Looking back, 2017 will most likely be viewed as the turning point in agricultural equipment sales for this cycle. While there will probably remain some weakness in the larger tractors and combines in 2018, there are definite signs of a bottom developing.
Give one up to the competition. That disrupter-type customer is more valuable to have in your competitor’s camp than your own. Let brand X deal with that customer and give up their time, energy and mental strain.
While there are certainly differences between German dealers and North American dealers, their main challenges are very similar. Much like what we hear in the U.S. and Canada, finding good, qualified employees is a challenge for dealers in Germany, too.
Our models track commodity prices, international currency exchange rates, total number of farms, total number of farms by gross production value. Here is our 2018 U.S. forecast and the rationale of how we arrived at those numbers.
I have to admit, the last couple of times I wrote in this space and talked about many of the positives we were seeing and hearing about in terms of industry sales, I wondered if it was just a blip on the radar screen. Well, so far, it looks like it’s holding.
2017 continues to appear to be a base-building period and, while large tractors are woefully below our original forecast, there is some evidence that they won’t go much lower in 2018.
I was in Houston last week for the annual Joint Convention of the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Assn. and Equipment Marketing & Distribution Assn. The sessions concluded with a panel of 3 farm operators who were brought in to share what their world is like. The farmers candidly answered an array of questions, from right to repair legislation, to what they’re willing do to access equipment not carried by their mainline dealer, to their own investments in farm shops and technicians, and how they approached debt and capital spending.
The best way to work with the marketing department is to drive content to them. I have worked with some great marketing people — but few have paid attention to equipment inventories because it’s not their job.
In search of a simple, yet satisfying explanation of the Internet of Things (IoT) it seemed logical to scour the one place I was sure to find an answer; the Internet.
For each print issue of Farm Equipment, I dig through the Implement & Tractor archives to find something to highlight, whether it’s an example of what was a state of the art dealership 40 years ago or a survey that shows that large dealers are ready to start adding computers. As I pull a volume off the shelf, I never really know what I’m looking for or what I’m going to find. One thing I always walk away with, though, is that good business advice is generally evergreen.
Built on 90 years of expertise, Yetter Farm Equipment leads the agriculture industry in designing effective and innovative equipment for residue management, seedbed preparation, precision fertilizer placement, harvest attachments, strip-tillage, and more.
Montag is the industry’s innovative leader for precise, accurate metering of fertilizer, seed and other nutrients. The Montag system has become the standard for deep banding of fertilizer. Montag is also pioneering the technology for cover crop seed application. The new Cover Crop+ is able to meter the smallest seed, and can be mounted to tillage implements, combines, plus Hagie sprayers and detasselers.
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