Print edition: 
Murphy Tractor & Equipment Co., one of John Deere's largest North American construction equipment dealer groups, has purchased the assets of eight Nortrax Equipment locations in Ohio.
Terms were not disclosed.
"The anticipated national economic recovery and the resultant infrastructure rebuilding bode well for our industry," said Tom Udland, Murphy president, in a news release.
Udland didn't return calls Tuesday seeking further comment.
Murphy, based in Wichita, will have 24 locations in Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and Ohio once the deal is complete.
The new Ohio locations are in Brunswick (Cleveland), Canton, Cincinnati, Columbus, Lima, Painesville, Youngstown and Vandalia (Dayton).
Each location has a full complement of equipment and parts inventories, service technicians and field service capabilities.
Nortrax, based in Tampa, Fla., also is a John Deere construction equipment dealer.
Udland said in the release that Murphy plans to increase its foothold in Ohio, including increasing employment there.
The Ohio acquisitions come after a year of growth planning by the company.
Murphy announced last summer that it would expand its operations in Kansas City into a nine-acre plot at the Hunt Midwest Business Center on Northeast Parvin Road, about a mile from I-435 and near Worlds of Fun.
However, a year ago the company announced that plans to build three new buildings on 21 acres in Park City at the southeast corner of 53rd North and I-135 were put on hold by the economic downturn.
