Tom Kirk is a tremendous success story within an industry that he never intended to work. After receiving a Masters Degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville in 1967, Tom Kirk returned home to Paragould with the intention of working at his father’s construction company. However, in a twist of fate, due to the success of the construction business and a full crew of workers, Tom instead found himself at the family’s other business, Kirk Equipment Company. What began as a job managing the family business in Paragould, during a time in which the farm equipment market was not doing very well, Tom Kirk’s entrepreneurial spirit turned into an opportunity for growth by purchasing John Deere dealerships throughout both Northeast Arkansas and Southeast Missouri.

Thanks in large part to Tom Kirk’s keen business sense, Kirk Equipment Company had become a thriving business, and in 1976, Tom bought out his father’s business interests in the company. During the mid-1970’s, John Deere frowned on single families running several dealerships in any given area, so Tom Kirk sold off all the John Deere dealerships he had bought during the last decade, holding on to only the original Paragould location. It was just after this that another opportunity presented itself to Tom in the form of the automotive industry.

In 1981, Tom Kirk purchased a Chevrolet Oldsmobile dealership from Hank Broyles, which had been in the same location in Paragould for more than 30 years. There had only been four Chevrolet dealers in Paragould since the automotive titans inception in 1897, so this was a huge opportunity for Tom Kirk. The recession in the early 1980’s meant some hard times were ahead for both consumers and business owners, and Tom Kirk was no exception. In order to overcome these hard financial times and to make things easier to manage, Tom decided to move the Chevrolet Oldsmobile dealership from Broyle’s original location on Second Street to East Kingshighway in with Kirk Equipment Co. In 1984 Tom Kirk began construction of a new facility that incorporated Chevrolet Oldsmobile, however due to setbacks such as a fire that destroyed nearly the entire structure, the new facility was not complete until more than a year later. It was not long after finishing the new building, that auto sales started to pick up nationwide, and before long, Tom Kirk Chevrolet was a thriving business.

One would think that running two successful dealerships, would leave Tom Kirk with no free time to enjoy his success, but Tom embarked on yet another endeavor, this time as an on-air morning radio personality. Along with Trey Stafford, for almost ten years, Tom Kirk became the second half of the successful morning radio program on KDXY.

Another of Tom Kirk’s great passions is politics. Tom Kirk helped many notable figures reach political office both locally and nationally. Some of the noteworthy politicians who owe a great debt to Tom Kirk for his financial contributions, tireless work, and unwavering support are former-President Bill Clinton and U.S. Rep. Marion Berry. As a matter-of-fact, it was on John Deere Day at Kirk Equipment Co. in 1996 that Marion Berry announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Tom Kirk is a man of many talents and many passions. He has been recognized locally and nationally, even once appearing in TIME magazine in 1997, for his many achievements. He is a dedicated husband and father whose generosity to family, friends, church, and community are boundless. He is a member of the Paragould Rotary Club, the Arkansas State University College of Business Advisory Panel, and he is also on the Board of Directors at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould.