Dealership Minds Summit Updates

Mark Kreps & Steve Connelly Memorial Lecture: Controlling What You Can Control

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

To close out the Summit, Stan Vardell, Greenway Equipment’s vice president of parts operations, highlights what he has learned during his 3+ decades working both in the dealership and OEM aftermarket business that helps the Greenway team maximize their parts and service operations.

Titan Machinery’s Journey to a ‘Fully Absorbed Culture’

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Brad Meyer, director of service operations for Titan Machinery, highlights the impactful steps the 69 store Case IH dealership group has taken over the last decade to transform absorption from a metric into a deeply ingrained culture.

Dealership of the Year Alumni Panel

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

During this "fan favorite" panel discussion, you’ll get top tips from industry leaders on how to move the needle in improving your absorption rate.

‘Ahead of the Curve’ Product Learning Lab

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

In this Classroom Session, you’ll get a glimpse into the future of farm technology with experts from Sentera, ReEnvision Ag and more sharing their groundbreaking innovations.

Troubleshooting from a Centralized Location

Thu, 22 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Andrew Sullivan, technical support manager, provides an inside look at how UAT’s Technical Services monitors the connected machines from one location, allowing the dealership to alert customers and local service teams to problems before they happen.

Dealer Toolbox — Technology & Other Tools to Help Get Absorption Under Control

Thu, 08 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

In this sales-focused session, Dean Devore dives into the techniques you need to successfully upsell in your parts and service departments and as a result grow your bottom line and make sure customers have everything they need.

Upselling Parts & Service

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Strengthening Rental Operations and Expanding Absorption Coverage

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 06:00:00 -0400

Industry veteran and consultant George Keen joins us on the General Session stage for this informative session on how rental operations can expand your absorption coverage.

Maximizing Profitability Through Expense Absorption: A Hands-On Workshop for Agricultural Equipment Dealers

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 06:00:00 -0400

Don’t miss this pre-summit workshop with George Keen for an opportunity to gain real world financial clarity and practical dealership solutions.

Diagnosing Dealership Success — Boosting Absorption by 30 Points in 10 Years

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0400

In this can’t miss presentation, Sam Ives, analyst with Salem Farm Supply, details which factors can correlate to a higher absorption rate using historical and empirical data.

Growing the Next Generation of Dealership Leaders

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In this can’t miss Keynote session, Klinefelter shares what he has learned as a business leader about growing the business and its next generation of leaders.

Dealer-to-Dealer Panel: Organizational Structures for Leadership Support

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

As dealerships expand and add locations, there comes a point when the CEO can no longer properly oversee all aspects of the business. Executives from 3 dealerships share how they updated their organizational structures and management layers to lead the business.

Why an ESOP Might be the Answer You’re Seeking

Mon, 27 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Birkey’s CFO and Treasurer Ben Mast details the ins and outs of why and how the dealership group made the switch from private ownership to an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP).

Leadership Transition Starts with Career Paths

Fri, 24 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In this can’t miss session, John Hawkins, director of sales & marketing, details how the 12-store group compounded its recruitment via “career-path” retention.

Growing with the Business...What the Next Generation Learned from Rapid Growth

Mon, 13 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Johnson Tractor (Dealership of the Year Alumni Group) is on double duty at this year’s Summit, but this time the 3rd generation takes the stage to share what really happened as it entered a time of rapid growth.

Advancing Your Team with Internal Development Programs

Mon, 06 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

During this can’t miss general session, Dusty Schulz, executive director – regional operations, walks attendees through the programs Butler has built to grow its employees and prepare them for future roles.

"Building Your Management Bench" with Wayne Brozek

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In this focused session "Building Your Bench", former dealer executive Wayne Brozek digs into the ins and outs of identifying, preparing and executing a program that builds your management bench.

Johnson Tractor Details Decade-Long Succession Journey

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 13:00:00 -0400

In this special session, recently retired Leo Johnson (chairman) & Eric Reuterskiold (president/CEO) of Johnson Tractor (Dealership of the Year Alumni Group) rewind the clock and describe the succession plan they carefully scripted in 2011 and fully executed in 2021.

New Session Added to 2023 Dealership Minds Summit

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 12:20:00 -0400

Richard J. Bryan -- Speaker, Author and Business Growth Coach -- is making his first appearance before dealers of all colors at the DMS. Come ready to work! This interactive session will get you and the other dealers at your table participating, sharing and discussing the solutions that will improve your sales leadership effectiveness to create margins of time necessary to “work on” your growing business.

Pre-Summit Workshop Added to 9th Annual Dealership Minds Summit

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 16:40:43 -0400

The editors of Farm Equipment magazine announced that the 2023 Dealership Minds Summit, being held in Bloomington, Ill. on Aug. 1-2, 2023, added a limited-seating, pre-Summit workshop to the event schedule – Dealership Transitions: Growing or Going?

Quick Pivots, No Wasted Crisis & ‘Iron Sharpening Iron’

mlessiter@lesspub.com — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Instead of calling Omaha home for the first week of August this year, the COVID-19 pandemic grounded us for our 2 national conferences we hold each year (Dealership Minds Summit for machinery dealers and the National Strip-Tillage Conference for growers.)

First Ever Virtual Dealership Minds Summit Wraps Up After 3 Days of Interactive Learning and Networking with the Brightest Remarketing Minds in the Industry

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 09:00:00 -0400

The 2020 Dealership Minds Summit, held virtually for the first time ever, drew a crowd of 235 attendees, including 102 different dealerships across 33 states, 4 Canadian provinces and Australia, and featured 19 speakers.

Farm Equipment Editors Announce the 2020 Dealership Minds Summit Will Be Held Virtually, August 3-5

Fri, 19 Jun 2020 16:37:00 -0400

The editors of Farm Equipment announced that the 6th Annual Dealership Minds Summit will be held virtually, August 3-5, 2020.

Farm Equipment Editors Share 2020 Dealership Minds Summit Theme: ‘Used Equipment & Profit-Turning Trades’

Fri, 07 Feb 2020 00:00:00 -0500

The editors of Farm Equipment announced that the 6th Annual Dealership Minds Summit will be returning to Omaha, Neb., on Aug. 4-5, 2020.

Sold Out Crowd Gathers in Peoria to Discover Leading Dealership Sales Management Strategies at the 2019 Dealership Minds Summit

Wed, 31 Jul 2019 14:42:00 -0400

The 2019 Dealership Minds Summit, held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton East Peoria Riverfront Hotel & Conference Center in Peoria, Ill., July 30-31, drew a sold out crowd of 250 attendees, including 88 different dealerships across 30 states and 4 provinces.

Will I See You at the Dealership Minds Summit?

kschmidt@lessitermedia.com — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 00:00:00 -0400

A year ago at the Summit, we talked about marketing’s role in filling the customer pipeline for the sales team and how to build out qualified leads using data. But the work doesn’t stop there.

Record Crowd Gathers in Iowa City to Discover Leading Ag Equipment Marketing Strategies at the 2018 Dealership Minds Summit

Wed, 25 Jul 2018 20:00:00 -0400

The 2018 Dealership Minds Summit, held at the Coralville Marriott Hotel & Conference Center in Iowa City, Iowa, July 24-25, drew a sold out crowd of 264 attendees, including 115 different dealerships across 28 states and 5 provinces.

Proving Your Marketing ROI

Sat, 05 May 2018 00:00:00 -0400

Marketing Director and member of John Deere’s North American marketing council scheduled to present strategies for showing the ROI behind dealers’ marketing tactics at 2018 Dealership Minds Summit.

Taking Your Marketing into Your Own Hands

Wed, 02 May 2018 00:00:00 -0400

Backed by the theme “Intelligence Driven Marketing” the 2018 Dealership Minds Summit in Iowa City, July 24-25, welcomes three of the best minds in the business, Doug Vahrenberg, Owner of Vahrenberg Implement, Ben Garton, Chief Marketing Officer of Garton Tractor, and Lee Parish, Owner of Parish Tractor.

2018 Dealership Minds Summit Peer-to-Peer Roundtable Discussion Topics Announced

Tue, 01 May 2018 00:00:00 -0400

The 2018 Dealership Minds Summit has released the agenda for 16 dealer-to-dealer interactive roundtable discussions guaranteed to provide marketing ideas that can be immediately implemented into any marketing strategy.