Rural Lifestyle Dealer’s managing editor, Lynn Woolf, recently addressed the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce’s agri-business committee and shared key statistics from the magazine’s 2013 Dealer Business Trends & Outlook survey. Reno County is in south central Kansas and Hutchinson is the county seat.

The committee includes manufacturers, farmers, lenders, lawyers, ag co-op representatives and others from the area’s business community and Woolf was invited to offer insights and perspective on the rural equipment market.

“Nearly 40% of rural lifestyle dealers expect revenues to increase by 2-7%. Tractors, zero-turn mowers, rotary cutters and utility vehicles offer the most potential for increasing dealer revenues,” says Woolf.

Dealers are also positive about aftermarket revenues. Nearly half see sales of parts and service increasing by 2% or more in the year ahead, according to the survey.

Woolf says that the survey reinforces the fact that rural lifestylers view their dealers as experts. In more than 70% of the cases where a dealer recommends a certain product, customers accept their recommendation.

Another positive sign for dealers serving this segment: More than 56% of dealers say customer numbers have increased since 2007 and 11% define that growth as 20% or more.

Woolf also shares the top concerns for rural lifestyle dealers, with health care programs and costs being at the top of the list. Other major concerns are low sales margins, finding good employees, the unemployment rate and customer access to credit.

Rural Lifestyle Dealer is the leading media connection to the rural dealer market and is published by Lessiter Publications. View the latest digital edition. For more information about the Trends & Outlook survey, contact Woolf, lwoolf@lesspub.com. The complete survey will soon post at www.rurallifestyledealer.com.