The Kentucky-based John Deere dealership had a black eye from a lease program that spun out of control, a change in ownership, an entire turnover in its leadership team, and ill feelings from its OEM as well as inline competition. It was also trying to unite two fierce rivals who suddenly were to be on the same team, not to mention staff having to trust an all-new class of leaders who had no farming or machinery roots.

Since its founding in 2009, Noble Equipment’s success can be boiled down to a simple mantra: narrow and deep. This means being the top dog for haying equipment in their area — a stretch of livestock-heavy land in south-central Alberta accurately nicknamed “feedlot alley.”

To further incentivize precision ag sales, Hutson Inc. has adopted John Deere’s precision ag incentive score card which helps customer account managers monitor customers’ precision ag engagement, says Matthew Ramage, vice president of Sales. He explains how this allows the customer account manager to better understand the customer’s needs and offer ag equipment and new technology unique to their operation. This helps the customer both increase their precision engagement score as well as their bottom line.

Having a knowledgeable precision ag department is essential for any successful dealership. However Travis Kiesel, vice president of precision ag at Hutson Inc. details how his team takes it step further. By taking their expert precision ag team and sending them out to train both parts, sales and service technicians through their certified dealer instructor program, Hutson Inc. is able to share their precision knowledge with the entire team. This further expands their already impressive support network to cover every dealership under the Hutson Inc. umbrella.

2023 Dealership of the Year Hutson Inc. is different from the average dealership in many ways, such as its extensive non-revenue-based team member roles. COO Brandy Jared describes the importance of the corporate structure that Hutson Inc. is built around and how many of the non-revenue-based roles can be integral to supporting the business, particularly following an extensive acquisition. Having access to these corporate resources has allowed for the newly acquired stores to quickly integrate into the Hutson Inc. culture and streamline the challenges that come from bringing a new dealership into the fold.

As technician shortages continue to plague the ag industry, Hutson Inc. has opted for a longer-term solution through their ag school recruitment and training program. Hutson Inc. COO Brandy Jared explains the benefits of scouting local schools and offering students a chance to grow into a rewarding career, which benefits the student, the dealership and the dealer’s customers. Through mentorship programs, technician partnerships and scholarships, these students are given every opportunity to succeed in a field that so desperately needs their new skillset.

With their recent expansion into Michigan, Hutson Inc. is looking to make the most of their new growth opportunity. While CFO Shane Osborne understands the importance of establishing the existing Hutson Inc. work culture into their new dealerships, he also explains there are benefits to be gained by learning from the new employees and the management processes that were used prior to each dealerships acquisition.