In order to make one’s dealership better, investing in leaders is crucial. Brett Barriage, CEO of Premier Equipment, a 10-store John Deere dealership based in Ont., discussed this during the first of a two-part leadership development presentation at the 2018 Western Development Dealers Assn. (WEDA) International Dealer Conference, Scottsdale, Ariz.

In this interview, Mike Lessiter, Editor/Publisher of Farm Equipment, takes the rare opportunity to interview four ag executives — spanning two generations — from Vermeer Manufacturing. Sitting around the founder’s family table in Pella, Iowa, the group shares the story of how the invention of the round baler lead to their present-day international operation.

The new year brings with it many fresh starts, including the start of new legislative sessions at the state and federal level. In this live, free webinar event, Eric Wareham, VP Government Affairs for the Western Equipment Dealers Assn., will discuss legislative priorities for dealers across North America. From taxes to data security, the legalization of cannabis and the status of right to repair initiatives, we will cover a range of topics that legislatures will take up this year that could affect your dealership. Register now >>

In this interview, Mike Lessiter sits down with Lars Paulsson from Laforge Systems, the North American presence of the company that he cofounded in 1991 with Laforge owner and inventor Hubert DeFrancq of France. The two go way back, and jokes abound, but so does insight on the company that supplies the hitches you see on the fronts of tractors today.

"In our territory, securing capital for our customers is going to be a challenge,” says Tom Rosztoczy, Stotz Equipment president. “We have banks pressuring farmers to limit spending, questioning how money is spent, and trying to control farmer spending as much as they can to keep the farmers operating within the parameters the banks want to see.”