“As dealers we need to know what we need to be doing today to be successful and figure out what our action plan is to achieve our goals,” says Ron Birkey, chairman of Birkey’s Farm Stores.
The year 2015 may well be a trying one for many farm equipment dealerships. Recent record profits and tax incentives have allowed farmers to own a fleet of new or nearly new equipment. In the future, equipment purchases may be severely restricted if there are changes in earnings or tax rules.
In this part of the special report, the Western Equipment Dealers Assn. (WEDA) provided an analysis of finances and operations of a hypothetical dealership named Brookfield Farm Equipment, or BFE, using the 2014 Cost of Doing Business study for comparison purposes. This particular dealer would fall in the larger group of dealers with more than $75 million in annual sales.
Any farm equipment dealer who's been around more than a few years knows how dramatically this business has changed. For one thing, everything about agriculture seems to have gotten bigger: bigger dealers with bigger sales territories; bigger customers with bigger demands; bigger and more expensive equipment; bigger top and bottom lines.
While some farm equipment dealers have managed to attain 100%-plus parts and service absorption rates, the industry as a whole only achieves about a 62% rate, according to the 2014 Western Equipment Dealers Assn.’s Cost of Doing Business study. The industry’s benchmark for absorption is 80%-plus. At the same time, ag equipment dealers are often compared to construction equipment and other dealers who handle heavy equipment and typically achieve higher absorption rates.
While Farm Equipment’s special report on dealers cost of doing business, which appeared in its June 2015 issue, covers the period of 1970 through 2014 in 5-year increments, the data actually goes all the way back to 1947. The following charts track four of farm equipment dealers’ financial measurements for the 11 year period between 1947-1957.
Two of the most important responsibilities of an equipment salesperson are to maintain relationships with existing customers while simultaneously securing new customers. One of the primary responsibilities of the dealer/sales manager, therefore, is to see that those responsibilities are done efficiently and effectively. One way of accomplishing this is to establish meaningful territories for each salesperson and to periodically review how each salesperson is performing within that territory.
The technology behind variable frequency drives (VFD) is nothing new in machine shops and various other industrial applications. But with the advent of faster and more precise switching capabilities of modern microprocessors, the mechanically simple, multi-speed, multi-voltage, variable reluctance motors used in VFDs are poised to make a move into agricultural applications.
A coach’s job is to foster one-to-one relationships that challenge people to rise to higher levels of competence and responsibility. This article will discuss three key characteristics of an effective coach.
The year 2015 may well be a trying one for many farm equipment dealerships. Recent record profits and tax incentives have allowed farmers to own a fleet of new or nearly new equipment. In the future, equipment purchases may be severely restricted if there are changes in earnings or tax rules.
In this part of the special report, the Western Equipment Dealers Assn. (WEDA) provided an analysis of finances and operations of a hypothetical dealership named Brookfield Farm Equipment, or BFE, using the 2014 Cost of Doing Business study for comparison purposes. This particular dealer would fall in the larger group of dealers with more than $75 million in annual sales.
Any farm equipment dealer who's been around more than a few years knows how dramatically this business has changed. For one thing, everything about agriculture seems to have gotten bigger: bigger dealers with bigger sales territories; bigger customers with bigger demands; bigger and more expensive equipment; bigger top and bottom lines.
While some farm equipment dealers have managed to attain 100%-plus parts and service absorption rates, the industry as a whole only achieves about a 62% rate, according to the 2014 Western Equipment Dealers Assn.’s Cost of Doing Business study. The industry’s benchmark for absorption is 80%-plus. At the same time, ag equipment dealers are often compared to construction equipment and other dealers who handle heavy equipment and typically achieve higher absorption rates.
“As dealers we need to know what we need to be doing today to be successful and figure out what our action plan is to achieve our goals,” says Ron Birkey, chairman of Birkey’s Farm Stores.
The year 2015 may well be a trying one for many farm equipment dealerships. Recent record profits and tax incentives have allowed farmers to own a fleet of new or nearly new equipment. In the future, equipment purchases may be severely restricted if there are changes in earnings or tax rules.
In this part of the special report, the Western Equipment Dealers Assn. (WEDA) provided an analysis of finances and operations of a hypothetical dealership named Brookfield Farm Equipment, or BFE, using the 2014 Cost of Doing Business study for comparison purposes. This particular dealer would fall in the larger group of dealers with more than $75 million in annual sales.
Any farm equipment dealer who's been around more than a few years knows how dramatically this business has changed. For one thing, everything about agriculture seems to have gotten bigger: bigger dealers with bigger sales territories; bigger customers with bigger demands; bigger and more expensive equipment; bigger top and bottom lines.
In this episode of On the Record, brought to you by Associated Equipment Distributors, we take a look at how the flooding in Texas will impact the ag industry and check in with some dealers in the region.
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.