Home / Topics / Department Management

Department Management
Department Management RSS Feed RSS

Matt Godinho_231_Dealership Minds_DK_1015
Dealership Minds

A Mix of Narrow Tractors & Quads

By Dave Kanicki posted on February 13, 2016 | Posted in Department Management
The extra large doors in its service department are a good indication that Kern Machinery’s Delano, Calif., location wasn’t necessarily built for the equipment that it specializes in today. “Our shop was actually built solely for cotton pickers. We’ve gotten away from the larger tractors and cotton pickers,” says Matt Godinho, sales manager of the store. As a matter of fact, when I came here 17 years ago we had 4 slightly used cotton pickers for sale. The last one we had was probably 12 years ago. I repossessed that one.”
Read More
Santiago Alcantar_337_Dealership Minds_KS_1015.jpg
Dealership Minds

Building a Customer-Focused Team

By Kim Schmidt posted on February 13, 2016 | Posted in Department Management
Santiago Alcantar wasn’t an expert on agriculture equipment when he joined Kern Machinery in 2013, but he was an expert when it came to customer service and retailing. Before joining the dealership as the parts manager for the Bakersfield and Lancaster stores, Alcantar worked as a manager for AT&T and Sears.
Read More
Larry Sitzman_326_Dealership Minds_KS_1015.jpg
Dealership Minds

Cultivating Supplier Relationships to Build Customer Loyalty

By Dave Kanicki posted on February 13, 2016 | Posted in Operations & Finance, Department Management, Niche Equipment Markets
“I miss cotton,” says Larry Sitzman. “We really enjoyed serving the cotton industry for a lot of years.” But today, cotton, which was once called “white gold,” has become insignificant in California’s Central Valley, one of the most diverse agricultural regions in the U.S., if not the world. Kern Machinery, where Sitzman is the general sales manager, hasn’t sold a cotton picker in more than 10 years.
Read More
Dealership Minds 2016: Kern Machinery

How to Encourage Preventative Maintenance

By Jaime Elftman posted on January 27, 2016 | Posted in Department Management
Preventative maintenance programs have helped Kern Machinery identify potential worn parts on equipment that may need attention. Don Zajac and James Boel, service managers for Kern Machinery in the San Joaquin Valley (California), explain how these programs are built and the value the customers see in them. The 54-part 2016 Farm Equipment Dealership Minds video series is sponsored by Charter Software.
Read More

Top Articles

Current Issue

FE_June_2026_BookWithPages_Curl_art.png

Farm Equipment

Farm Equipment's 100TM
100 North America's Largest Ag Equipment Dealers

View More

Must Read Free Eguides

Download these helpful knowledge building tools

View More

Farm Equipment Videos

View More
Top Directory Listings
A&I-Consumer-Large.png

A&I Products

Since 1980, A&I Products has become a leading manufacturer and wholesale distributor of aftermarket replacement parts for the agricultural, turf, and industrial equipment markets. A&I Products' experience and expertise has greatly contributed to the company's reputation as a top supplier of quality, reasonably priced parts. Founded with roots as a small machine shop and repair facility, the company made the transition by manufacturing new parts to replace those that were identified as commonly needing repair. Throughout the 1980s, the company quickly garnered a reputation for offering quality parts at a reasonable price.

Yetter Farm Equipment

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.
Machinery Scope

Machinery Scope

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.
View More