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Mike Lessiter

Mike Lessiter

Mike Lessiter, a second-generation ag journalist, has been Editor/Publisher of Farm Equipment since 2004. He has covered business-to-business operations, manufacturing, and marketing topics since 1992 and has held various roles with the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Assn. and the Assn. of Equipment Manufacturers. Mike is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was named president of Lessiter Media in 2007.

Contact: mlessiter@lessitermedia.com
Articles

ARTICLES

Dealership Minds 2016: Kern Machinery

Busting Silos: Changes in Organizational Structure

By Mike Lessiter posted on January 26, 2016 | Posted in Department Management
With 3 locations in a triangle about 40 miles apart in the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, Kern Machinery learned quickly that they were inadvertently competing with one another for customers. Clayton Camp, president of Kern Machinery of Bakersfield, Calif., talks about the discovery of this situation and how the dealership has changed it's structure. The 54-part 2016 Farm Equipment Dealership Minds video series is sponsored by Charter Software.
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Dealership Minds 2016: Kern Machinery

Insights on Customer Needs Come From Background in Agriculture

By Mike Lessiter posted on January 26, 2016 | Posted in Niche Equipment Markets
Beyond Kern Machinery, the Camp family operates an engine distribution business and a third-generation farm in Kern County. Clayton Camp, president of Kern Machinery of Bakersfield, Calif., talks about how the dealership has gained insights on the ag equipment market in the area through his brother, Edwin, who operates D.M. Camp & Sons, the farm. The 54-part 2016 Farm Equipment Dealership Minds video series is sponsored by Charter Software.
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RDO Equipment
Sponsored Content: Success in Shortline Machinery

RDO Equipment's Structure for Shortlines

RDO Equipment Co. recognized greater opportunities in shortlines and put dedicated resources on the job to manage decision-making across this 28-store farm equipment dealer group.
By Mike Lessiter posted on January 18, 2016 | Posted in Niche Equipment Markets
Lee Rogness, the dealer-principal of Interstate Inc. (Fergus Falls, Minn.) before selling to RDO Equipment Co. in 2008, knows the power of shortlines. His business “survived on shortlines” during transitions between majors in the tumultuous 1980s, before Interstate inked a contract with John Deere. “We lived on shortlines,” he recalls. “And then we took on Deere and we made money on both and had good market share.”
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Lessiter

To The Point: Which Side of Change Will You Be On?

By Mike Lessiter posted on September 4, 2015 | Posted in Precision Ag Sales & Service

Welcome to the 2016 SOURCEBOOK. We’d be remiss here if we didn’t acknowledge the year-round effort of Directory Manager Donna Schwierske in compiling this year’s annual SOURCEBOOK for you, with even more companies, products and brand listings than last year. Despite this year’s challenges, the participation shows the keen interest of a supply base still focused on connecting with you, the foot soldiers of our industry’s innovations.


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