Home / Authors / Kim Schmidt

Articles by Kim Schmidt

Improving Efficiency & Costs in the Parts & Service Departments

By Kim Schmidt posted on July 15, 2017 | Posted in Best Practices, Operations & Finance, Department Management

As Ellens Equipment — Farm Equipment’s 2017 Dealership of the Year in the under $75 million in revenues category — has grown in recent years, it became clear changes in the service and parts departments were needed to help improve efficiency, reduce costs and ultimately improve the dealership’s absorption rate.


Read More
069_DOY_Ellens-Equipment_LH_0617.png

Dealership of the Year 2017: Ellens Equipment, McBain, Mich.

By Kim Schmidt posted on July 15, 2017 | Posted in Best Practices, Operations & Finance, Department Management
What do you get when the son of the local New Holland dealer marries the daughter of the local Case IH dealer? While this sounds like the start to a bad joke, it’s actually the foundation of the Ellens Equipment ownership team, a couple who knows a thing or two about running a successful dealership and who treats the business like another one of their children (including knowing when it’s time to let them spread their wings).
Read More
Kim Schmidt
From the Desk of Kim Schmidt

‘Right to Repair’ Battle Continues

By Kim Schmidt posted on June 26, 2017
On June 22, the U.S. Copyright Office issued a report in which it essentially said they’re tired of having to review exemptions to Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyrights Act every 3 years and industry by industry. If that’s the case, we could be talking about — or maybe just waiting on — the issue for quite some time if the speed at which Congress does anything is any indication.
Read More
143-DOY_VanWall_JL_0616_Clipped.png
Special Report

Parts Success is a '2-Way Street' with Manufacturers

Dealers & manufacturers need to work together to promote & take advantage of parts programs that can help improve margins.
By Kim Schmidt posted on June 10, 2017 | Posted in Best Practices, Department Management
If your strategy for selling parts is relying on walk-in traffic or the service department, you’re missing out on opportunities. “Dealers who are relying on walk-in traffic are the dealers who are complaining about their parts business.
Read More
Kschmidt2_sm.png
To the Point

Making Parts Sales Sexy

By Kim Schmidt posted on June 10, 2017 | Posted in Best Practices, Department Management
The parts department isn’t a particularly sexy department, so most dealers usually put their focus on the sales department. We haven’t been that way. Parts first is how we look at ourselves.” That’s what one dealer recently told me when I asked him what set his dealership apart. He went on to explain how the parts department is the first priority when it comes to training, showroom space and merchandising.
Read More
Kschmidt2_sm.png
To the Point

Making Parts Sales Sexy

By Kim Schmidt posted on June 8, 2017 | Posted in Best Practices, Department Management
"The parts department isn’t a particularly sexy department, so most dealers usually put their focus on the sales department. We haven’t been that way. Parts first is how we look at ourselves.” That’s what one dealer recently told me when I asked him what set his dealership apart. He went on to explain how the parts department is the first priority when it comes to training, showroom space and merchandising.
Read More

Top Articles

Current Issue

View More

Must Read Free Eguides

Download these helpful knowledge building tools

View More

Farm Equipment Videos

Big Dealer Consolidation Continues in 2024

Big Dealer Consolidation Continues in 2024

In this episode of On the Record, brought to you by Weasler Engineering, we break down the key takeaways from Ag Equipment Intelligence's newly released 2024 Big Dealer Report. In the Technology Corner, Noah Newman shows us how cover crop planting could be done autonomously. Also in this episode, CNH Industrial reports a drop in ag sales, AGCO combine and application equipment sales are down year-over-year and a UK New Holland factory strike could impact North America.

View More
Top Directory Listings

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.
MonTag

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.

Machinery-Scope-Finance-Scope.png

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.
View More