Our parts and service businesses are now running as profit centers rather than a dealership expense. In 1975, our shop rate was $17.50/hour with a real reluctance to raise. Now most shop rates are north of $140/hour. 

As the NCAA’s wrap up and baseball’s opening days take place this week, we went to farm equipment leaders about the lessons learned from their sport-playing “glory days.”

Last Friday’s “On the Record” broadcast from Ag Equipment Intelligence (AEI) featured an interview with Kim Rominger, president/CEO of the “new” North American Dealers Assn. (NAEDA) formed on July 1. A view of Rominger’s office prompted a late-night memory of a conversation and personal trivia Rominger shared with me 15 years or so ago (and perhaps now wishes he hadn’t).