Print edition: 
Foley Equipment is expanding again, this time to another state. The company is purchasing Dean Machinery of Kansas City, Mo. The deal is expected to close in January.
"We're very excited about it," says Foley Equipment president Ann Konecny . "I think we've said that about 100 times, but we are."
Sean Buchanan, Foley Equipment's marketing manager, says the acquisition will give the company an additional five counties of operation in Kansas for a total of 104 out of 105 counties. The company, which is making its first foray outside of Kansas, also will now have 40 counties in Missouri.
Foley Equipment, which sells and leases Caterpillar equipment as well as a few other brands, currently has 15 locations across the state.
The company has 531 employees. Dean Machinery has 315. Buchanan can't say how those positions may be affected.
"At this point, not all those details are worked out," he says. "We've got due diligence that we've got to do."
Almost exactly two years ago, Foley Equipment closed on its purchase of Topeka's Martin Tractor , which expanded its reach from 49 Kansas counties to 99.
"Two in this short of a time frame is pretty quick," Konecny says. "We try to be a company that is prepared to take advantage of market opportunities that are a good strategic fit for us."
She says Dean Machinery makes sense in part because of its proximity.
"We think certainly with our operations in northeast Kansas . . . the metro area spills into our territory already," Konecny says. "This gives us additional critical mass."
Buchanan says further expansion into Missouri will be difficult.
"That will be a litter trickier just because of the other dealers over there," he says.
The company would have to acquire more dealerships, and Buchanan says the other Caterpillar dealers in Missouri are in additional states as well.
"We always look for opportunities regardless of which direction it is," Buchanan says.
"Who knows where the next opportunity is going to be."
Konecny isn't necessarily looking for the next acquisition to be anytime soon.
"We've got plenty to digest right here, so this is great."
You don't say
"The legislators, they're like, 'Send me to the orthodontist first,' or, 'Send me to the dentist without any painkillers.' "
—Gov. Sam Brownback , speaking Friday at a Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce forum about the enthusiasm of Kansas legislators for the upcoming debate on school finance reform
