AgLine Distributing & Equipment Opens Facility in Carthage
Dec 7, 2023
by: The Mississippi Business Journal
It won’t be switches and ashes this Christmas for Carthage and Leake County. Instead, a new commercial resident has come to town.
AgLine Distributing & Equipment has set up operations in the east-central Mississippi community and is already shipping its agricultural implements to in-state and neighboring-state retailers.
The company announced its operations with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new facility on Dec. 5. Matt Kennedy, an owner of the business, welcomed Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson, representatives from the Main Street Chamber of Leake County and members of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, which owns the building that is being leased by AgLine.
AgLine sells farm machinery implements such as hay rakes, tillers, spreaders and disc mowers. Some products will be sourced from international manufacturers, and some will be produced in the Carthage facility. The company’s special focus will be the hay tool segment of the industry.
Kennedy, a Canton resident, was previously a sales manager for Tufline. Through the dealer network he built over several years with that company, Kennedy will sell AgLine products and continue to be a manufacturer’s representative for Tufline. AgLine has sales territory managers covering the Southeast and is looking to grow the sales force outside of that area in the coming year.
With several employees already on board in the Carthage facility, Kennedy is in the process of recruiting some additional key positions through the Mississippi Employment Security Commission. Additional hiring will be in tune with the company’s growth.
“We are excited to get this company off the ground after many months of planning and development,” said Kennedy. “My reason for starting the business was to provide dealers with the exact equipment they need. Delivering high-quality, cost-efficient products is our primary goal.”
AgLine’s facility is one of three buildings located at 1600 North Pearl Street in Carthage. The tribe recently made a major investment to upgrade the facilities, including interior renovations and a newly paved parking lot.
“We are appreciative of how helpful the tribe has been in helping us get set up in our facility. Special thanks go to Chief Cyrus Ben and Economic Development Director John Hendrix for their support. We are excited to grow this business and continue to increase our partnership with the tribe and the community,” said Kennedy.