With all of the news gathered, responses and interviews collected, countless hours of writing and video production, we made this year one to remember. More importantly, we made all of this year’s content for you! The following aren’t items we thought were the best of this year — these are the best of the year according to our audience. The Digital Media Department hunkered down in a caffeine-induced frenzy, combing through gigabytes of web traffic data to compile the ‘can’t miss’ content from 2023.

Most Read Staff Blogs:

  • R2R Meltdown … And A $900 Million Lawsuit against McDonald’s 
    • When farmers and farm equipment dealers talk about right-to-repair (R2R), the conversations focus on tractors, sprayers and combines. Lessiter Media Founder Frank Lessiter compares an unusual R2R fight involving the Golden Arches and the non-workable soft-serve ice cream machines found in 13,509 U.S. McDonald’s fast-food outlets to the ongoing R2R fight within the world of agriculture. 
  • Stop Tolerating Jerks
    • In this blog from July, Executive Editor Kim Schmidt writes, “Twice in the last month I’ve come across two businesses with a “no a@$h@&*” policy. In both instances the employee in mention was a high-performing, high revenue-generating salesperson. The stress and heartache aren’t worth it. Stop tolerating the behavior.”
  • Farm Equipment Lessons from the ‘Glory Days’
    • High school athletics has taught us much about character, perseverance and team play. Editor/Publisher Mike Lessiter went to some farm equipment leaders about the lessons learned from their sport-playing “glory days.” 
  • Company Store Observations ... AGCO’s Ag Revolution
    • Following a trip to a newly-opened company store, Editor/Publisher Mike Lessiter asked a number of questions on whether today’s communication technologies, ample product availability, and loss of the entrepreneurial spirit across many large dealerships could allow a return of the company store? 

Most Read Guest Blogs:

  • RDO Equipment’s Take on the Last 55 Years
    • In celebration of Farm Equipment’s 55th year, many dealer execs shared their own observations. In this one from Daryl Shelton, RDO Equipment Co.’s Executive Vice President of the Agriculture Division, Fargo, N.D. (Farm Equipment Dealership of the Year Alumni Group), he writes that “in some ways, the dealer’s business is completely different; in others, it’s entirely the same. It’s all about the people who farm the land. The agricultural industry has grown leaps and bounds to use machine monitoring technology to help growers improve their yields while managing other factors like input costs or soil erosion. For the full collection of essays on 55 Years of Farm Equipment, visit this link!
  • Seeing the Signs of a Deteriorating Used Equipment Market By: Casey Seymour
    • Over the past 2 years, late-model, low-hour equipment has been the hottest-selling used equipment on the market. Lack of supply coupled with overwhelming demand created an environment further fueled by supply chain disruptions causing factory delays and exacerbating the supply of this kind of equipment.
  • What Happens When Customers Don’t Have to Trade?
    • Casey Seymour is in constant search of how trade cycles work for each customer. Each customer’s trade cycle is like a fingerprint; no two are identical. What works for one will not work for another. The more trade cycles are studied, the more I realize it is almost impossible to lump customers into buying groups, especially the used buyer.
  • The 3-Legged Stool Theory of Equipment Management
    • Dr. Jim Weber had been the author of a once long-standing column in Farm Equipment entitled “The Business of Selling.” To Casey Seymour, Dr. Weber is one of the most influential philosophers in the ag equipment business. Every month, he would skip to Farm Equipment’s last page, read his column first and then return to page 1.
  • Flying Your Dealership to New Heights
    • In line with Russ Green’s “think like a pilot” theme, He’s not suggesting that you surround yourself with as many dials and instruments as commercial pilots. However, there are some key leading and lagging indicators you should monitor for the success and sustainability of your dealership.

Most Read Feature Articles:

  • North America’s Largest Dealer Groups
    • In response to requests from both dealers and manufacturers about North American ag machinery demographics and the economic importance of the industry, the editors of Farm Equipment commissioned a new annual report for 2023 via the Farm Equipment 100™.
  • 2023 Dealership of the Year: Hutson Rebounds as Industry Leader By: Mike Lessiter & Kim Schmidt
    • 2023 Dealership of the Year Hutson Inc., a 32-store John Deere dealer group based in Kentucky, is the first to have achieved the $1 billion level in the year of its selection by the judges. Hutson also saw the largest year-over-year revenue growth at 71% in 2022 of any multi-store dealer group in the 19-year history of the Dealership of the Year (DOY) program. By: Mike Lessiter & Kim Schmidt
  • Celebrating the Innovations of Independent Farm Equipment Manufacturers: Don Landoll
    • Raised on a farm in Hanover, Kan., Don Landoll, was destined to be a manufacturer. With the encouragement of his parents, he graduated from Tinker Toys to an Erector set at age 7, before the farmstead even had its own electricity. Landoll was one of the 5 inaugural inductees into Farm Equipment’s Shortline Legends Shortline Hall of Fame. By: Mike Lessiter
  • 2023 Executive Statements
    • These Executive Statements from across the ag equipment industry helped dealers as they evaluated the many choices in the agricultural equipment industry. By: Kim Schmidt
  • Claas Looks for Remote Service Success with FarmPoint Dealership Model
    • Claas FarmPoint Head of Commercial Development Patricio Frangella says Claas has tested the concept of a remote-service-focused dealership in Europe and South America and now sees the potential for success in the U.S. By: Ben Thorpe

Most Read News Articles:

Highest Attended Webinars:

  • 2023 Executive Briefing Mid-Year Review
    • As a follow-up to Ag Equipment Intelligence’s 2023 Executive Briefing event, a panel of industry experts reconvened to share their year-to-date successes, pain points and mid-year outlook for how their respective corner of the ag industry.
  • A Comprehensive Review of the 2023 Cost of Doing Business Study
    • This webinar provided valuable insights into the financial landscape of the farm equipment industry to help dealers establish meaningful benchmarks. It detailed the 2023 Cost of Doing Business Study, produced by Equipment Dealer Consulting LLC.
  • Modernizing Your Service Department: Your Toolkit for Success in the 21st Century
    • In this session, dealers learned tips to prioritize efficiency and productivity in their service departments, as today’s service business is more demanding than ever..
  • Getting Wins From Your CRM
    • Ag equipment veteran Randy Tye shared valuable experience using CRM and quoting systems in a multi-store environment. He covered important aspects of selecting a CRM, common pitfalls and examples of how his organization utilized its CRM system to produce real benefits to the bottom line.
  • 2023 Equipment Supply & Value Trends: Planter Edition
    • Planters are often the most difficult piece of farm equipment to accurately value for trade-in. Watch Tractor Zoom's Data Scientist, Hank Mandsager, and Industry Analyst, Andy Campbell, take a deep dive into Tractor Zoom’s planter data to discover what data science can tell us about valuing planters by make/model, rows, bulk fill, liquid fertilizer, a multitude of row options and more. We also cover a high-level overview of 2023 supply and price trends for combines, row crop tractors, and self-propelled sprayers.
  • Equity Engineering: Finding Growth, Capturing Wealth
    • Dealer principals and financial executives should watch to understand newer, more modern capital and funding sources that can fund their strategic growth or help them diversify the wealth built through the dealership. The webinar touches on ideal returns on equity and assets and the drivers for those.

Most Viewed Videos:

  • Merging an AGCO & a Shortline Dealer into a New Company
    • In this episode of Farm Equipment's Thought Leader Series, Associate Editor Ben Thorpe interviews Parallel Ag President and CEO Shawn Skaggs. Skaggs discusses the origins of its recent merger, the benefits it brings and how the group will handle the varied product offerings and markets.
  • Introducing New Technology to Customers with Skip Klinefelter
    • Precision Farming Dealer (WHO) interviews Linco-Precision owner Skip Klinefelter at the company’s field day event in Nokomis, Ill. The event showcased the new technologies from Augmenta, Sabanto, Farmwave, Leaftech Ag and Greeneye. 
  • Swiderski Equipment Conducts a Post-Planting Season Inspection
    • Equipment Precision Farming Service & Parts Manager Abigail Weltzien and Precision Farming Technician Skyler Cooper share the methods Swiderski Equipment employs when inspecting equipment following the planting season.
  • How Will the Auction Market Impact Equipment Valuations this Fall
    • Casey Seymour and Aaron Fintel of Moving Iron LLC discuss the slowdown in the ag equipment marketplace coming off a strong first half of 2023.
  • Claas Senior VP Eric Raby Discusses Beginnings as a Technician
    • In this episode of Farm Equipment's Thought Leader Series, Associate Editor Ben Thorpe interviews Eric Raby, Claas Senior Vice President – Americas. Raby details his rise through the ranks of the ag equipment industry, including his beginnings as a dealership technician. Raby has held several positions in dealerships in addition to his time working at AGCO and Claas.

Most Watched Product Videos:

  • TYM Introduces T115 and T130 Tractors
    • TYM Territory Manager Billy Smith shows off the company’s brand new tractor models, the T115 and T130 at the 2023 National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Ky. As the largest tractor offerings from TYM, the T115 boasts 115 HP with the T130 with 130 HP, up from the previous iteration of the  T110 series.
  • A Closer Look at Degelman's New Heavy Duty Staggered Ripper
    • Degelman's New Heavy Duty Staggered Ripper has a number of new features as described by Senior Design Engineer Lyndon Maurer. The Heavy Duty Staggered Ripper is available between 9 and 15 shanks, with 20 or 30 inch spacing, with a staggered shank layout which sets it apart from its competition. The staggered design helps trash clearance which reduces plugging and lower draft compared to an inline ripper.
  • Kioti Introduces New Skid Steer & Compact Track Loader Series
    • Jason Berger, senior product manager at Kioti, discusses the specs on the company's new Skid Steer and Compact Track Loader Series at the 2023 National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Ky. The new series will hit the market for availability this summer.
  • Exploring the New Polaris Ranger XD 1500
    • Validation Engineer Austin Iverson walks through the many new features available with the new Polaris Ranger XD 1500. Equipped with a 3,500 lb towing capacity with a 1,500 lb box payload as well as a steel drive transmission and a three cylinder 1,500 cc engine which produces 110 HP. Overall the vehicle is built for strength without sacrificing comfort as seen in its brand new heated seats, built in armrest and Ride Command and JBL audio.
  • Exploring Kioti's New TL750 Compact Track Loader
    • Justin Moe with Kioti gives us a closer look at the details of the company's newly released TL750 compact track loader.

Most Listened to Podcast:

  • Used Combines Inventory Build Up Coming

    • In this episode of Farm Equipment's Used Equipment Remarketing Roadmaps Podcast, Casey Seymour of Moving Iron LLC talks with Jon Wommack, who is the managing guides editor with Iron Solutions by Randall-Reilly, about trends he is seeing in used equipment inventories and pricing.

Dealership of The Year Video:

  • Developing an Internal Leadership Program
    • As the dealership continued to grow, Hutson Inc.’s management team understood the importance of an internal leadership development program to prepare for the company’s future expansion. Hutson Inc. COO Brandy Jared comments how the training involves hands-on leadership experiences as well as leadership shadowing to ensure that the prospective managers fully understand what is expected of them. The Dealership of the Year video series is brought to you by BigIron.

Most Watched Day in The Cab Video:

  • The Biggest Changes in Precision Agriculture
    • Bruce West, owner of West Enterprises, an independent precision ag hardware and software dealer in Erie, Ill., identifies the biggest changes he’s seen in the precision agriculture industry since 2013.

Most Valuable Dealership Video:

  • Understanding the Value of a Good Demonstration
    • LandPro Integrated Solutions Manager Ben Flansburg recognizes the value of a good equipment demonstration. Flansburg breaks down a typical LandPro equipment demonstration and the crucial steps taken afterwards to make sure the customer is satisfied.

Dealer Success Academy:

  • Over 400 attendees joined the brightest minds in the business for two days of virtual learning on March 8-9, 2023, and left equipped with actionable strategies and takeaways to elevate their business. Attendees had access to 10 sessions led by industry experts, highlighted by Sara Hey's 'Parts 101' session that walked through tracking inventory, identifying chaos in the parts department and marketing strategies to grow parts business.

To register for the 2024 Dealer Success Academy that will be held virtually on March 7-8, 2024, visit www.DealerSuccessAcademy.com.

Most Viewed Precision Farming Dealer Summit Presentation:

  • [Video] Predicting the Future of Autonomous Machinery
    • Newly commissioned research from Ag Equipment Intelligence examines the 10-year potential for autonomous farm machinery. In this classroom, you’ll get an exclusive, first look at the data detailing the applications farmers believe have the most potential for automation, dealers’ anticipated capital requirements and market penetration for autonomous machinery, the obstacles and more.

Most Viewed Dealership Minds Summit Presentation:

  • [Video] Metrics for the Non-CPA: Managing Finances to Limit Risk in the Next Business Cycle
    • Financial performance in ag dealerships has been at historical highs in recent years. When times are good, it is hard to focus on the risks associated with this business. Yet the next downturn in ag can come quickly, as veterans remember from 10 years ago. In this focused class- room, Birkey’s Farm Store’s CEO Mike Hedge shares ways to help your team understand and apply your key financial drivers, how to identify risks and manage liquidity for long-term success.