Southerners set down roots in Tea

In 2021, the Pannell family decided to take a leap of faith and move to South Dakota from North Georgia. Despite warnings of harsh conditions and isolation, they decided to put down their roots in the community and are here to stay.

“We moved to South Dakota with the intentions of planting churches in small towns across the midwest which have no one to minister to them,” said Kim Pannell.

Kim’s husband, Scott, is a bivocational pastor who has been preaching for almost nine years. He also been a small engine mechanic for almost 20 years.

So in 2022, the Pannell family decided to open their shop, Southeastern Small Engine, in Tea while at the same time, their first church plant, Cornerstone Baptist Church. The church started off in their local community center in Sioux Falls but quickly grew to need a larger and more stable meeting place. They hosted a Grand Opening service last May inviting the community to see their new location on Main Ave in Tea, across from Boss’ Pizza.

Southeastern Small Engine partners with Husqvarna for outdoor power equipment and with TrailMaster for powersports. They carry a full line of both brands, ranging from snow blowers to lawn mowers, backpack blowers, and chainsaws.

TrailMaster offers a variety of go-karts and side-by-sides for ages 4+ as well as utility vehicles and 4 seater off-road buggies and manages to keep them all at affordable prices.

The Pannells also run an online Go Kart business and parts warehouse called GoKartMasters.com. Their vision is to help other families “get back to fun” in a day and age when we’ve become disconnected from each other and addicted to technology.

The Pannells have enjoyed go karts fore more than 20 years and have enjoyed such great memories from them they are hoping other families can experience the same.

“Being a bi-vocational pastor gives me wonderful opportunities to meet the people in our community, and we hope to reach out into the communities of Tea and Sioux Falls this year by participating in vendor events, sponsoring sports teams, and getting involved in local service projects,” said Scott.

The Pannell family is excited to be a part of the community and hope to continue to be a positive influence in the area and encourage others to take a chance and move to South Dakota.