KIOTI Tractor Division, a  tractor, UTV, implement and attachment distributor headquartered in North Carolina, recently returned from a 10 day trip to their parent company, Daedong Industrial Co., Ltd.’s manufacturing facilities in Daegu, South Korea. The trip took place from October 31 – November 8th. Seven KIOTI employees and 20 KIOTI dealership representatives participated in the trip.

Participants were selected based on the results of a contest run by KIOTI Tractor’s US based headquarters to help stimulate growth of their recently launched MECHRON 2200 UTV, The Ultimate Transport Vehicle.  The contest was open to all KIOTI dealers who had a current contract to represent both KIOTI’s tractor and UTV lines.  In order to qualify, dealers had to acquire a minimum number of UTV’s from January 1, 2011 through September 30, 2011. All qualifying dealers were then entered into the contest. The top two dealers were selected from each of KIOTI’s 10 regional territories covering the United States and Canada.

The trip gave valued KIOTI dealers the opportunity to see Daedong’s state-of-the-art design, engineering, manufacturing and training facilities first-hand to get a better understanding of the company’s overall capabilities and the reasoning behind why KIOTI is able to offer the most competitive, comprehensive warranty available on their line of tractors in the 22 – 90 horsepower range. KIOTI is the only tractor manufacturer to offer a four-year warranty without any hour or usage restrictions.

Following their arrival in South Korea, the group’s first stops were the Daedong Research and Development Center and the vast Daedong Industrial Co., Ltd. complex, where they received tours of Daedong’s expansive facilities.  In addition to Daedong-USA, Inc.­ - KIOTI Tractor Division, Daedong Industrial Co., Ltd. consists of several affiliated companies including Daedong Gear, Daedong Metals, and Hankuk Chain.

“It was awesome,” claims Brock Proudfoot of Proudfoot Motors located in New Glasgow, NS Canada.  “We knew Daedong was a global company and a world class manufacturer, but until I saw it with my own eyes, I didn’t grasp the full-range of capabilities this company has to offer.  Going back to my dealership and selling a KIOTI Tractor will be even easier after this trip.  There’s so much to talk about when it comes to Daedong and KIOTI tractors. The size and scope of their operation is phenomenal.”

Following the factory and R&D tours, Daedong escorted the group to Jeju Island, where they visited Hallim Park, Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak), Seongeup Folk Village, The Oculloc Tea Museum and took a Yacht Tour. According to Peter Dong Kyun Kim, Executive Vice President, Daedong-USA, Inc. KIOTI Tractor Division, who participated in the trip “This tour was not only about giving our dealers a better idea of the overall Daedong organization behind every KIOTI tractor, UTV and implement manufactured, but also to thank them for their dedication to KIOTI and to the KIOTI line of products on a day-to-day basis”.

Dealers were then taken to Seoul, where they got a feel for this fast paced city by visiting Lotte World, the Seoul Lantern Festival, Itawon, Gyeongbokgung Palace, took a DMZ tour and visited a war museum.  “The entire Daedong/KIOTI management team was extremely hospitable and welcoming throughout the trip.  We made friends and memories that will last a lifetime,” states Judy Batchelder of Batchelder Sales located in Lebanon, Maine.

The trip ended with a reception dinner and awards banquet, where dealers were awarded plaques for their dedication to selling and servicing KIOTI tractors, UTVs and implements in North America.  The Daedong management team also presented each attendee with a special gift for their participation in the trip.

Daedong designed and built their first diesel engine in the 1940s and now turn out over 50,000 diesel engines a year.  These quality engines are used in all KIOTI tractors and in many other products around the world.  According to Michael Boucher, Senior Director of Sales and Operations for KIOTI Tractor, “We wanted our dealers to see firsthand; not only the tractor and UTV production lines, but also the size, scope and quality of our parent organization. This trip was a great success and something we will look to do again in the future based on the positive feedback we’ve received from the dealers who attended.”

Headquartered in Wendell, North Carolina, KIOTI Tractor is a market-driven distributor of a full line of over 30 tractor models, The MECHRON 2200 UTV and a full line of implements and attachments.  KIOTI is a member of AEM in addition to being active members of several other trade associations serving the farm equipment and related fields. The company is now celebrating more than 25 years in North America.

For more information on KIOTI tractors, UTVs and implements please call 877-465-4684 or visit www.KIOTI.com.