Dixie Chopper production goes back to Fillmore roots

"Back to Basics" has become a popular rallying cry for American manufacturers battling the current economic situation.

And Dixie Chopper is no exception. In fact, the local lawn mower manufacturing company has been running an advertising campaign that states: "While other companies get back to the basics ... we never left."

Dixie Chopper, however, has recently left the old Mallory Capacitor Corp. building on Greencastle's East Side after more than 3-1/2 years to take its assembly process back to its roots in Fillmore.

All assembly lines and production work -- including manufacturing of the new Eco-Eagle CNG (compressed natural gas-powered) lawn mower -- are now consolidated at the original Dixie Chopper facility along Cemetery Road just outside Fillmore. The Dixie Chopper Media Department and Dixie Chopper Credit currently remain in the old Mallory plant at 1701 Indianapolis Rd., although the Media Department awaits only the a little more remodeling before making a move of its own.

All in all, the move back to Fillmore is basically motivated by simple economics, Dixie Chopper President and CEO Gary A. Morgan said.

"Being consolidated under one roof will mean greater efficiency and increased production for Dixie Chopper," Morgan said.

Over Labor Day weekend in 2005, Dixie Chopper moved its assembly lines and subassembly areas into the 96,000-square-foot Greencastle facility as the company celebrated its 25th anniversary, however, it should be a smooth transition back to the 126,000-square-foot company headquarters in Fillmore.

In April 1980, Dixie Chopper owner/founder Art Evans completed the first zero-turn-radius Dixie Chopper in an old barn on what had been part of his parents' family farm. Today more than 100,000 Dixie Choppers have been manufactured and put to work across the United States and Canada. Every one of those mowers has been built here in Putnam County.