Grissom’s LLC
Owners: Sam and Joie Grissom
Location: Muskogee, Okla.
Business: Grissom’s LLC
Manager: John Hollingsworth (pictured)
History: Sam and Joie Grissom began their John Deere dealership ownership in 1965 with a location in Prague, Okla. They bought a second location in Checotah in 1995 and now have six locations in east/central Oklahoma.
The Muskogee dealership was originally located in downtown Muskogee and purchased in 2008. In 2010, the business moved to its current 17-acre location with a new 17,000 square-foot showroom/service facility.
John Holllingsworth is the manager of the Muskogee, Okla., location.
“I was hired to be manager here and Checotah, I had been with John Deere since 1992,” John said. “When young, I discovered I had the ability to talk to people and went into sales with no experience but love what I do.”
Products and Services: Grissom’s is a full-range John Deere dealership, but also carries Kuhn Hay equipment, Honda walk behind mowers and Stihl hand-held products.
“Our John Deere inventory ranges from 18-37 horsepower lawn tractors and zero turn mowers and 23 to 620 horsepower tractors and self-propelled sprayers and combines,” John said. “We also have an array of haying equipment, including rakes and round balers in different sizes to accommodate both smaller and larger operations.
“Large tractors are the mainstay of our sales. The profile of our customers is changing as the area changes. Row crop farming customers are not as frequent; and while our hay and cattle business is still very strong, the emerging market is comprised of people with small acreages who are looking for smaller tractor.”
Philosophy and future: Grissom’s mission statement is simple: Doing good is good business.
“We are committed to serving those linked to the land by earning the trust and respect of customers and employees. We are a service company as much as a sales company,” John said. “People like a familiar face when they come in. Because our business has increased more than fivefold in the last few years, a separate manager for one of my two locations may be in the future.”
