Our History
Formerly known as Texarkana Tractor Company, River Valley Tractor was founded in May 1992 by James “Judge” Carlow, David Meadows, and Brad Carlow and officially changed to River Valley Tractor in 2019.
James will always be known as “The Judge'' to anyone living at or near the county. Aside from being a local business owner, Judge was a lifetime resident of Bowie County, having a very successful political career serving as County Judge for a total of 29 years. From 1966-1986, James was involved in the dairy business and commercial cattle ranching, which is now carried on by both of his sons: Blake and Brad Carlow. Judge married his wife, Nancy, in 1965. Today, their family continues to grow, now counting two daughter-in-laws, and six grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren on the way.
The family legacy continues as both of Judge’s sons, Brad Carlow: CFO, and Blake Carlow: Kubota Division Manager, follow in their father’s footsteps serving as part of our Senior Management team. Brad graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and Accounting. He and his wife, Ashley, have 4 children, 2 of which work alongside him within our company, 2 daughter-in-laws and 1 son-in-law, and 3 grandchildren. Blake and his wife, Melinda, have 2 children and are extremely active in the FFA and agricultural industry, 1 son-in-law, and 1 grandchild.
David Meadows is a longtime family friend and colleague of the Carlow family. He attended the University of North Texas, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Marketing. David spearheads the operations of RVT’s sister company, Nor-Tex Tractor, which represents our New Holland division, alongside his family, who are also part of our NTT team. David and his wife, Patricia, have been married for 50 years as of 2023. Together, they have two children, one son-in-law, and three grandchildren.
Today, River Valley Tractor and sister company Nor-Tex Tractor Corporation has 10 Kubota dealerships and 3 New Holland dealerships spread across East Texas and is the largest conglomerate of Kubota Dealerships in Central Arkansas totaling around 200 employees company wide. We strive to give the best service to our customers each day, providing upstanding parts, service, rental, and sales departments ready to assist you at any time. As our years of operation continue, our company has one main goal in mind; to touch the lives of every individual who walks through our doors, and stand as a reminder that friendship and family will conquer all while remaining true to our roots and ways of life to reflect on generations to come.
