In charge of New Holland’s dealer network, Bret Lieberman of New Holland North America and consultant Bob Clements of Bob Clements Intl. exchanged perspectives on real challenges facing equipment dealers.

Vernon Schmidt (Executive Vice President, Farm Equipment Manufacturers Assn.) and Heather Hetterick (Director of Marketing, Redline Equipment) met for the first time during the United Equipment Dealers Assn. in Louisville, Ky., in February. Both have experience working with associations and manufacturers (Hetterick did a stint with the Assn. of Equipment Manufacturers before moving to Ohio with husband, Zach, at Redline) and explored the challenges that come with promoting shortlines in a mainline dealership.

Kentucky grain producer Joe Sisk and Jeff Morgan, H&R Agri-Power (Case IH dealer) share views into each other’s world and why they have not yet consummated a high-ticket deal for Sisk’s 5,000-acre operation, which remains 100% green on combines and tractors. As soon as they sat down, Sisk (45) reminded Morgan (53) that he’d been his tractor engine instructor in 4H 33 years earlier. Morgan remembered the class and the curriculum (“intake, compression, power and exhaust”) but hadn’t realized Sisk had been in the class.

In mid-April, Chris Frodel, Mid-State Equipment (John Deere) drove over from her store to meet in the conference room at Johnson Tractor (Case IH), Leo Johnson’s store. The length of Frodel’s drive on Highway 14 was a full 4 minutes. That’s how close these two dealerships are in the rich agricultural region of Janesville, Wis. Both are second-generation dealers with siblings as partners (Chris runs the business with her brother Bryan and father Curt Hanson, while Leo does the same with brother Eric) and steadily collected additional stores from small-operation origins. Frodel (44) and Johnson (62) also found a lot of similarities and values in their businesses as they dug in for a candid discussion and what the future may look like.

Part 6: In the final installment of this Farm Equipment series, Case IH executives share a forward-looking view of their network of tomorrow, and how they can help dealers who wish to consolidate.

Part 5: Case IH established a dealer best practices group to open dialog on what works — and doesn’t — in hopes of raising the tide for the entire red network.