Brad Nelson, who was a member of the board of directors for the Agricultural Manufacturers of Canada for more than a decade, has died. Nelson was the former general manager of Honey Bee in Frontier, Saskatchewan.

Charles Grassley, who serves on the Senate Ag Committee, offers his thoughts on trade deals with Canada and Mexico and countries in the Asia-Pacific region. He speculates on the possibility of a trade deal with Japan and talks about Trump’s plan to protect farmers if the deals fail.

Richard A. Unverferth, co-founder of Unverferth Manufacturing Co., Inc., was inducted posthumously into the Ag Hall of Fame in Putnam County, Ohio. His son said he would have been “humbled and appreciative.”

Farmers are worried about trade, specifically what’s at stake for soybeans. While their mood overall has soured since March, farmers’ willingness to make significant investments in equipment changed little.

With the Marketing & Distribution Convention in Minneapolis approaching this fall, the Association’s Membership Committee will focus its work on reaching out to prospective member companies within a 500-mile radius of the Twin Cities.

In 1987, 15 percent of all cropland was on farms with at least 2,000 acres. Twenty-five years later, 36 percent of cropland was on farms with at least 2,000 acres. That finding is among many in a decades-long analysis by the USDA that confirms a trend toward fewer and bigger farms.

A division of Fastline Media Group is offering a free webinar Wednesday (May 2) on how farm equipment manufacturers can convert website visitors into sales leads.

A draft of the 2018 Farm Bill released by the U.S. House of Representatives would reduce spending by about $100 billion over 10 years compared to the 2014 bill. About 90 percent of the cuts would come from the nutrition program.

The Association welcomes three membership applicants this month and thanks these member companies celebrating milestone membership anniversaries in May.

American ginseng retails for about $120 a pound, which is 1,700 times more expensive than U.S. corn. This tiny but lucrative U.S. industry, based primarily in Wisconsin, is now threatened by a 15 percent tariff imposed by China.

Committee balloting closed April 18 on the proposed changes to the current ASABE Agricultural Equipment Braking Standard. While not all comments are posted, it is clear that many in the industry do not support the change.

The state has passed a law that the governor says will right an imbalance between employees’ skills and employers’ needs.

Nearly 100 of you took the time to provide feedback about the Supply Summit & Showcase in Omaha. Thank you. If you did not complete the survey, even if you did not attend the Summit, we’d like to hear your thoughts on two key questions.

Looking for ways to offer feedback to employees that is less awkward and better received? This columnist suggests, among other things, first acknowledging what works well, being specific, and being brief.

A suburban man on a tractor led police on a low-speed chase through two Central Illinois counties last week. The chase hit an estimated top speed of 22 mph before it ended when the man on the tractor was bested by a narrow bridge.

AGCO has reported net sales of approximately $2 billion for the first quarter of 2018, an increase of about 23.3 percent compared to the first quarter of 2017.

State and local governments are increasingly adopting laws and regulations that prohibit employers from requesting salary history from job applicants. Find a link here to a database of states and cities that have passed such bans.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is hopeful that a NAFTA deal will be reached soon, but he told CNBC last week that because of elections, there is a narrow window for reaching a deal.

Terry Flanary from National Tube Supply will facilitate a roundtable conversation on steel tariffs during the Supply Summit. Because interest in the issue is intense, the Tillage Council, whose meeting conflicted with the roundtable, has rescheduled its speaker for the fall convention in Minneapolis.

Jeremy Fogo has been promoted to vice president of product, solutions and experiences at PEER Chain.

Product development engineers, manufacturers, and inventors need to prepare for the patent process. Follow these tips.

Mark Zimmer, who has been with SMA since 1973, will retire soon. Zimmer has attended all but one of the Association’s fall conventions since 1988.

The U.S. has shielded a list of allies from steel and aluminum tariffs that took effect March 23. Japan, one of the United States’ closest allies, has not been granted exemptions to the tariffs, but talks are scheduled for later this month with the country’s prime minister.

Fastline Media Group has hired Dean Barke as its chief financial officer. Barke brings 12 years of experience as a controller.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has released data on dangerous occupations. This “top 10” list compiled by Industry Week breaks down death rates by number of fatalities in 2016 and the rate of death per 100,000 workers.

Venanpri Group’s Agrisolutions division, which services the ag marketplace with its Ingersoll and Bellota brands, has acquired Trinity Logistics Corp.

China has announced tariffs of as much as 25 percent on American pork, as well as 15 percent tariffs on fruit and 120 types of commodities. The tariffs were retaliation for the 25 percent steel and 10 percent aluminum tariffs imposed by the Trump administration in March. The Association will host a roundtable on the steel tariffs at the Supply Summit in two weeks.

Art’s Way Manufacturing Co. saw a 21.4 percent increase in consolidated corporate sales during the first quarter of this fiscal year. Executives attribute the increase to greater demand for ag products and an increase in sales of modular buildings.

Jim Walker, Case IH vice president in North America, has retired effective immediately. Walker was with Case for longer than 11 years.

After three difficult years, Kuhn, which is the largest business unit of the Swiss engineering group Bucher Industries, sees “a clear recovery.” Trends are especially encouraging in Europe. The company expects the rebound in North America to lag.

Opponents to right-to-repair legislation in Oklahoma have killed the bill.

The 2018 Supplier Product Showcase in Omaha may match our all-time high participation number. Check out the companies who will exhibit and develop a plan for making the most of the showcase.

Member company GKN Shafts & Services, part of one of Britain’s oldest engineering firms, has been sold.
Melrose Industries, which specializes in turning around manufacturing businesses and selling them, bought the company with the support of 52 percent of its shareholders.

Kubota Canada Ltd. (KCL) has taken over the distribution of Great Plains equipment. The move comes two years after Kubota Corp. acquired five divisions of Great Plains.

In an always evolving industry, we value even more the stability that comes with decades-long relationships. That is why each month we celebrate the companies marking milestone membership anniversaries.

Research conducted by security firm McAfee reveals that ransomware attacks increased by 59 percent in 2017 and became more focused on operational disruption rather than financial gain.

Heritage Tractor has acquired Larson Farm and Lawn, and Koenig Equipment is acquiring the assets and operations of Buchanan Power Equipment.

A dip in sentiment among farmers measured by the Purdue/CME Ag Economy Barometer reflects uncertainty about trade. Jim Mintert, principal investigator on the barometer, will speak to members at the Supply Summit in Omaha.

Manufacturing members have until Friday to meet the deadline to participate in an Association-commissioned survey intended to provide data that allows companies to assess their business operations and finances compared to other member companies.

A 13-year-old boy was rescued Monday after falling into a river of sewage in Los Angeles and getting swept away in the mazelike underground sewer system. Searchers located him after discovering a handprint on a sewage pipe.

Among the top 18 states for producing winter wheat, only 32 percent of the crop is in good to excellent condition. That’s significantly less than a year ago. A handful of states are bucking the trend.

Rural areas gained population between 2016 and 2017 for the first time since 2010.

BKT USA, Inc. and BKT Tires Inc. has appointed Leigh Johnston as marketing manager for BKT USA, Inc. She will be responsible for brand building, planning trade shows, and more.

CNH Industrial N.V. has announced that Richard Tobin is stepping down as CEO to pursue another executive opportunity. Derek Neilson, who has been with CNH for nearly 20 years, has been named interim CEO.

The farm equipment sales index, while still below the mark considered “growth neutral,” has improved. It was 22 in March 2017. This month, it is 37.2. Creighton University reports encouraging news overall in this month’s index.

Farmers seem more upbeat about current conditions than in the recent past. The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer has increased by 14 points since December. The February survey recorded the second-highest reading since data collection began in 2015.

Exoskeletons are moving onto the manufacturing scene. They may be upper-body rigs that attach like harnesses. They may be two-armed tanks. Regardless, in the early going, they offer the possibility of reducing occurrences of the most common workplace injuries.

The Internet of Things, or IoT, hit the manufacturing sector with force in 2017. Its biggest use: predictive maintenance. Learn the question you need to ask to optimize the impact of IoT at your plant.

When you register, you’ll be prompted to call the Association to book a room in an overflow hotel, which is on the other side of the parking lot from the Summit hotel. The price is the same.

John Fisher, chair of the Association’s Standards Committee, will be available at the Supply Summit in Omaha to talk to members about how a pending braking standard may affect them. Every member company that manufactures even one implement that might be transported on public roadways should take the time to review this proposal, and if needed, comment on it.