The AGCO parts distribution facility in Regina has expanded its role in the agricultural equipment company's international empire.

More specifically, the AGCO facility at 515 Dewdney Ave. has been reorganized so it is now able to store twice as many pieces of agricultural equipment as it did in the past.

In conjunction with that expansion, the distribution centre has been designated as a full service distribution centre, with a mandate to supply agricultural equipment parts to all of Western Canada and also to areas in the Northern U.S.

Bob Crain (left) senior vice-president and general manager of AGCO Parts Distribution Centre from Georgia, talks with Regina manager Lyndon Lashinski.

Company officials, customers and other guests were on hand Wednesday when an open house was held to show off the renovated facility and officially mark the expanded role it will play.

"It's a big day,'' said Bob Crain, the senior vice-president and general manager for the North American division of AGCO.

"It demonstrates pretty clearly that we're committed to growth,'' Crain added.

With the expansion, company officials say there will now be about 76,000 parts, worth more than $8 million, on stock in the Regina facility.

That expanded inventory and designation of the Regina facility as being a full-service facility will mean better service for customers in Western Canada because the parts they need will now be more readily available, company officials say.

AGCO, which was founded in 1990, sells agricultural machinery in more than 140 countries around the world.

The company sells a full range of tractors, combines, hay tools, sprayers, forage and tillage equipment as well as replacement parts.

The AGCO warehouse building in Regina was actually built in 1956 and expanded in 1976.

At one point it was operated by the Allis Chambers company name but following a series of corporate changes it became part of the AGCO business.

While part of the facility's operations were relocated to the U.S. at one stage in history, the open house held Thursday marked an expansion of the Regina operations.

Lyndon Lashinski, the manager of the Regina parts distribution centre, said the Canada-U.S. border "created a natural lag,'' when parts were being sent to Canada from the U.S.

"That (lag) and the lack of inventory in hand in Regina has been an issue for dealers in the past,'' Lashinksi said.

"We have many dealers with significant sales volumes in Western Canada and they needed the parts on the ground here in Canada to service customers better,'' Lashinski said.

The Regina facility employs eight full-time workers.