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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

ARTICLES

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Competition Calls & Farm Equipment Responds

An unexpected phone call spurred fast action that protected the brand while gaining access to an acquisition partner
By Mike Lessiter posted on September 27, 2023 | Posted in Manufacturer & Dealer Issues
Farm Equipment was well ahead in every measurable criterion — advertising market share, editorial pages, ad pages and revenue. Things were proceeding nicely, and I wouldn’t say we were complacent but perhaps a shakeup was needed.
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Trying to Get ‘Lift Off’

Lessiter Media’s first 12 months with Farm Equipment were trying, but perseverance, planning & a serendipitous visit from a former mentor changed its fate
By Mike Lessiter posted on September 26, 2023 | Posted in Best Practices
Despite the honeymoon period following our statement-making first issue, the rest of 2004 proved challenging.
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Farm Equipment Magazine’s ‘Origin Story’

A farmer dabbling in trade publishing & an unpaid printer bill brought Johnson Hill Press 2 key opportunities in the late 1960s
By Mike Lessiter posted on September 26, 2023 | Posted in Best Practices
A publishing genealogist could argue that the family tree of Farm Equipment dates back to 1957, 47 years before Lessiter Media acquired the publication.
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Looking Back on ‘A New-Era Contract’

By Mike Lessiter posted on September 21, 2023
This year marks 55 years of Farm Equipment magazine and 20 years of ownership by our family-run company, Lessiter Media. Below is my first column (“A New-Era Contract”), from the August/September 2004 edition, written weeks after acquiring the magazine.
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A Labor Day Message: What Work Has Taught Me…

By Mike Lessiter posted on September 3, 2023
This morning, as part of a Labor Day message at church (“The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard,” Matthew 20), our pastor recapped the jobs he had in his lifetime. It spurred a conversation with my 17-year-old, Hayden, as he starts his senior year of high school.
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Manufacturer Hall of Fame

The inaugural class of Farm Equipment’s ‘Shortline Legends’ made a permanent dent in the ag equipment universe
By Mike Lessiter posted on August 28, 2023

Earlier this year, we announced a program that would properly record — for posterity — the individuals whose innovations impacted the machinery and dealer distribution industry in North America over the last 55 years.


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Shortline Legends

Celebrating the Innovations of Independent Farm Equipment Manufacturers: Roy Applequist

With a curious mind & a wood-carved model, the founder of Great Plains Mfg. built a manufacturing empire for ag implements that would eventually help Kubota fast-track its entry into production ag
By Mike Lessiter posted on August 22, 2023 | Posted in Manufacturer News
The quiet, unassuming Roy Applequist, founder of Great Plains, was the subject of many Farm Equipment interviews since Lessiter Media acquired the magazine in 2004.
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Precision Specialist Comes to the Rescue on First Day of Planting

Precision Specialist Comes to the Rescue on First Day of Planting

Go behind the scenes with Leo Johnson and his son, Patrick, as they plant corn into strips for the first time on their 1,000-acre farm in Clinton, Wis. Jason Pennycook, precision specialist for 9-store Case IH dealer Johnson Tractor, comes to the rescue with remote support when Patrick runs into a problem with the planter in the field.

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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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