A town of only 700 is expanding in Ag services.
Farm Director Sarah Gustin takes you to Ashley for a tour of a full service agronomy center built from the ground up.
A Brand new Ag business opens it's doors in Ashley.
(Matt Schlepp and Mark Rohrich / Maverick Ag Owners) "Decided this is what we want to do, is start our own business."
Maverick Ag is a full service agronomy center offering chemical, seed, fertilizer and application services.
Owners Mark Rohrich and Matt Schlepp are both from the area and have worked in the agronomy business for years.
They say with an increasing amount of cropland in the area, they saw a need for service and expertise.
(Matt Schlepp and Mark Rohrich / Maverick Ag Owners) "It has gotten to a point where there are so many things to know and so many choices. It's gotten to a point where it takes someone else in between there to help the farmer make those decisions."
"From resistant weeds to new hybrids and those things, it's an expertise that not everyone knows right now. you have to be wiling to change and evolve."
Construction started in July, last week the building was complete.
(Matt Schlepp and Mark Rohrich / Maverick Ag Owners) "Worked out of the pick up for awhile and when the building was done we had a little office set up out here in the warehouse that we worked out of."
(Sarah Gustin / sgustin@kxnet.com) "This 9600 square foot shop was completed just back in December. Both owners say they are excited to have large enough doors and enough space to fit all the equipment and supplies."
The business will also add more jobs in the area--employing at least 2 additional full time and roughly 4 part time employees.
(Matt Schlepp and Mark Rohrich / Maverick Ag Owners) "It will just be a relief when that first spring time rush is over. I would say, the success of the first season is gonna set the pace so we know how the rest of the years are going to go."
Maverick Ag is located 1/2 mile west of Ashley on Highway 11.