Bison Machinery opens new Jamestown site, rebrands longtime dealership

A bigger shop on I-94 could mean less downtime for Stutsman County farmers and contractors when planting, hauling and construction jobs are at their busiest. Central Sales Inc. has moved to 1700 20th St. SW in Jamestown and is now operating as Bison Machinery, putting the longtime dealership in a larger, more visible location along the interstate corridor.

The Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce marked the move with a ribbon-cutting May 7. The new 36,000-square-foot building is west of Menards and east of the Anne Carlsen Center, a spot that gives the dealership easier access for customers coming through Jamestown and better visibility for equipment buyers headed along I-94.

The new facility was built to do more than display machines. It includes overhead cranes, vertical parts storage, wash bays, a showroom, meeting rooms and a customer training space, features that should make it easier for the dealership to handle service work, parts inventory and hands-on instruction under one roof. For farmers trying to keep combines, tractors and planters moving, or contractors relying on loaders and other heavy equipment, those additions can matter as much as the building size itself.

Bison Machinery is a family-owned and operated farm and construction equipment dealership that has operated in Jamestown since 1974. The business began with John Romsdal and was later led by Fran Romsdal, giving the relocation added weight as a move by a third-generation dealership that has stayed rooted in the community for more than 50 years. The chamber directory had previously listed Central Sales Inc. at 4000 Hwy 281 SE in Jamestown.

Company history also shows the move comes from a dealership with a track record of performance, not a startup finding its footing. Central Sales received AGCO’s Dealership Excellence Program award with Five-Star status in 2017, and in 2020 the company was again recognized with an AGCO Five Star rating for 2019 performance, a level reached by only 19 dealers in North America. The new site, along with the rebrand, suggests a business positioning itself for the next phase of growth while staying close to the local market that has supported it for decades.

Central Sales broke ground on the new Jamestown facility on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2024, and the finished site now stands as a visible bet on Jamestown’s role as a regional service hub. The 150-foot flagpole and 30-by-60-foot American flag out front add a landmark touch, but for area customers, the bigger story is simpler: more room, more access and a stronger base for keeping equipment running when time is short.