When You Install an HBS System...Customers Notice.

At HBS Systems, we recognize that the impact of our technology extends well beyond the dealership walls and has an influence on your customer relationships.  After all, your customers depend on you for the parts, service and equipment they need to make a living. 

We recently traveled to Leland, Mississippi just a few miles east of the Mississippi River to visit with our customer, Ayres-Delta Implement, Inc., and one of their customers, Martin Walker.

What we found was not only a strong business relationship between dealer and customer, but a friendship forged from a foundation of service and mutual respect.  This level of loyalty doesn't happen overnight.  It is earned and built over generations.

HBS Systems salutes the entire Ayres-Delta Implement organization and the many customers, like Martin Walker, that they have faithfully served for nearly a century.

About The Ayres Company

The Ayres Company began in January 1938 when William Emmitt Ayres and his son, Victor Leo Ayres of Leland, Mississippi accepted a farm equipment dealership from J.I. Case Company of Racine, Wisconsin. William Emmitt Ayres had recently retired from his 17 years (1920-1937) serving as the superintendent of Mississippi State University’s research center at Stoneville, MS to become the President of the National Soybean Growers Association. William used this experience and his reputation as the leading soybean authority and outstanding cotton breeder to form the farm equipment dealership and seed company, Ayres Company. The company’s goal was to serve the farmers of the Mississippi Delta with quality goods and honest service.

In September 1938, William Emmitt Ayres passed away leaving his son Victor to continue operating the dealership under the same principles in which they had founded it. For many years the company was revered by local farmers as a company with integrity and outstanding service making it one of the most prosperous in the Mississippi and Arkansas Delta.

In 1957 the company accepted a construction contract with J.I. Case Company and began selling loader/backhoes to local contractors and farmers. This opened the door to allow the Ayres Company to develop a growing construction market and expand their product line to include sales of loader/backhoes, small crawlers, rough terrain forklifts and skid steers. The two markets allowed the Ayres Company the versatility to grow over the next decade.

In 1964 Victor Ayres bought 16 acres of land on highway 82 one mile west of Leland, MS and built a new facility for the dealership. The new facility gave the company room to expand the dealership far into the future. The Ayres Company continued to grow in the 1960’s. However in 1968, J.I. Case Company began to struggle – Tenneco Corporation purchased Kern County Land Company which gave Case Company great financial strength entering the 1970’s. This brought prosperous times for both farmers and farm equipment dealerships.

In December 1973 Victor’s son, Stanley Ayres, graduated from Mississippi State University and returned to Leland, MS to work with his Father. He began selling equipment for the Ayres Company in 1976 and quickly became sales manager. 

In 1979, Victor’s son-in-law, Richard Cousino, joined the Ayres Company as service manager. He was quickly recognized by customers for superior service and the Ayres Company enjoyed record sales and profits.

About Delta Implement Company

The history of Delta Implement Company is the history of the agricultural South in transition. It tells the story of a change throughout the Mississippi Delta that is one of the most significant trends in American agriculture today. It is the story of farm mechanization.

Far-sighted men in the South saw mechanized agriculture in the South log before the possibility became a reality. James Hand, Jr. and J.B. Gibbs, successful partners in a saw mill and chain of general stores established a hardware business in Rolling Fork, MS. Home Hardware Company was established in 1924. Mr. Hand and Mr. Gibbs contacted the Memphis Branch of International Harvester Company about establishing an IH dealership in the Mississippi Delta. They met with Jere B. Nash, Sr., an IH employee, and agreed to become an International Harvester dealer. Mr. Nash soon left IH to become one of the three founding members of Delta Implement Company. The rest is history.

After the start in Rolling Fork, the company established a dealership in Greenville, MS in 1926. This was the year of the first mechanical cotton picker experiment. 1927 was the traumatic year of the Great Flood as the Mississippi River levee broke north of Greenville. In 1929, the headquarters of Delta Implement was moved to Leland, MS. This was also the start of the Great Depression. In 1934, Planters Equipment Company was purchased in Cleveland, MS and Delta Implement of Yazoo City was established. In 1937 the price of cotton dropped to 8 cents/pound, but the businesses continued to grow.

In 1940, Delta Implement of Indianola, MS opened, and in 1941 International Harvester released the first mechanical cotton picker for sale. World War II started.

In 1946, two dealerships were opened in Arkansas. One in Manila, and the other in Blytheville. In 1955, Miss-Lou Equipment Company was purchased in Vicksburg, MS. In 1974, Delta Implement Company celebrated its 50th anniversary with a gala celebration headlined by Mr. Brooks McCormick, President of International Harvester Company.

Over the years, some dealerships were sold and others bought, but there were 6-8 stores in the complex. Ownership of the dealerships has stayed in the Hand, Nash, and Gibbs families throughout the whole period. Second generation family members who spent their working careers in the organization are Jere B. Nash Jr., James Hand Jr., Rives C. Carter and John T. Gibbs.

About Ayres-Delta Implement

The early 1980’s were difficult times for farmers and farm equipment dealerships. International Harvester Company was among them and in 1985 the Tenneco Corporation bought the agricultural assets of International Harvester. Tenneco combined International Harvester and J.I. Case Company and create the Case IH brand.

In March 1987, the Ayres Company and Delta Implement Company merged operations and established the current farm equipment corporation, Ayres-Delta Implement, Inc. which has four locations in Leland, Greenwood, Belzoni and Yazoo City, Mississippi.

Ayres-Delta Implement, Inc. is owned and managed by four third-generation family members of the original founders. Shown in the picture are: Joe Nash, Richard Cousino, Stanley Ayres, and Terry Gibbs. (Note: Click on the photo to enlarge it).

About Martin Walker

Martin Walker carries his family legacy into the future as the fourth generation to farm on his family land in the Mississippi Delta.

In all, Martin farms approximately 6,000 acres of corn and beans.  He is a long-time Ayres-Delta customer and uses a fleet of Case-IH equipment to work his crops.

Martin was gracious enough to allow us to shoot photos on his property and was a pleasure to work with in putting together this ad series.

HBS Systems extends a special thanks to Martin and his family for the hospitality shown to the HBS Systems employees and production crew.  

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Summary

If you are considering a system change, call HBS Systems before you make your decision.

We provide free, no-cost, no-obligation system demonstrations in the comfort and convenience of your dealership or via the Internet.

Call 1-800-376-6376, send us an email at sales@hbssystems.com or click here to contact us via our website.