Summit Speaker Hosts Webinar on Farmer Buying
The webinar will cover results of a survey of farmers and their use of websites, catalogs, YouTube and other tools in researching and buying parts and equipment.
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Stimulus Checks Drive Soaring Personal Income
A third round of pandemic-relief checks powered the greatest gain in monthly personal income since record-keeping began.
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Tips for Entering Trade Markets
Only 5 percent of the world’s consumers live in the United States. Selling to exclusively domestic markets could significantly limit business potential.
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Low-Tax States Fare Well as Population Shifts
“People have been voting with their feet for 60 years, and the verdict is clear: People prefer economic policies that generate growth and jobs without increasing taxes,” wrote a newspaper columnist.
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OSHA Reverses Course on COVID Emergency Standards
OSHA has changed its mind and says it now will issue Emergency Temporary Standards that employers will be expected to follow related to COVID-19 in the workplace. Final rules are expected in June.
Read moreIn Memoriam: Terry James Butzirus
Butzirus sold advertising and ran farm shows for Nebraska Farmer magazine. He also founded and coached two baseball teams.
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African Swine Fever Hits Germany, Disrupts Exports
The outbreak appears unlikely to end soon, with infections still abundant in neighboring Poland.
Read moreAssociation Plans to Revitalize Committees
Committees are “one of the legs of a three-legged stool,” says Matt Rice. “We have the elected leadership to guide us, the staff to execute the plans, and the committees to serve in that liaison role between industry and Association and help us shape programming.”
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Democrats Tie Infrastructure to Union Path
Supporters say it would ensure jobs created by the infrastructure proposal are higher-paying. Opponents say the legislation would impose sweeping changes to labor laws that have little to do with the president’s spending plan and amount to a giveaway to unions.
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Rubber: The New Toilet Paper in an Era of Shortages
“I’ve got everybody alerted that I’ll take materials as fast as they can get it to me,” said Gary Busch, director of global procurement at Carlstar Group, which makes tires for agriculture and off-road vehicles.
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Farmers’ First Step in Equipment Shopping: Online
In survey results exploring farmers’ buying behaviors, researchers found that social media ranks low among strategies for shopping. Print catalogs fare as well as YouTube.
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Most States to Offer Businesses COVID Protection
Fifteen states have adopted laws that provide businesses civil liability protection from COVID-19 claims. Another 23 states have similar pending legislation. Several states are considering vaccine-related laws.
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Association Webinar: Navigating COVID-19 Laws
David James will present a 30-minute virtual session April 28 on the legal questions emerging in the workplace around COVID-19. Contact Matt Rice to register.
Read moreTractor/Combine Sales
Percentage increases in tractor sales in the U.S. and Canada are in the high double-digits, even climbing into triple digits in one category.
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Farm Equipment Sales Index Matches 2013 High
In other news, bankers reported that approximately 9.1 percent of farmland sales over the past the six months have gone to nonfarmer investors.
Read moreHaven Steel Buys CSI
Member company Haven Steel Products, Inc., is the new owner of Cutting Specialists, Inc., also an Association member.
Read moreRaven Buys Intellectual Property from Jaybridge
“Having this technology will allow us to accelerate the development of vehicle automation for agriculture equipment applications,” said Raven executive Jared Kocer.
Read moreFarm Equipment Sales Improve at Art’s Way
Sales for the quarter that ended Feb. 28 increased by 7.5 percent compared to the first quarter of 2020.
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Yellow Corp. Changes Leadership
Harris has been charged with not only instituting a companywide transformation to modernize the way freight is delivered but also to expand and enhance the services available to Yellow.
Read moreScenes from Supply Summit
A smaller-than-usual but happy-to-be-there group gathered in Kansas City for a first-in-17-months Association convention. There were differences, but what was unmistakably the same was members’ eagerness to reconnect, learn, and tend to business.
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ASABE to Develop Standard for Dry Fertilizer Spreaders
The standard will apply specifically to equipment with spread capability greater than 60 feet.
Read moreDeere Expands in Africa
The company seeks to benefit from a rollout of infrastructure and urbanization across the continent.
Read moreCNH Buys Stake in UK Firm, Launches Dealer Platform
The closed networks of the dealer platform will enable dealers to move items taken on trade, aging assets, and other equipment to others in the network.
Read moreDealer News
See the latest, including an acquisition and a promotion.
Read moreMahindra, Kubota Collaborate
The Japanese farming population is aging and shrinking, which is driving a shift to large-scale operations and driving demand for savings on labor and operations.
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AgJunction Revenue Drops by More Than Half
“I don’t think anyone could have predicted just how disruptive 2020 would be …,” said CEO Dr. M. Brett McMickell.
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Soybean-Spiking Scheme Leads to Prison Time
Soybeans, trading near the highest levels since 2014, currently fetch almost four times the price of oats. That motivated a GM of a warehouse in Iowa to add oats to grains sold as wholly containing soybeans.
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Ocean Carriers Report Blockbuster Year
If carriers that do not report financials fared as well as those that do, estimates are that the fourth quarter net profit for the industry was a staggering $9 billion, making it the best quarter ever.
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Farmers’ Moods Remain Positive
In March, producers continued to be relatively optimistic about making farm machinery purchases and capital investments in their farming operations.
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Get Pointers on Equipment Repurchase Obligations
Disagreements between manufacturers and distributors or dealers about post-termination equipment repurchase obligations can blossom into full-blown lawsuits. Avoid that with these tips.
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Administration Extends PPP
Congress has extended the Paycheck Protection Program application period. It also added an employee retention credit for disasters other than COVID-19, including the recent severe weather. Employers should look again at the employee retention credit to see if they might qualify.
Read moreJeff Leonard Named as Alamo Group CEO
Robinson will remain at Alamo Group through Aug. 1 to assist in the transition. He service as a member of the Board of Directors will continue beyond his departure from the company.
Read moreAgritechnica Reschedules
The DLG (German Agricultural Society) has postponed Agritechnica.
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Considerations When Using Criminal Background Checks
The EEOC advises employers conducting background checks on candidates to weigh three factors: the nature and gravity of the offense, the time that has passed since conviction, and
the nature of the job sought.
Summit: COVID Protocols, Individual Responsibilities
As part of our work to assure everyone’s safety, we ask every attendee to also commit to these protocols in accordance with the policies of the city of Kansas City and Marriott hotels.
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Travel Comeback? Airlines Enjoy Big Month
Airports screened nearly 1.5 million passengers on Friday. That compares to about 621,000 on the same weekday last year and 2.5 million in 2019. The comparison offers a dramatic contrast in one year’s gain but brings into focus how far the industry has to go to be restored.
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Mainstreet Index Rockets to Record High
The March farm equipment-sales index rose to 63.5, its highest reading since February 2013.
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Use Your Website to Build Your Workforce
Manufacturers should market job opportunities on their website with the same focus they bring to marketing their products. It is an entry point to the opportunities and the culture.
Read moreMembers’ Operational Excellence Series Begins
The Association introduced this series to move past the foundational work of operational excellence and dive more deeply into issues that matter most to our members.
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Nucor to Build Tube Mill in Midwest
The $164 million project is expected to be complete in two years. It will have the capacity to produce approximately 250,000 tons of hollow structural section tubing, mechanical steel tubing and galvanized solar torque tube.
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States Challenge Biden’s Order on Keystone Pipeline
Multiple reviews by the U.S. Department of State spanning two administrations have found the pipeline would pose little or no environmental harm, including no negative effects on climate.
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Rail Acquisition Supports USMCA
The merger will provide direct rail service throughout Canada down to central Mexico and key agricultural and manufacturing hubs through the center of the U.S.
Read moreAg Groups React to Trade Rep Confirmation
New trade chief brings experience on China at a time when stakes are especially high.
Read moreDealer News
Check out highlights of earnings reports from Cervus and Titan Machinery, and catch up on an expansion and acquisition in Virginia.
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CEO Predicts Decline in Attachment Market
Dawn Equipment CEO Joe Bassett said he believes growers are trending away from customizing their equipment through attachments: “The aftermarket era, where growers assemble a lot of aftermarket options to customize their planters, I think is over.”
Read moreMacDon Expands in Winnipeg
Pent-up demand is driving the addition of jobs in fabrication, machine shop, welding, painting and assembly.
Read moreAgrisolutions Names New Global President
Tim Dunn is relinquishing the role of president of Agrisolutions-North America. He will remain with Agrisolutions until late this year.
Read moreDeere Reman to Add Jobs in Midwest
The change will add drivetrain and hydraulic manufacturing operations in Springfield, Mo.
Read moreAgritechnica Unphased by Recent Exhibitor Withdrawal
In spite of decisions from two significant exhibitors to skip the show in November, organizers say the space is 90 percent booked and preparations continue.
Read moreNews, Status Reports from ASABE
The society has adopted a standard on sprayers and liquid fertilizer distributors. John Fisher offers updates on the status of several other projects.
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