The judges for Farm Equipment's 2013 Dealership of the Year program report that selecting this year's award winners may have been their most difficult challenge since the recognition series was established in 2005. But they made their choices and the 2013 Dealerships of the Year are: Stotz Equipment, a 23-store network based in Avondale, Ariz., in the over $50 million in annual revenue category; and Lake County International, a single-store dealer located in Madison, S.D., in the under $50 million revenue category.
The last time Stotz Machinery (known then as Arizona Machinery) graced the cover of Farm Equipment (featuring the Avondale location’s famed saguaro cactus) was in April/May 2005 (“Making Multi-Stores Manageable”). What captured attention at the time was the firm’s ability to manage 13 stores (a large number for those days) in 4 states from a remote location.
On paper, the two 2013 Dealerships of the Year covered in this issue of Farm Equipment couldn't be farther apart. One Stotz Equipment has 23 locations in 8 states, 380 employees and revenues last year of $235 million. The other Lake County International has 1 location covering a small region in South Dakota, with 22 employees and annual revenues of just over $25 million. (For the record, until 1997, Stotz was a 3-store dealership.)
The 21-part 2013 Farm Equipment Dealership of the Year video series is sponsored by PFW Systems, a leading provider of management software for equipment dealerships throughout North America.
In this episode of On the Record, brought to you by Associated Equipment Distributors, we look at President Trump's tariff reduction on ag equipment, the latest dealer sales forecasts, and how high input costs are keeping farmer sentiment down.
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.
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.
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.