A panel of all-star equipment dealers has been set for the 2018 Farm Equipment Manufacturers Assn. Marketing & Distribution Convention. The dealer panel will include top executives from Titan Machinery, Rocky Mountain Equipment, RDO Equipment Co., Grinnell Implement and Del-Clay Farm Equipment. The convention will be held Oct. 30 - Nov. 1 in Minneapolis, Minn.

Moderating the panel is Mike Wiles. Wiles teaches agricultural classes at Missouri State University but may be better known from his “Ask Tractor Mike” YouTube channel offering hobby farmers instruction on selection and proper use of equipment. He worked 10 years for a farm equipment company and another 11 years selling for and managing an equipment dealership. Wiles is also a regular contributor to Farm Equipment and Rural Lifestyle Dealer and was a presenter at the Dealership Minds Summit in July.

Panelists include…

  • BJ Knutson who is chief operating officer at Titan Machinery (2006 Farm Equipment Dealership of the Year), which owns and operates a network of full-service agriculture and construction equipment dealerships in the U.S. and Europe. Its primary new equipment manufacturer partner is the CNH family of brands. Knutson began at Titan in 2002.
  • Jim Wood who is chief sales and operations officer at Rocky Mountain Equipment, which is focused primarily on CNH brands. It operates 37 dealerships across three Canadian provinces. Rocky Mountain launched in 2012 to consolidate a number of brands. Woods has been in farm equipment sales for nearly three decades.
  • Keith Kreps is executive vice president at RDO Equipment Co., based in North Dakota. The Deere dealership has more than 75 stores in 9 states and partnerships worldwide. RDO was founded in 1968; Kreps has been with the company since 1998. Kreps spoke at the first Dealership Minds Summit in 2013 and is on the Farm Equipment advisory board.
  • Jay Funke is president of Del-Clay Farm Equipment in Edgewood, Iowa. The dealership, which was founded in 1947, has been operated by the Funke family since 1992.
  • Scott Beach is store manager at Grinnell Implement store in Grinnell, Iowa, a Case IH dealer and family-owned operation. Beach has served as technician, salesman and service manager for the dealership.

The dealer panel is just one among many opportunities for manufacturers to learn strategies for getting their products into the marketplace. The convention offers opportunities to learn about digital marketplace presence, meet wholesalers and independent reps, get tips for building workforce, and to learn from other manufacturers.

The convention will be held in Minneapolis, Minn. on Oct. 30 - Nov. 1. Go to FarmEquip.org for more information and registration opportunities.