John Groff, vice president of Gateway Tractor & Equipment Co. in Upper Marlboro, has been elected president of the Kubota National Dealer Advisory Board.

Groff represents the southeast division and was elected by fellow dealers to represent them at the national level for a two-year term.

This year marks the 40th anniversary for Kubota Tractor Corp. in the United States.

Gateway Tractor & Equipment Co., owned by Groff’s father, began selling Kubota equipment in 1984. Originally a Ford dealership, Groff saw it as a good opportunity when approached by Kubota and decided to stock a handful of tractors. Today, Kubota is the dealership’s major product line, according to a Kubota news release.

Each year, eight dealers from around the country are elected to represent their division and serve on Kubota’s National Dealer Advisory Board.

Kubota management works closely with its National Dealer Advisory Board members to keep an open line of communication with both its dealer network and customers across the country.

“Kubota offers the right product at the right time to meet our markets,” Groff said in the release. “They are always looking to improve and keep up with demand.”