Nov 25, 2014 2 min read

For nearly a half-century, Bull fought the good fight.

Bull International Inc. will close for good at 5 p.m. today, the end of the workday.

It has been a family-run, family-owned farm equipment dealership for 47½ years, currently operating at 291 Cameron Road, just off Washington Road in South Strabane Township.

Bull sells equipment, parts and accessories and provides service.

Owner Jeff Bull declined to comment on specifics about the closure Tuesday, but confirmed, “We are no longer in business.”

Bull International took out an advertisement in Tuesday’s Observer-Reporter, proclaiming “Store closing/Last day of business Nov. 26/The extended Bull International family sincerely thanks you for allowing us to serve you for almost 50 years!”

The bottom of the ad features the company logo: Its name inside the horns of a bull.

That property is not sitting idle, though. John Sisson Motors purchased the 5.34-acre lot Nov. 17, said John Sisson, owner of the dealership at 470 Washington Road – adjacent to Bull International.

John Sisson said the former Bull lot already is being used to store cars the dealership is selling. But he stressed that is a short-term dynamic.

“Next year,” Sisson said, “we plan an expansion of our Mercedes facility to accommodate the service department and prepare for our Sprinter dealership.”

Sprinter is a line of Mercedes-Benz vehicles that come in a van, chassis cab, minibus and pickup truck. Sisson said his dealership is the exclusive Mercedes Sprinter dealer in Western Pennsylvania.

“Starting in the spring,” John Sisson said, “we’ll be going to the township to formalize these plans.”

John Stickle, manager of South Strabane, said township supervisors Sept. 23 approved a conditional use request by the dealership to store vehicles on the Bull lot, pending sale of the land.

The approval, he said, included stipulations that no buildings would be removed from or built on the site.