ASHLAND, Ill. — Beard Implement Co. welcomed its customers, neighbors and friends to an open house of their new building near Ashland on March 14.

Beard has operated a store in Ashland since 1977, and the company has made a commitment to the area with its new structure. Beard actually opened the doors to its new store on County Highway 123 in January. Owner Jeremy Beard said the open house was worth the time and effort. “It was a good day. We were able to meet many people in the community and invite them to come back,” he said.

In addition to Ashland, Beard also operates stores in Arenzville, Pittsfield and Barry. The company sells Case IH and New Holland lines along with various short lines. In all, Beard has more than 50 employees.

The Ashland building is more than 50,000 square feet in size with approximately 18,000 square feet in its service shop. This shop features a 10-ton crane that spans 100 feet with a 23.5 foot cable hook, which enables Beard technicians to work safely when pulling engines, cabs, transmissions and undercarriages.

Each service bay has hydraulic oil and engine oil metering guns and air reels. There is a bulk oil room with two, 8,000-gallon tanks for engine oil and hydraulic oil. The metered guns will allow Beard to fill five gallon, 55 gallon and bulk oil totes. The store also has a 1,000 gallon waste oil tank.

Beard has also acquired a bulk oil trailer that can haul both engine and hydraulic oils. The trailer is equipped with two reels, pumps and printable meters. The trailer will be used to fill the bulk oil tanks at Beard’s other locations – and in the future – on-farm oil delivery.

The new Ashland store offers 9,000 square feet of office space, a sales and parts showroom of 7,800 square feet, and a community meeting room that is 2,500 square feet with seating for 120. The meeting room will be used for Beard Implement employee training, Corporate Case IH and New Holland events and can be used by the community upon request. A kitchen is also available.

Beard Implement started as a one-man business in 1937 by Robert Beard of Arenzville, Ill., who sold Allis Chalmers and New Idea equipment. His sons, Gerald E. and Myron Beard acquired the company from their father in 1965. in 1984, a third generation, Gerald L. Beard, Darryl Beard and Duane Hess, took ownership. By then, the business had expanded to Ashland and Pittsfield.

Hess sold his shares of the business to Jeremy Beard and Kyle Schumacher in July 2010, and Darryl Beard retired from ownership in July 2014. In August 2010, Beard purchased Rennecker Equipment, a Case IH dealership, in Barry, Ill.

For more about Beard, call 217-476-3386 or visit www.beardimplement.com