Human Connection: How Work Gets Done
As we march ahead on plans for Supply Summit 2021 in Kansas City, (Registration is open!) we take a look at related news and advice on this virtual business world.
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Author: Kristi Ruggles
Deere Sues Kinze, Ag Leader
An agricultural engineering field specialist says the Ag Leader-Kinze high-speed planter is not identical to Deere’s but it relies on a similar system to discharge the seeds.
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Suppliers Struggle, Steel Prices Soar Amid Rebound
“We can sell everything we have,” said Brad Serlin, president of United Scrap Metal Inc. “Steel mills that were out of the market all of a sudden are doing big orders.”
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Trucking Market Expected to Expand Capacity in 2021
Freight volumes have expanded beyond pre-pandemic levels. The trucking workforce, meanwhile, has contracted. Still, companies are investing in more trucks and plan to expand.
Read moreBill Gates Owns Most Farmland in U.S.
Bill and Melinda Gates own 242,000 acres of farmland in the U.S. in more than a dozen states.
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Requiring Vaccines: Employers Can But Likely Won’t
Employers appear not to be mandating vaccines. Some are offering financial incentives to encourage it.
Read moreFather and Son Announce Talent Firm
In a news release announcing the new company, the owners quoted Harvey Firestone: “The secret of my success is a two-word answer: Know people.”
Read moreDexter Acquires Redneck, Redline Products
The partnership expands the groups’ geographical footprint and provides better coverage to customers, according to Dexter.
Read moreMorris Sells to Parent Company Rite Way
A judge has approved the sale of seeding equipment manufacturer Morris Industries to parent company Rite Way Manufacturing. The restructured business will operate as Morris Equipment.
Read moreSummit Speakers Invite You to Join Research Effort
Supply Summit attendees and survey participants will be among the first to review findings of this study focused on the attitudes and beliefs that drive farmers’ buying decisions.
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Suppliers: Submit Videos, Newsletter Profiles
The Association invites suppliers to add videos to your pages in the digital directory and submit company profiles for this newsletter.
Read moreDealer News: Transition at the Top at 4Rivers
Keith Olson has retired as CEO of 4Rivers Equipment after 41 years. He will continue to guide 4Rivers as a partner and a board member. John Shearer, who was COO, succeeds Olson.
Read moreTractor/Combine Sales
With the exceptions of combine sales and sales of 4WD tractors in the U.S., big equipment sales in Canada an the U.S. were strong in December.
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Bank Survey Shows Strong Equipment Sales
The January farm equipment-sales index rose to its highest reading since April 2013.
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ASABE to Revise Braking Series Standards
Members of this Association who are not members of ASABE can receive at no cost the compilation of industry standards produced by ASABE—a $650 value.
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Shrinking Grain Supplies Send Prices Skyward
Dry weather and an uptick in demand from China has influenced the supply-and-demand scenario on grains.
Read moreTrudeau Reluctant to Reopen Border with U.S.
Trudeau’s current, pandemic-specific hesitation is not indicative of his longer-term interest in seeking what the U.S. administration seeks at the border.
Read moreAssociation Notice: Full Member Dues Deductible
The Association did not participate in activities that would require members to declare a portion of their member dues as non-deductible.
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Futurist: Broadband, Robots to Transform Ag
“Whether it’s Bezos or Musk or Loon, somebody will crack the code and we will have connectivity on the farm to connect everything together, from grain bins to soil moisture probes,” Robert Saik said.
Read moreMSEDA Cancels Midwest Ag Expo
Midwest Ag Expo has been rescheduled for January 2022. The joint annual meeting of the associations will be in February 2022.
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New Stimulus Package Expands Benefits, Eligibility
A business is eligible for the second round of PPP if they do not have more than 300 employees and can show a more than 25 percent reduction in gross receipts for any quarter in 2020.
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Circumstances Are Uncertain, the Association is Not
We will create opportunities for substantive, productive conversations with industry experts and industry peers. We promise you ideas, connections, and solutions.
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Ag Barometer: Farmers Ready to Buy
Farmers feel good about their financial positions, according to the Ag Economy Barometer. The Farm Capital Investment Index, which measures producers’ willingness to make big purchases, hit a record high in December.
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Farm Equipment Sales Index Highest Since 2003
After 86 months below growth neutral, the farm equipment sales index bounced into growth territory in December in the Rural Mainstreet Index.
Read moreMacDon’s Ross to Retire, Other Changes Announced
Ross joined MacDon in 2006 as vice president of operations and has been “instrumental in the successful development and growth of MacDon through these years,” including most recently leading the company after Linamar acquired it.
Read moreAlamo CEO Robinson Prepares to Retire
The company’s board of directors has been preparing for such a transition and anticipates naming a new president and CEO within the next several months.
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Buhler’s Sales Increase in 2020
The company attributed the increase to dealers reducing field inventory in the previous year, strong harvest conditions, and crop yields.
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Surrender Flexibility for Savings in Health Plans?
The Association is considering offering a member service to help companies defray health insurance costs. Some of you like the idea. Others are not sure. Let us know what you think.
Read moreVermeer Studies Machine Wear with Iowa State
“The basic idea of this tool is to process and analyze, in almost real-time, sensor data collected from operating machines to provide transparency to machine health and achieve near-zero breakdown performance,” a university professor said.
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In Memoriam: Clyde Jones
Jones was president of the Association in 1985. His sons and grandson continue to lead the organization he founded with them in 1988.
Read morePower Pin Leaders Retire, Sell Shares to Employees
Retiring founder and president Brian Olson said he and colleague TJ Batke are “confident our employees will take Power Pin to the next level with honesty and integrity.”
Read moreGeringhoff, Fendt Form Partnership
A new partnership between AGCO/Fendt and Carl Geringhoff Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH & Co., will expand Fendt’s range of combine harvester headers.
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Orders Underway for Fully Electric, Driverless Tractor
The tractor, which has a starting price of $50,000, can operate with or without a driver. It begins to ship this fall.
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Ag Bets on Carbon as New Cash Crop
Farmers who participate in the carbon credit programs have generally received between $7 and $40 per acre. An Iowa farmer who received a $75,000 check in November discusses the benefits.
Read moreYear Begins with Changes in Distribution Landscape
The new year arrived with news about mergers and acquisitions in the farm equipment marketplace.
Read moreSouthern Farm Show Cancels
“The idea of a show where everyone is behind a mask, show guests would be required to travel one way through the show to encourage social distancing, and good friends would not be allowed to shake hands, did not appeal to anyone,” the show manager said. “But mainly, our concern was for everyone’s health.”
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Pandemic Likely to Speed Up Rural Internet Investment
“That glaring gap of where you were able to access the technology really hit home,” said a rural internet advocate. “When I talk to members of Congress, they would say it is the first thing that comes up in a townhall.”
Read moreKinze Expands Equipment Distribution Network
Kinze Manufacturing now distributes its planters, tillage equipment and grain carts to dealers in 18 states through an agreement with General Implement Distributors.
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Mileage Reimbursement Decreases This Year
The standard business mileage rate for 2021 is 56 cents per mile, which is down 1.5 cents from 2020.
Read moreJoint Venture Between Mahindra, Ford Called Off
Ford announced the companies’ decision to scrap the joint venture after a Dec. 31 deadline passed. Economic conditions, including those brought on by the pandemic, drove the decision by the two companies.
Read moreChina’s Return to U.S. Poultry Creates Export Boon
China has become a top-two market for U.S. poultry. It is one of the few places on Earth that imports chicken feet.
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Data-Sharing on Drug Tests Affects Trucking Industry
Tens of thousands of drivers have been disqualified in the first year of a clearinghouse program that allows trucking companies to access drug test results for drivers nationwide.
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Farm Equipment Sales Index Highest Since June 2013
After 86 straight months of readings below growth neutral, farm equipment bounced into growth territory for the month.
Read moreNFMS Delays Show, One Member Returns as a ‘Test’
The National Farm Machinery Show has been delayed by seven weeks. Kasco Manufacturing will be there, but VP Paula Kaster considers it a test.
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Soaring Metal Prices Signal Recovery, Drive Up Member Costs
Tim Burenga, a member of the Association’s Board of Directors and executive at Worksaver, says the industry is seeing a “perfect storm” in material prices.
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Steel’s Big Players Move on Acquisitions
United States Steel Corp. will buy the remaining 50.1 percent stake in Big River Steel LLC, giving it ownership of one of the newest, most advanced steel mills in the country. Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. has completed its purchase of ArcelorMittal USA.
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Federal Funds to Farmers: Lopsided Portion of Income
With the boost in government aid, which is on top of the 64 percent increase in 2019, farmers are projected to see a 43 percent increase in net farm income in 2020.
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Fed Plan Unveiled Monday Includes More PPP
The first of the two-part proposal includes funds for another round of the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses, as well as money for the unemployed, schools, and vaccine distribution.
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Here’s What Most Threatens Members’ Profitability
We hope to collect more data to drive our decisions about the best services to offer members. In the meantime, take a look at partial responses to the question about what most threatens profitability at member company plants.
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AGCO Fails in Challenge of Two Patents in Deere Suit
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board characterized AGCO’s arguments as “simplistic and unpersuasive.”
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