Mike Lessiter

Mike Lessiter

A second-generation ag journalist, Mike Lessiter has been Editor/Publisher of Farm Equipment since 2004. He has covered business-to-business operations, manufacturing and marketing topics since 1992. He has also served in several capacities with the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Assn., Assn. of Equipment Manufacturers and is a frequent industry speaker. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, he was named president of Lessiter Publications Inc. in 2007.

Contact: mlessiter@lessitermedia.com

ARTICLES

Dealership Minds 2016: Kern Machinery

Equipment to Serve a Diverse Customer Base

About 30-40% of equipment sales for Kern Machinery come from shortline equipment. These shortline vendors are extremely important to Kern. Clayton Camp, president of Kern Machinery of Bakersfield, Calif., describes some of the challenges faced by the parts and service departments as they support these additional lines. The 54-part 2016 Farm Equipment Dealership Minds video series is sponsored by Charter Software.
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Dealership Minds 2016: Kern Machinery

High-Use Customer Demands More of Their Dealer

As of January 2016, there are 57 different crops that Kern Machinery serves in its AOR. Clayton Camp, president of Kern Machinery of Bakersfield, Calif., explains how this variety impacts the work Kern Machinery has to do to prepare for busy periods as farmers expect a high level of service from the dealership. The 54-part 2016 Farm Equipment Dealership Minds video series is sponsored by Charter Software.
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Dealership Minds 2016: Kern Machinery

Empowering Employees: Expecting Results and Inspecting Them

Clayton Camp, president of Kern Machinery of Bakersfield, Calif., subscribes to a leadership philosophy based on expecting results from employees and inspecting them. By "inspect," Camp means you need to be prepared to measure performance. The 54-part 2016 Farm Equipment Dealership Minds video series is sponsored by Charter Software.
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Dealership Minds 2016: Kern Machinery

Busting Silos: Changes in Organizational Structure

With 3 locations in a triangle about 40 miles apart in the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, Kern Machinery learned quickly that they were inadvertently competing with one another for customers. Clayton Camp, president of Kern Machinery of Bakersfield, Calif., talks about the discovery of this situation and how the dealership has changed it's structure. The 54-part 2016 Farm Equipment Dealership Minds video series is sponsored by Charter Software.
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Dealership Minds 2016: Kern Machinery

Insights on Customer Needs Come From Background in Agriculture

Beyond Kern Machinery, the Camp family operates an engine distribution business and a third-generation farm in Kern County. Clayton Camp, president of Kern Machinery of Bakersfield, Calif., talks about how the dealership has gained insights on the ag equipment market in the area through his brother, Edwin, who operates D.M. Camp & Sons, the farm. The 54-part 2016 Farm Equipment Dealership Minds video series is sponsored by Charter Software.
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RDO Equipment
Sponsored Content: Success in Shortline Machinery

RDO Equipment's Structure for Shortlines

RDO Equipment Co. recognized greater opportunities in shortlines and put dedicated resources on the job to manage decision-making across this 28-store farm equipment dealer group.
Lee Rogness, the dealer-principal of Interstate Inc. (Fergus Falls, Minn.) before selling to RDO Equipment Co. in 2008, knows the power of shortlines. His business “survived on shortlines” during transitions between majors in the tumultuous 1980s, before Interstate inked a contract with John Deere. “We lived on shortlines,” he recalls. “And then we took on Deere and we made money on both and had good market share.”
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