This issue features an in-depth look at the Equipment Dealers Assn.’s 2016 Dealer-Manufacturer Relations Survey report. Dealers provided a record number of responses this year, both in the number of dealers who responded and the individual ratings given.
“Small equipment sales continue to trend strong,” said one dealer in response to Ag Equipment Intelligence’s June 2016 Dealer Sentiments & Business Conditions survey. It was one of few positive comments offered by dealers as sales of large ag equipment continue to struggle to find any traction in reversing a nearly 3 year slump in sales. Unfortunately, the June sales figures from the Assn. of Equipment Manufacturers marked the 29th month of large ag year-over-year declines, according to Mircea (Mig) Dobre, machinery analyst with RW Baird.
Outdoor power equipment (OPE) manufacturers outperformed all other manufacturers in the 2016 Equipment Dealers Assn.’s (EDA) Dealer-Manufacturer Relations Survey. LS Tractor, a compact and utility tractor manufacturer, received the Dealer’s Choice award for tractor manufacturers. John Deere received the Dealer’s Choice Award for full-line manufacturers.
A total of 2,321 individual dealers participated in the 2016 Equipment Dealers Assn.’s (EDA) Dealer-Manufacturer Relations Survey, ranking a total of 55 manufacturers. Here’s a breakdown of the ratings for the categories of all manufacturers, OPE, tractor and shortline manufacturers as well as a breakdown for individual rural equipment manufacturers.
Grasshopper earned the Dealer’s Choice Award for outdoor power equipment manufacturers in the 2016 Equipment Dealers Assn.’s annual Dealer-Manufacturer Relations Survey Report — the second year in a row the company achieved that recognition.
The utility task vehicle (UTV) market grew 16% in 2014, 8% in 2015 and will grow this year, according to Power Products Marketing, a research and consulting firm that works with OEMs, suppliers and others.
Greg Boeder, senior partner with Power Products Marketing, outlines the trends for the different segments within the utility vehicle category: pure utility vehicle (PUV); utility crossover vehicle (UCV); recreational utility vehicle (RUV); sport recreational vehicle (SRV); and super sport vehicle (SSV).
With summer sales of lawn and garden equipment in full swing, Ed Prochaska, co-owner of Prairie Power Center, always has a full list of things to do at his dealership in Sun Prairie, Wis.
Ed Prochaska, co-owner of Prairie Power Center, grew tired of mowing his extra acre of land. He had purchased the land to combat the quickly expanding commercial development area just off Highway 151 in Sun Prairie, Wis.
Tim Havens started Falls Farm & Garden Equipment in 1982 in Hudson Falls, N.Y., when he was just 20 years old and still in college. He was finishing up his degree at the local community college and would close the store when he needed to leave for class.
Daniel Unruh and his wife, Patty, live the rural lifestyle, both at their home property outside of Spokane, Wash., and a recreational property in nearby Priest River, Idaho. The retired couple needs equipment to help with maintenance, improvement projects and reduce manual labor. Unruh has worked with several dealers over the years, but Jordan Sales & Service of Post Falls, Idaho, has won him over.
Jordan Sales & Service of Post Falls, Idaho, was just 3 years old when it was named Rural Lifestyle Dealer’s Dealership of the Year in 2009. Today, the company is celebrating its 10th anniversary — the same milestone as Rural Lifestyle Dealer — and the fourth generation is now working in the dealership.
We’re in an age with lots of negativity, and we’re incredibly busy. Couple the seasonality of the equipment business and resulting fatigue with some difficult customers and it’s easy to have a short fuse. It’s a challenge for everyone, from the owner down, to build relationships at all times … especially with non-customers.
The nice thing about working in a dealership is that just about everything that happens has a number associated with it. This allows you to measure and determine how each department or employee is performing. For example, in the service department, we look at recovery and service technician efficiency. In the parts department, we look at profit margins, fill rates, transaction times and transaction values. And in the sales department, we focus on profit margins, transaction values, closing ratios and sales funnels.
Outdoor power equipment (OPE) manufacturers outperformed all other manufacturers in the 2016 Equipment Dealers Assn.’s (EDA) Dealer-Manufacturer Relations Survey. LS Tractor, a compact and utility tractor manufacturer, received the Dealer’s Choice award for tractor manufacturers. John Deere received the Dealer’s Choice Award for full-line manufacturers.
The utility task vehicle (UTV) market grew 16% in 2014, 8% in 2015 and will grow this year, according to Power Products Marketing, a research and consulting firm that works with OEMs, suppliers and others.
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Virginia Beach-based STIHL Inc., produces a full line of high-quality, handheld outdoor power equipment including blowers, trimmers, brushcutters, and multi-task tools, as well as the number one selling brand of chainsaws worldwide. STIHL Inc. manufactures over 260 model variations of handheld outdoor power equipment for sale in the U.S. and around the world.