailers into an 8-location regional operator. In January 2025, Prairie State Tractor was absorbed into Heritage Tractor through a three-way merger that also brought in Martin Tractor (a 14-location Illinois dealer with nearly 100 years of history). The combined Heritage Tractor entity now operates 40+ locations across Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas as one of the largest authorized John Deere dealer networks in the Midwest.

As part of Heritage Tractor, the former Kelly Sauder Rupiper operations contribute to a vertically integrated equipment retail platform spanning residential mowers, compact tractors, full-size ag equipment, gators/UTVs, commercial mowing, compact construction, and landscaping lines, supported by parts distribution, service bays, financing, and OEM-supplied precision-ag technology upgrades. The underlying business model is unchanged: equipment resale, parts, and service revenue anchored to a single flagship OEM relationship with John Deere. No proprietary technology, AI/ML capability, or non-dealer revenue line is evident in the data.

Name

KELLY SAUDER RUPIPER EQUIPMENT, LLC

Legal name

Kelly Sauder Rupiper Equipment, LLC

Website

https://ksrequipment.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kelly Sauder Rupiper Equipment, LLC was a small John Deere agricultural and lawn equipment dealer in Pontiac, Illinois, serving farmers and homeowners. It merged into Prairie State Tractor in 2021 and subsequently into Heritage Tractor in January 2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Equipment Dealership

NAICS

Lawn and Garden Equipment and Supplies Retailers (4442), Outdoor Power Equipment Retailers (444230)

SIC

Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523)

akta.pro primary industry

Farm Machinery Parts, Service & Maintenance Equipment (Spare Parts, Diagnostics, Workshop Tools) (AFAAAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outdoor Power Equipment Parts & Service Retail (CRAIADAH), Skid Steer & Compact Track Loaders (IMAHAAAE)

Keywords

• Agricultural equipment dealer
• John Deere dealer
• Farm equipment sales
• Lawn and garden equipment
• Equipment parts and service

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

Kelly Sauder Rupiper Equipment, LLC was an authorized John Deere dealership that sold new and used agricultural, residential, and compact construction equipment, along with replacement parts and maintenance services, to farmers and homeowners in Illinois. The dealership offered equipment categories including residential mowers, compact tractors, ag equipment, commercial mowers, gator utility vehicles, and compact construction equipment, supported by parts ordering, dropboxes, and scheduled service.

Product overview

Kelly Sauder Rupiper Equipment was a farm equipment dealer that merged into Prairie State Tractor in 2021 alongside Holland & Sons. Together, Prairie State Tractor operated 8 locations across Illinois, serving farmers and homeowners with agricultural equipment and John Deere products. Prairie State Tractor subsequently merged into Heritage Tractor in January 2025, which now operates 40+ locations across Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New John Deere Equipment

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Prairie State TractorcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Kelly Sauder Rupiper Equipment merged with Holland & Sons in 2021 to form Prairie State Tractor. This strategic merger combined two deeply rooted Illinois agricultural equipment dealers to create a stronger regional presence.
• Martin TractorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrairie State Tractor (formed from Kelly Sauder Rupiper Equipment and Holland & Sons) merged with Martin Tractor in January 2025 under the Heritage Tractor name. Martin Tractor had 14 locations serving Illinois growers for nearly 100 years.
• Heritage TractorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKelly Sauder Rupiper Equipment became part of Heritage Tractor through the acquisition/merger chain. Heritage Tractor is a leading John Deere dealer that started in 1998 with 1 location and grew to 21 locations before adding 22 Illinois locations.
• John DeereflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHeritage Tractor (including Prairie State Tractor and its predecessors like Kelly Sauder Rupiper Equipment) operates as an authorized John Deere dealer, reselling John Deere equipment, parts, and related products.

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Bobcat Company: Compact equipment OEM (skid steers, compact track loaders, compact tractors) sold through an independent dealer network. Comparable as a competing equipment brand that competes for compact construction and small-tractor share against John Deere dealers like KSR/Heritage.
• RDO Equipment Co. One of the largest John Deere dealer networks in North America, with dozens of locations across the Midwest, Southwest, and West. Comparable as a large multi-state John Deere dealer with similar product mix including agriculture, construction, and turf.

Direct peers

• Hutson Inc. John Deere dealer group operating across Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, and Illinois with full ag, turf, and parts/service offerings. Comparable as a multi-location regional John Deere dealer competing in overlapping Midwest geographies.
• Heritage Tractor: Parent entity of Kelly Sauder Rupiper Equipment following the January 2025 merger; a leading John Deere dealer operating 40+ locations across Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas. Directly comparable as the consolidated dealership group KSR now operates within.
• Stotz Equipment: Multi-state John Deere dealership group operating across the Intermountain West and Southwest. Comparable as a regional roll-up John Deere dealer with similar full-line ag, turf, and construction equipment offerings.
• TriGreen Equipment: John Deere dealer group serving Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, and parts of Florida and Texas. Comparable as a multi-state John Deere dealer with similar full-line agricultural, residential, and construction equipment offerings.
• Martin Tractor Company: Long-standing Illinois John Deere dealer with 14 locations serving growers for nearly 100 years; merged with Prairie State Tractor in January 2025 to form the Illinois arm of Heritage Tractor. Directly comparable as a peer John Deere dealer of similar regional focus.
• Prairie State Tractor: Formed in 2021 through the merger of Kelly Sauder Rupiper Equipment and Holland & Sons; operated 8 Illinois John Deere dealerships before being absorbed into Heritage Tractor. Directly comparable as KSR's immediate successor entity.

Regional players

• Ziegler Cat: Upper Midwest Caterpillar construction equipment dealer with locations across Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin. Comparable as a major regional heavy-equipment dealer in overlapping Midwest geography, though competing with John Deere's construction line rather than its ag line.

Others

• Brandt Agricultural Products: Manufacturer and dealer of tillage, seeding, and sprayer equipment across North America. Comparable as an adjacent ag-equipment participant whose products are sometimes stocked and serviced by John Deere dealer groups alongside OEM equipment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HeritageTractor
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@HeritageTractor
• Facebookfacebook.com/HeritageTractor
• Instagraminstagram.com/heritagetractor
• TikToktiktok.com/@heritagetractor
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kelly-sauder-rupiper-equipment-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KELLY SAUDER RUPIPER EQUIPMENT, LLC