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Articles by Mike Lessiter

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Case IH Dealer Network Series Update

Dealer Rewards for Sustainable Growth

Part 2: Case IH executives shed light on the changes in the earned volume bonus the OEM makes available to dealers with the program released last year.
By Mike Lessiter posted on February 5, 2018 | Posted in Manufacturer & Dealer Issues, Manufacturer News
You have heard these words before, or something like them, when it comes to incentive plans. “Some dealers would rather learn their spouse was having an affair than to have their compensation plan changed.” This kind of thing can get a comedic reaction at meetings where dealers are gathered, but you see a lot of head-nodding too.
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Case IH Dealer Network Series Update

Understanding Case IH’s Strategic Plan

Part 1: A year after the rollout of the new Case IH strategic plan, Jim Walker, who oversees the entire dealer network, provides perspective on the strategic plan ... and a newly introduced core objective to improve the OEM’s relationship with its dealers.
By Mike Lessiter posted on January 29, 2018 | Posted in Manufacturer & Dealer Issues, Manufacturer News
Last year was a challenging year for virtually everyone in the farm economy, but Case IH dealers as a whole saw unusually high challenges due to being exposed most heavily on the cash crop business, A year after the rollout of the new Case IH strategic plan, Jim Walker, who oversees the entire dealer network, provides perspective on the strategic plan ... and a newly introduced core objective to improve the OEM’s relationship with its dealers.
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From the Desk of Mike Lessiter

Depth Chart, Talent Scouting Report ... How It’s Worked for Us

By Mike Lessiter posted on January 8, 2018 | Posted in Best Practices, Department Management
We launched the “Lessiter Media Depth Chart” at a quarterly employee meeting last year. Put simply, it’s a place to seed the names of individuals who our employees see as sharing our core values and could one day be candidates for job openings. The intent is to identify and document potential talent — and assign someone to get to know them — BEFORE we have the need.
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2006 Large Multi-Store Operation Dealership of the Year Titan Machinery, Fargo, N.D.

By Mike Lessiter posted on December 19, 2017 | Posted in Best Practices, Operations & Finance, Department Management
Today, Titan Machinery is North America’s largest farm equipment dealership group. In 2006, the group was selected as Farm Equipment’s Dealership of the Year. In total, the 2006 program attracted a total of 55 nominations — with nominations stemming from all corners of the farm equipment industry — manufacturers, dealers and dealer associations, and even farmers themselves.
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Titan CEO on the Public Advantage: ‘Permanent Capital to Survive the Generations’

Titan’s new management team provided Wall Street with an overview of the 95-store dealership group’s 10-year history as a publicly held company along with new initiatives under way to propel the firm in its next chapter.
By Mike Lessiter posted on December 15, 2017 | Posted in Department Management
During his opening remarks to analysts attending Titan Machinery Investor Day in New York’s NASDAQ building on December 12, 2017, David Meyer, Titan Machinery’s CEO, explains the advantages that publicly held companies enjoy in the fragmented dealer industry.
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Titan Machinery’s New Operating Structure: Expert Team

B.J. Knutson, chief operating officer, explains Titan Machinery’s evolution to more centralized operating structure, a change from their early days when Strong Store Manager propelled their initial growth wave. He says it will better serve customers, improve execution and lower costs.
By Mike Lessiter posted on December 15, 2017 | Posted in Best Practices, Operations & Finance, Department Management, Dealer News
B.J. Knutson, chief operating officer, explains Titan Machinery’s evolution to more centralized operating structure, a change from their early days when Strong Store Manager propelled their initial growth wave. He says it will better serve customers, improve execution and lower costs.
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From the Desk of Mike Lessiter

Not All Customers Are Created Equal

By Mike Lessiter posted on December 11, 2017
Give one up to the competition. That disrupter-type customer is more valuable to have in your competitor’s camp than your own. Let brand X deal with that customer and give up their time, energy and mental strain.
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Traditionalists or Change Agents: What Kind of Farm Customers Do You Want?

By Mike Lessiter posted on November 13, 2017
I was in Houston last week for the annual Joint Convention of the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Assn. and Equipment Marketing & Distribution Assn. The sessions concluded with a panel of 3 farm operators who were brought in to share what their world is like. The farmers candidly answered an array of questions, from right to repair legislation, to what they’re willing do to access equipment not carried by their mainline dealer, to their own investments in farm shops and technicians, and how they approached debt and capital spending.
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Analysts Comment on CNHI CEO's Departure

Analysts Comment on CNHI CEO's Departure

In this episode of On the Record, brought to you by Weasler Engineering, we look at some analyst comments on Scott Wine's departure from CNH Industrial. In the Technology Corner, Noah Newman talks to Pessl Instruments' CEO about the recent investment it received from Lindsay Corp. Also in this episode, dealers and farmers chime in on brand loyalty, air seeder sales forecasts and layoffs at the Racine, Wis., Case IH plant.
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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.
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Montag Mfg

Montag is the industry’s innovative leader for precise, accurate metering of fertilizer, seed and other nutrients. The Montag system has become the standard for deep banding of fertilizer. Montag is also pioneering the technology for cover crop seed application. The new Cover Crop+ is able to meter the smallest seed, and can be mounted to tillage implements, combines, plus Hagie sprayers and detasselers.

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Finance Scope

Finance Scope is able to provide the best financing opportunities for equipment dealers and customers through a diverse mix of lending companies under one single platform. Our large group of lenders, allows for competitive rates regardless of credit scores. Additionally, dealers and customers have access to the industry’s best expertise surrounding finance and lease structures, for all purposes, within the agricultural and construction industries. We provide all of this into one online platform to provide our customers with the best available tailored finance solution for their equipment.
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