When Vanderloop Equipment, a 3-store dealership based out of Brillion, Wis., was looking to expand and open it’s latest store in Beaver Dam, Wis., co-owner Robb Vanderloop says their initial intention wasn’t for it to be a Claas branded store.
The auction price caught my eye as soon as I saw it: $39,000 for the 2013 John Deere 569 round baler on a Nov. 3, 2016, farm auction in central North Dakota.
After the release of our 2017 forecast last November, we have received several communications from readers who seem to have the same question; “What planet are you from?” They did not agree with our forecast and, from the looks of things, they might be right!
The past month and a half has been interesting for North American agriculture. Numerous positive signals have been showing up in various ag segments almost since the beginning of the year. Their duration hasn’t been long enough to classify them as trends or to build solid confidence in the longer term. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a little optimism.
I am reading — for the second time in a year — Simon Sinek’s book Start with Why, How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. As I finished a chapter today, Sinek’s words reminded me of the many partnerships between dealership leaders that create great businesses, those who over a long time react well to change and execute well to keep customers, employees, manufacturers and investors happy.
Equipment and farm services dealers who sell the “dollars and cents” benefits of precision farming have some new sales fodder. This includes a pair of USDA reports that look at cost savings and increased returns for corn farmers using information-based production tools on average size operations.
As one charged with sharing best practices, the opportunity to work a room with the industry’s “best of the best” minds for 5 days is a gift. Our company hosted two events, the Precision Farming Dealer Summit and National No-Tillage Conference, in St. Louis the week of Jan. 9.
Last week, President Trump signed an executive order that pulled the U.S. out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). It’s important to note that while the trade deal had been negotiated, it had never been ratified. While the executive order makes good on Trump’s campaign promises, I find myself wondering if it’s any good for the U.S. ag economy and more specifically farm equipment dealers. The American Farm Bureau Federation would argue it’s not.
More often than not, when my office phone rings it’s someone who wants to talk about the situation with used equipment. We even got a call last week from someone in London asking about it.
This past year has been one of the most trying years in recent history for farm equipment manufacturers and dealers alike with precipitous declines in the large tractor markets and the combine market. If you were in an area where small horsepower tractors dominate, you have a bit of a smile on your face as this year draws to a close.
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.
At Machinery Scope, we believe you deserve the best risk management solutions for your investments in heavy equipment. Since 2013, we have been proud to offer extended warranty, appraisals, and inspections. Machinery Scope is a family-owned business built on our experience in farming and equipment dealerships. We understand your business and provide a personalized and professional level of customer service. Machinery Scope has built a strong warranty product with our customers in mind, offering the same professional level of service from the time you get a quote, through the processing of a claim.