Jack describes his friend, Ron McMartin, as a “HIGHLY diversified agra-businessman.” Once again…he was right on the mark. Ron, who’s been in the farming industry for 26 years, has four sites where he runs his mega operation; Bertha, Larimore, St.Thomas and Cass County (Fargo). He farms a multitude of crops, some of which include, but certainly not limited to, soybeans, sugar beets, corn, and red potatoes. What have been the best crops? “Sugar beets and potatoes,” Ron confidently states. “Right now I have 48,000 acres under tillage. In today’s economy it’s very important to be multi-faceted. You can’t be sure of what’s going to work.” He lives what he believes. Along with crops, Ron also has cattle in Douglas County and a construction company where he focuses on excavating and earth moving. He also has rental property, commercial property and land in Fargo he’s holding for development. So to say “he’s highly diversified,” might be an understatement.

His busy life didn’t stop him from getting to the lake. In the 1990’s, Ron and his wife Gail, started coming to Detroit Lakes.  It’s interesting to note, some farmers from his North Dakota region, choose to go to the Lake of the Woods area or the Bemidji area, but not so for this experienced businessman. Even when it comes to recreation, Ron is forward in his thinking. “What is appealing to us about Detroit Lakes are all the multiple opportunities the area has to offer. The lakes are not just for fishing, but all kinds of recreation. The water warms up here quicker and the proximity to Fargo was important to us in terms of investing,” Ron reflects.  His advice to people buying a lake home, “Make a list of what you are looking for! That’s exactly what we did and we got exactly what we wanted.” They presented their list to a local agent who helped them find the right property. 

Having had a good experience with that agent, I was curious to know how Jack Chivers ended up in the equation. Ron tells the story of how he and his wife were at The Fireside Restaurant in Detroit Lakes, where they met Jack and his wife, DelRae.  A conversation started up and it wasn’t long after that Ron knew this was the guy to know when it came to investing in the lakes area. A short time later, Jack sold him 48 acres on Island Lake.  Just recently he purchased another property on Lake Melissa through Jack. Ron exclaims, “Jack never flounders, he has staying power. The agency we purchased our first lake home through is no longer in business, and to tell you the truth, he (the other agent) would never have had the skills to put the deals together that I have done with Jack. The first deal I did with Jack was 1.3 million and the most recent was a $600,000 deal. Jack represents the buyer and the seller very well. He’ll let you know if you’re too high in regards to selling and he’ll let you know about those deals you need to consider. He’ll tell you if a deal will work or not …he’s a realist.”

Ron is used to seeing Jack at the lakes. Imagine his surprise when Jack showed up in St. Thomas, ND just to say “hi.” “I couldn’t believe it!” He remembered. “It was nice for Jack to see what we (other farmers who have lake homes in the area) do for a living, sit in our office and yes…even dine at our local café. As someone who also has property listed with Jack Chivers Realty, I was impressed with the fact that Jack was out there getting my listing in front of people. Jack shared with me how much he spends on each listing, and there’s no doubt, if someone is going to sell something for you…it’s going to be Jack!”

Where will Jack end up next? Stay tuned…One thing’s for sure, after spending five decades in real estate, Jack knows a lot of people and his rolodex is always growing!