The Farm Equipment Manufacturer's Assn.'s 2018 Fall Marketing & Distribution Convention is set for Oct. 30-Nov. 1 in Minneapolis. 

Mike Wiles of AskTractorMike.com and a columnist for Rural Lifestyler Dealer will moderate a dealer panel at the convention about shortline offerings; take part in a panel discussion about marketing farm equipment online; and lead a session in which he offers feedback on member companies’ YouTube channels.

The panel discussion on shortlines will address how the equipment can remain on dealers' lots during this climate of mergers and acquisitions. Panelists include: 

• Scott Beach, store manager at Grinnell Implement Store in Grinnell, Iowa, a Case IH dealer and family-owned operation. Beach also served as technician, salesman, and service manager.
• Jim Wood, chief sales and operations officer at Rocky Mountain Equipment, which is focused primarily on CNH brands. It operates 37 dealerships across three Canadian provinces. Rocky Mountain launched in 2012 to consolidate a number of brands. Wood has been in farm equipment sales for nearly 3 decades.
• Jay Funke is president of Del-Clay Farm Equipment in Edgewood, Iowa. The dealership, which was founded in 1947, has been operated by the Funke family since 1992. Del-Clay represents Agco, Bobcat, Kawasaki, Krone, and New Holland.
• Keith Kreps is executive vice president at RDO Equipment Co., which is based in North Dakota. The Deere dealership has more than 75 stores in nine states and partnerships worldwide. RDO was founded in 1968; Kreps has been with the company since 1998.
• BJ Knutson is Chief Operating Officer of Titan Machinery, which owns and operates a network of full-service agriculture and construction equipment dealerships in the United States and Europe. Its primary new equipment manufacturer partner is the CNH family of brands. Knutson joined Titan in 2002 in sales and worked as store manager, complex manager, region manager, and vice president of Ag before becoming COO.

Register here.