Ten years ago Bart Sherwood started his fledgling tractor company next to his Sherwood Wholesale warehouse five miles north of Rose Bud, Ark.
Sherwood Tractor was housed in a small portable building on the north end of the property and offered a handful of compact tractors and farm implements. But, from the very beginning, Bart had a much bigger plan, one that included obtaining a solid, well-known tractor line, and an inventory of farm implements and commercial lawn mowers to meet the demands of cattle ranchers, hobby farmers and landowners. Through it all, Bart’s commitment to providing quality customer service to his customers remained priority one. That commitment has proven to be the key factor for Sherwood Tractor’s success.
Fast forward 10 years, to the present and the start of Sherwood Tractor’s second decade. Things sure look a lot different than from the humble beginning.
The tractor company is now the largest Mahindra tractor dealer in the state of Arkansas, and the eighth largest in the United States. In addition to Mahindra, Sherwood Tractor carries a full line of Bad Boy zero turn mowers and side-by-side atvs, Cub Cadet mowers and side-by-sides, and Stihl outdoor power products. They also carry a large inventory of farm equipment, trailers, and hay equipment. In addition to the Rose Bud location, four years ago Sherwood opened the Blackwell, Arkansas Mahindra dealership on I-40, just east of Russellville, Ark.
“Mahindra has been a great product for us,” Bart said. “Teaming that with our business philosophy of customer service being our number one priority, and appreciating every one of our customers, it has been successful for us.”
In May of this year, Bart discontinued the wholesale grocery business and used that space to house his new 20,000-square-foot showroom. That was the crowning jewel to this point for Bart.
“The grocery business had fallen off,” Bart said. “We felt like giving our customers a clean, comfortable place to shop was a good fit for the space. There’s not many places in the country like this, and so far folks really like it. It is already paying huge dividends for us.”
Bart is quick to point out there is much more behind the Mahindra name. Mahindra is the number one selling tractor in the world and they carry an industry leading seven-year powertrain warranty on a majority of models.
The addition of the Mahindra side-by-side ATVs to the lineup is a huge step for Sherwood Tractor. Side-by-sides have become the work horse for farmers large and small now and Sherwood Tractor has an ATV for any job around the farm or construction site.
“The side-by-side market is big,” Bart said. “They are a necessity on the farm and so many people use them for hunting nowadays, you just about have to carry them. One good thing about the Mahindra side-by-side, they are made in Batesville, Ark. So it’s good to carry another Arkansas made product.”
The other Arkansas-made product carried by Sherwood is the Bad Boy zero turn mowers.
While the grocery business has been discontinued, the tools and outdoor equipment are still very much a part of the total Sherwood facility in Rose Bud. Shoppers will find a large inventory of hand tools, power tools, fishing and camping equipment, plus home décor’, which has for the most part been consolidated into the southern-most building in Sherwood complex.
