About Us

Rhode Island Harvesting Company has undergone changes over the last 74 years, but one thing remains the same - our ongoing commitment to customer satisfaction.

Our company began in 1950, when Charles James graduated from high school. He and a friend pooled their savings of about $600 and persuaded their parents to co-sign a loan to purchase a $2,000 piece of harvesting equipment.

"I grew up on the farm and the machinery part of it came naturally to me" says Charlie. "So we started providing a needed service to farmers in the area, doing things like cutting corn and baling hay."

But times change and Charlie saw the importance of being able to adjust.

The area changed from a farming region into housing developments. So, we started selling backhoes to dig the foundations and then lawnmowers to cut the grass.

Sadly, Charlie James passed on in May 2011, leaving behind a legacy of a life and business built on integrity and hard work. He believed in selling only products that were built to last, at a fair price.

Today, sons Daniel and Steven James and daughter Nancy Greene, with Mom Ellen still working alongside, run the family business. "We all grew up as part of R.I. Harvesting Company", says Nancy. "Our dad's legacy lives on here through all of us. Our mom Ellen joined Dad at R.I. Harvesting Company when they married in 1954. My brothers and I have worked here since we were kids. We watched Dad build this company on honesty, respect for others, and hard work. That is how we were raised, and how we have continued to operate R.I. Harvesting Company."

R.I. Harvesting Co. started as a family business and continues as such. Our goal is to build a trust between ourselves and our customers. We want to build a friendship with our customers and have them want to continue to do business with R.I. Harvesting Co., so we treat them as we would like to be treated.

R.I. Harvesting Co. started as a servicing business, custom harvesting crops in Rhode Island, ergo the name "Rhode Island Harvesting Co.". Now we provide customers with tractors and attachments, and the parts and service to keep them running smoothly.

We sell a wide variety of equipment, from chainsaws, grass trimmers and lawn mowers, to excavators, utility vehicles, and 4-wheel-drive tractors with loaders, backhoes, brush mowers, and many other attachments.

The advantage to purchasing from the James family, with our long standing ties to the community, is we will be here to service the equipment for many years to come.

Although R.I. Harvesting Co. is celebrating 74 years in business, the family ties to the area go back even further.

Originally, Charlie's grandfather began as a cattle and dairy farmer back in the 1920's and passed the business on to this son, Charlie's father, Edwin James.

Edwin saw a greater future for the farm with the incorporation of raising chickens and gearing the farm in that direction, before Charlie moved in the direction of services such as crop cutting and hay making for other neighboring farms.

The main building that houses the parts and sales departments as well as the offices, is the original barn from the farm. Some additions and modifications have changed the building over the years, and other buildings have been erected to house the service department and provide storage.

Presently, Ellen oversees the operations of the family business. Dan heads the sales department, Steve heads the parts department, and Nancy heads the office and is the general manager. Charlie and Ellen's grandchildren work in various positions throughout the business.

While the times and nature of our business may change, future generations of the James family will maintain the commitment to the community they inherited from the generations before them.

When you do business with us, you become part of the family.

The James family sells name brand products that are built for the long haul! Brands such as Kubota tractors and attachments; Land Pride mowers, blades, box scrapers, grapples, pallet forks and other attachments; Stihl chainsaws, blowers, power pruners, grass trimmers, power washers, and other power tools; Trac-Vac vacuum systems; along with many other quality products.

Rhode Island Harvesting Company is located in Ashaway, RI on Extension 184 (at the end of Connecticut's Route 184), visible from Route 95, by Exit 93 (Clarks Falls). For more information call us at (401) 377-2670.