After canceling the contract of Victoria Farm Equipment in mid-July, the new John Deere dealership in Victoria, Texas, is Shoppa's Farm Supply, according to an August 25 report of the Victoria Advocate.

Victoria Farm Equipment Co. sold John Deere equipment for 21 years, until John Deere canceled its franchise agreement in mid-July, reportedly because the dealership would not sell out or move to a larger location. Representatives with the local company said they did not meet John Deere's corporate expectations.

Victoria Farm Equipment will remain in business and will carry New Holland, Massey Ferguson and Husqvarna products, said Jennifer Charbula, the company's office manager.

Lloyd Shoppa, company chairman, announced at an August 25 Victoria Partnership meeting that Shoppa's Farm Supply is Victoria's new John Deere dealership.

"We're looking at land, looking at buildings, trying to find sites," Shoppa said to the approximately 60 people at the meeting. "We're excited about doing it."

The El Campo-based company has been in business since 1982 and Victoria will be its sixth location.

Shoppa's will be a full-service location with all of John Deere's products, Shoppa said, although it will only carry a partial industrial line.

Shoppa's Farm Supply is one of John Deere's gold star dealers, Lloyd Shoppa said. Such dealers must maintain excellence in customer support, sales and marketing, operational management, retail environment and employee development, according to the John Deere Web site.

One way they do that is by looking at the climate and the market and adjusting the business to those changes, said Chris Shoppa, the company's president.

"You don't run a farm the same way you did 20 years ago, just like you don't run a business the same way you did 20 years ago," he said.