In 1937, F. Upton Gladhill and Bernard "Buck" Gladhill opened
the first John Deere dealership in the small town of Damascus,
Maryland. The two siblings would name their dealership "Gladhill
Brothers", after the family name. The brothers managed
the dealership through wartime and through the post-war
economic boom. During the 1950's, Upton and Buck's sons
worked diligently in the dealership under the watchful eye of
their respective fathers.
In 1961 Buck Gladhill saw the need for a John Deere
dealership in the city of Frederick, Maryland, which at that
time was without a dealer for the "Long Green Line". In
January 1962, the grand opening of Gladhill Tractor Mart
occured down the street from the Great Frederick Fairgrounds.
In the early 1970's Upton and Buck allowed their sons
managerial control and ownership of both Damascus and
Frederick locations.
In 1979, a new building was built in Frederick to provide
larger sales, parts, and service departments for the growing
customer base. The new building was built adjacent to the
original building, allowing for a dual facility operation in
Frederick. In 1994, Gladhill Brothers moved from their
location on Lewis drive to a new building at 28129 Ridge
Road, just outside of Damascus. Gladhill Tractor Mart will
be moving to a new location at 5509 Mt. Zion Road, just
outside Frederick, in the summer of 2005.
Upton Gladhill passed away in the summer of 1986 leaving
only Buck to oversee the second generation of owners at
their respective locations. Buck Gladhill celebrated his
95th Birthday in 2004. Unfortunately, Buck Gladhill passed
away in the spring of 2005 before he could see the grand
opening of the new location. Today, second and third
generation family members are employed in various positions
at both dealerships.
Along
with John Deere, Gladhill Brothers and Gladhill Tractor Mart
will continue to build a business as great as our products.
To all of our current and future customers, we thank you and
we look forward to serving you in the future! |
