It became clear to us by 2012 that dealers wanted more insights than what could be accomplished in our print and web pages alone.

Our parts and service businesses are now running as profit centers rather than a dealership expense. In 1975, our shop rate was $17.50/hour with a real reluctance to raise. Now most shop rates are north of $140/hour. 

As the NCAA’s wrap up and baseball’s opening days take place this week, we went to farm equipment leaders about the lessons learned from their sport-playing “glory days.”

Last Friday’s “On the Record” broadcast from Ag Equipment Intelligence (AEI) featured an interview with Kim Rominger, president/CEO of the “new” North American Dealers Assn. (NAEDA) formed on July 1. A view of Rominger’s office prompted a late-night memory of a conversation and personal trivia Rominger shared with me 15 years or so ago (and perhaps now wishes he hadn’t).