Ag Equipment Intelligence, the monthly newsletter from the editors of Farm Equipment and Lessiter Publications, is expanding its frequency to 24 times a year with the addition of a new monthly report that tracks industry fundamentals. In addition to the monthly Ag Equipment Intelligence newsletter that subscribers receive on the 15^th of each month, they’ll now be receive the new “Dealer Trends & Outlook” report that will be e-mailed during the first week of the month.

This new report is based on a monthly survey conducted by AEI editors in partnership with the Cleveland Research Company. Its aim is to provide readers with valuable and timely insight into industry trends and fundamentals and to provide greater visibility into future expectations of North American farm equipment dealers.

Readers who have reviewed the first survey results say they’ve already experienced the benefits of the new “Dealer Trends & Outlook” report. One manufacturer said, “As a supplier to OEMs, it’s important for our team to know what our customers are doing in the way of passing along price increases and to know the pricing environment in order to stay competitive. This new report does exactly that.”

Another reader wrote, “This is very good because it gives us a really good snapshot of what’s going on in the farm equipment industry.”

The initial survey in May had 283 respondents representing combined annual revenues of approximately $8.5 billion. Participants in the survey represent a broad cross-section of geographies and brands summarized in more than 50 charts and tables illustrating, sales order and outlook trends by region, as well as the current pricing environment and the current direction of manufacturer incentive programs.

“We’re now offering subscribers a complete informational tool for more effective planning and forecasting,” says Frank Lessiter, chairman and editorial director of Lessiter Publications, the publisher of Ag Equipment Intelligence. “The new Dealer Trends & Outlook report tells you what’s happening in the farm equipment business, and Ag Equipment Intelligence tells you why it’s happening.”

Future issues of the new report will be available by e-mail only. AEI print subscribers can continue receiving the new monthly bonus report by sending an e-mail to dkanicki@lesspub.com or breeg@lesspub.com.

Dealer Trends & Outlook Monthly Highlights — May 2011

• Sales Growth is Firmly Positive: The weighted average sales growth among ag equipment dealer participants for the month of April was 8%.
• 2011 Outlook is for 7% Sales Growth: On average, participants are currently forecasting 2011 sales growth of 7%. This is slightly below the 8% pace of sales growth in April and ahead of orders that saw 3% growth.
• Equipment Availability Appears to be the Biggest Concern: Availability of equipment appears to be a significant impediment to growth this year as lead-times are out between 4 and 8 months on average.
• Dealer Optimism Index: Our ‘Dealer Optimism Index’ is a measure of sentiment amongst dealers compared to the prior month. The initial reading shows a net 21% of dealers as “more optimistic” in April compared to March.