Plans For New John Deere Dealership In High Point

A new John Deere dealership may soon be headed for the Triad.

James River Equipment, with dozens of dealerships in the Carolinas and Virginia, plans to build the new, 35-acre site in High Point. It would include an indoor facility somewhere in the neighborhood of 50,000 square feet.

The concept has already been approved by John Deere, and the city's Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval earlier this month. The formal zoning request is on the High Point City Council's agenda for tonight.

If the city obtains the new dealership rights, both agricultural and construction equipment will be sold at the site on the city's north side, near I-40. The project's price tag falls between $6-9 million dollars, and the new facility is projected to employ up to 60 people on site.

That's good news for a community still bouncing back from the recession. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in January, High Point's unemployment rate was 5.6 percent, nearly a full point above the national average.