Located in the heart of Wisconsin’s dairy country, the dealership has had to evolve as smaller dairies have consolidated. “We have to look at finding different niche markets that we can sell into to offset the reduction in sales to the dairy industry,” says third generation co-owner Robb Vanderloop.
At one point, 7 family members were involved in the ownership of the dealership. Today, Robb along with his cousin, Carey, are the majority owners, with Robb’s son, Mark, having minority ownership. The dealership operates 3 stores in Brillion, Lena and Beaver Dam, Wis.
The dealership was started by Norbert and Norman Vanderloop and began selling Sheppard tractors in the early 1950s. When Sheppard stopped selling tractors in the mid-1950s, Vanderloop took on the Massey Harris line. In 1996, Claas’ self-propelled forage harvesters were added to the product mix and in 2000 added Fendt to its lineup. Today, VE continues to seek out innovative products, most recently signing on to carry the full line of Horsch equipment.
Vanderloop Equipment
Brillion, Wis.
Leadership Team: Robb Vanderloop (general manager), Carey Vanderloop (sales manager) & Mark Vanderloop (sales manager)
Locations: 3 - Brillion, Lena & Beaver Dam, Wis.
Lines Carried: Fendt, Claas, Horsch, Massey Ferguson, Precision Planting, Apache Sprayers, Maschio Gaspardo, Sunflower
Markets: 40% dairy, 40% custom harvesters, 15% row-crop, 5% co-ops
Revenue: $35 million, with a plan to grow 50% in the next 5 years
Dealership Minds: Vanderloop Equipment Introduction
Dealership Minds: CFO & Co-Owner: Cashflow Rules The Day
Dealership Minds: Sales Manager & Co-Owner: Guiding Sales, Finding New Markets
Dealership Minds: Technology Sales & Co-Owner: Learning from the Past to Move Forward
Dealership Minds: Lena Store Lead: The Power of Personalization
Dealership Minds: Parts Department Lead: Customer Communication Key to Success in Parts
Dealership Minds: Beaver Dam Sales: Techs are ‘Game-Changer’ in New Wholegoods Sales
Dealership Minds: Service Department Manager: A True Passion for Customer Service
Dealership Minds: Service Department Lead: Service: Beyond Just Repairs
Dealership Minds: Parts Lead: Parts Department Brings New Challenges Every Day
Dealership Minds: Brillion Sales Reps: Building Relationships Beyond the Sale
Related Content:
- Rolling Out the Welcome Mat for Autonomy & AI
- Vanderloop Equipment’s Most Important Product Lines
- Future Succession Plans
- Managing the Balancing Act of Manufacturer, Dealer & Customer Needs
- On Doing Few Things Well vs. Many So-So
- Targeting the Next Buyer Ahead of the Trade
- Selling Starts with Building Trust
- Things You Can & Can’t Teach a Salesman
