Three giant combines were parked close together in the service shop at Agpower in Hollandale Wednesday. Their close proximity is the main reason for a building expansion nearing completion at the John Deere dealership, said Mike Veldman.

“We were getting really cramped in here,” said Veldman, a part owner of Agpower. “As the farm equipment has gotten so much bigger lately, we needed a larger work area to handle the load.” It’s the second expansion at the location since Agpower originally built at the site in 1978. The new construction increases the building’s size to 21,8000-square-feet. The building started as a 13,800-square-foot facility, and first expanded in 1991.

Agpower has added one tech worker due to the expansion and hopes to hire another worker soon, said Veldman . “We will also be able to add more equipment,” Veldman said. “A second pressure washer, a second jib hoist, and more air lines will improve the efficiency of our operations.”

Agpower employs 18 people at the Hollandale implement dealership in sales, service and parts positions. Mike Veldman represents the second of three generations of his family to be involved in the ownership and management of the business, which also owns John Deere implement dealerships in Owatonna, Waseca, Chaska and Belle Plaine. “My dad started the business in Hollandale in 1944,” Veldman said. “My son Jake is the manager here in Hollandale now.”

Showroom and office space are part of the building expansion. AB Systems of Rochester is the main contractor, with H&H Excavating of Waseca handling the concrete work.

“We had our tech people working outside in the winter, at times,” Veldman said. “That’s never a good thing.” Veldman hopes to increase efficiency and productivity in the expanded facility. Agpower’s expansion will add 2,500-square-feet of office and showroom space in the front part of the building. The service area will increase to a size of 14,000-square-feet.

Hollandale’s Agpower dealership employs four salespeople, three parts workers, and eleven service employees. “We are very excited to have this opportunity to improve our efficiency and expand our business in the Hollandale area,” Veldman said.