This Lubbock business is the latest Expo Center sponsor
Terry County Tractor is the latest Lubbock-area business to announce its partnership with the Lubbock County Expo Center, committing to provide funding and equipment for the future facility slated to open in 2025.
The family-owned Kubota dealer, which has locations in Brownfield and Lubbock, is gifting equipment for use at the facility and has made a "multi-year monetary commitment" to the center, Expo Center steering committee officials revealed at a news conference Thursday, though they would not divulge further details or the amount of the sponsorship deal.
"They're going to provide equipment for whatever our needs are for that building for the life of that building, and they're also going to give us money each year for as long as we'll take it," said Bret Lamkin, treasurer of the Lubbock County Expo Center. "We've learned through this process that our greatest support is right here in our own community from families like the Melchers," who own Terry County Tractor, Lamkin said.
More: Lubbock County Expo Center names beer partner, continues fundraising
Shane Melcher, general manager for Terry County Tractor, said he's proud his business is able to give back to the Lubbock area by supporting the agricultural community.
"Our families, our business, our everything is founded in agriculture," Melcher said. "One thing that you'll always find Terry County Tractor and the Melcher family behind is youth in agriculture. That is important to us. Continuing to raise agriculture awareness is important to us, and continuing to support both will be in our future from here on out."
The Lubbock County Expo Center is a public-private partnership, relying on funding from a hotel/motel tax increase passed by Lubbock County voters in 2018 and private fundraising.
"The best thing going for us right now is the (hotel occupancy tax) revenue," Lamkin said. "In 2018, the tax revenue was about $1,800,000 — that's what we projected it to be. And last year, we took in $3,350,000. So that's a lot better than we thought then."
Officials announced a partnership with Great Plains Distributors in April, naming the beverage company as a founding partner and the official beer provider, designating Coors Light as the official domestic beer and Dos Equis as the official import beer for the center. Details of that agreement were not released.
The Helen Jones Foundation also committed $10 million to the project in 2022.
More: Lubbock County Expo Center boasts milestone in slow road to new venue
Members of the steering committee previously told the Avalanche-Journal they hope to break ground by Sept. 1 this year. Lamkin said Thursday he expects the facility to open and host events like livestock shows, rodeos and concerts by 2025.
"We're going to have people come from outside the community, rent a motel, buy some food, buy some clothes or some tires for their pickup, or a tractor and some cold beer, and that money will be spent here in Lubbock. Right now, it's not," Lamkin said. "Our families that are going and doing these events, they're going to other towns — Levelland, Amarillo, Abilene. All those other communities are getting our money.
"Instead of that happening, it's going to come to Lubbock. We're gonna get to do that."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock County Expo Center announces Terry County Tractor as second founding sponsor
