RDO Equipment Co. Milestones

As the 50th anniversary celebration comes to a close, Chris Cooper, Chief Operating Officer of RDO Equipment Co., reflects on the stories and memories shared this year, and gives his outlook for what’s next.

Read how opportunities to expand solutions and grow led to two new areas of focus: technology and irrigation.

A focus on people and culture: learn how the organization's Core Values and Stakeholder philosophy came to be.

One of the most significant ventures in recent years has been our company’s expansion into international markets. While Ron Offutt was at the forefront of the idea of global expansion, his son, Ryan Offutt, has played an integral role in launching and expanding RDO Equipment Co.’s international business.

Several RDO Equipment Co. team members are celebrating milestone years this year. Each shared a few comments and memories of what it has been like working for the company.

Most large organizations that have a global presence and dozens of locations around the United States need a place to call “home,” and RDO Equipment Co. is no different.

While people often know that RDO Equipment Co. started out as a John Deere dealer, some are not aware of RDO’s deep, long-standing relationship selling and servicing products from Vermeer Corporation.

RDO Equipment Co. is often thought of as an agriculture equipment dealer. Perhaps that’s because the company has deep roots in agriculture, from Ron Offutt’s days as a farmer to the very first RDO Equipment Co. store’s focus on selling and renting green iron.

Before Ron became an entrepreneur, the owner of his first John Deere dealership, and the founder of the entire R.D. Offutt Company enterprise, he was a farmer. It’s something that has always been in his blood and makes up some of his earliest memories.