The 2016/2017 CD, which is valued at $549, is available to members who do not have access to the standards through an ASABE membership.

The storms that bring hail, floods, tornadoes, and other Midwest calamities have been found to cause damage nearly as costly as hurricanes. The researchers who assessed the cost plan to use the same data to produce monthly forecasts that identify exposure risks for insurers.

The index for farm equipment sales remains weak in the March survey of rural bank CEOs, but it has shown improvement for five consecutive months. The six-month outlook among the CEOs also enjoyed an uptick.

A law recently introduced in the U.S. Senate aims to protect sensitive data by requiring publicly-traded companies to elect a cybersecurity expert to their board of directors–or explain to regulars whey they opt to not.

Unverferth Mfg. Co. recently announced a series of changes to its management team. The changes are part of an ongoing strategy to position the family-owned company for the future.

President and CEO Ron Robinson said: “We were also pleased with the improved sales in our Agricultural Division, as they continue to outperform the overall weakness in this sector. This Division was also a major contributor to Alamo’s improved gross margins.

Baker Industries, previously known as Baker 3D Solutions, recently received the 2017 Diversification Leader Award in an event hosted by the economic development organization of Macomb County, Michigan.

Ambassador and former Secretary of Agriculture Clayton Yeutter died March 4. He was 86. In the days since his death, he has been celebrated as a brilliant, accomplished leader and an extraordinarily generous man whose kindness and humility made politics and policymaking more tolerable.

Lighting and Marking guide clarifies information in response to the June 2016 effective date for Lighting and Marking on Ag Equipment.

Kubota’s farm and industrial machinery segment reported a 5.1 percent decline compared to 2016. The Japanese company’s domestic sales revenue dropped by 7 percent. Its overseas revenue dipped by 4.6 percent.

AGCO reaches an agreement in principle to acquire the forage division of Lely Group. Lely’s forage lineup includes mowers, tedders, rakers, balers, loader wagons, and other grass equipment.

The federal government’s extraordinary decision to seek and execute search warrants at the Caterpillar Inc. global headquarters recently indicates company officials may not have been as forthcoming as previously claimed.

That’s the interpretation of former federal prosecutors who spoke generally about the pending criminal investigation but who do not have specific knowledge of the government’s case.

According to a Michigan State University study, cattle rustlers and horse thieves are a 21st-century reality. A recent $23.1 million jury award in a Texas courtroom is further evidence that the crime is real—and costly.

Two Association member companies have taken leadership roles in an Iowa initiative to prepare students for technical careers.

Representatives from Miller Products Co. and Salford Group in Osceola, Iowa, are members of

White House staff challenged by the president to come up with a program to make sure the American worker is trained for the manufacturing jobs of tomorrow.

Association member companies who joined in March represent a collective 250 years of commitment to this organization and an even greater commitment to the industry.

We thank these long-time members, and we welcome two companies who recently submitted membership applications.

The White House has submitted nomination paperwork for former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue to head the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In his Senate ethics disclosure forms, Perdue stated that he would place his assets, which include part ownership of a grain merchandising company, into a blind trust.

Environmental Tillage Systems (ETS) has announced that 21st Century Equipment will be the first SoilWarrior dealer in the United States.

Legislation introduced last week by Midwest lawmakers would extend the Reid vapor pressure (RVP) waiver to ethanol blends higher than 10 percent. The legislation, would increase market access opportunities for higher blends of ethanol. It would allow retailers across the nation to sell E15 and other higher-ethanol blends year-round.

Fastline Media Group has hired Pat Higgins to serve as vice president of sales.

Plan for $1 trillion in infrastructure spending that would pressure states to streamline local permitting, favor renovation of existing roads and highways over new construction, and prioritize projects that can quickly begin construction.

“We’re not going to give the money to states unless they can prove that they can be ready, willing and able to start the project,” Trump said at a private meeting with aides and executives that news outlets such as the Wall Street Journal were invited to observe. “We don’t want to give them money if they’re all tied up for seven years with state bureaucracy.”

Members who have used the Association benefit to consult attorneys for free tell us that a single phone call often saves them more than the cost of their membership dues. It also saves them worry.

China’s heavy equipment industry is targeting the U.S., specifically the billions of dollars expected to be invested in our infrastructure.

Majors Respond to Dealer Legislation: CNH also saw risks to its new dealer contract and called the legislation “anti-consumer and anti-competitive market. . . This provision will reduce competition, adversely influence consumer pricing.”

Deere wrote: “If ultimately enacted, this (dealer purity) provision of the legislation would destroy the competitive lines aspect which actually John Deere customers currently benefit from.”

Who are they kidding?

Manufacturers, here’s who you’ll see in the Supplier Showcase in Little Rock. It’s an outstanding opportunity to form new partnerships and strengthen existing ones.

President Trump signed an executive order recently to roll back rules enacted during the Obama administration that expanded the federal government’s jurisdictional scope under the Clean Waters Act.

H&S Manufacturing in Marshfield, Wis., named Craig Harthoorn as its new president. He assumed the role in February.

CLAAS of America has opened two full-service, long-line MirTech dealerships in Jonesboro, Ark., and Sikeston, Mo.

McCombie Group, a private investment firm, and SeamLev Investments, its financial partner, have acquired a majority interest in Atlantic Tractor,

We’ve been waiting to learn the dates for the confirmation hearing for Sonny Perdue as Secretary of Agriculture.

The negatives are getting less negative, according to bankers in farming communities. Among signs of encouragement from the Rural Mainstreet Index: The farm equipment sales index saw a bump in February.

Ag Chair, Sen. Pat Roberts opened hearings with. . . “Agriculture, and specifically the Farm Bill, has consistently answered the call to do more with less. The last Farm Bill voluntarily cut spending. The previous crop insurance contract with USDA cut $6 billion from the program. I could go on and on about where ag gave at the store.”

A German company that supplies automated ag products to the world intends to license certain patents from member company AgJunction.

The Trump administration has appointed Ray Starling to the National Economic Council as special assistant to the president for agriculture, trade, and food assistance. The position was left vacant for most of the Obama administration.

If you are a wait-to-the-last-minute type, know this: We are almost out of hotel rooms at the Little Rock Marriott. Information about alternative hotels is at FarmEquip.org. When the last reservation is claimed, the website will make that clear.

Scott Pruitt, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new administrator, has wasted little time getting to work since his confirmation to head the agency. Chief among his priorities will be putting an end to “sue and settle,” a practice used by activist groups who sue an agency, primarily the EPA, which typically leads to the agency entering a legally-binding settlement agreement without public input.

Factory sales in Canada shattered market expectations in December. The increase in sales is the latest in a series of promising economic indicators, which include the best half-year employment gain in more than 14 years.

A Republican from the U.S. House of Representatives has introduced a resolution to overturn a rule from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that obligates employers to keep injury and illness records for five years.

H.J. Resolution 83, a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act, targets OSHA’s rule that clarifies that employers have a continuing obligation to make and maintain an accurate record of injury and illness for five years.

The Canadian government recently granted a one-year extension to a regulation that requires testing of electromagnetic emissions from mobile equipment powered by batteries and engines.

This week, the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association joined other national trade associations in thanking U.S. Reps for introducing H.R. 1101, the Small Business Health Fairness Act.

This legislation allows small businesses an option to access affordable health insurance coverage through Association Health Plans (AHPs) and is a step toward a more competitive market.

We are very pleased to report that the Little Rock Marriott has approved an expanded floor plan for the Showcase – eight booths now available

North Dakota Senate Bill 2289 is legislation supported by the North Dakota Implement Dealers Association which adds a number of restrictions to the relationship between a manufacturer and North Dakota equipment dealers.

More info on our legislative monitoring and our use of social media to distribute information, between newsletters.

The Agricultural Division of Alamo Group Inc. has announced that Charlie Deckler has been named President of Alamo Group (IA) Inc., including the Herschel Ag Parts and CT Farm & Country brands.

AEM will co-produce the National Farm Machinery Show (NFMS) in 2018. With the collaboration, AEM assumes an equity position in the Kentucky State Fair Board’s Louisville show.

A university in Texas has put numbers to the impact that agricultural exports have on the U.S. economy and workforce.

In a message to shareholders at the company’s annual meeting, Chairman and CEO Sam Allen said Deere makes money for investors even when farmers are suffering.

The company continue to reduce expenses through personnel cuts, lower material costs, and limiting research and development spending.

Fewer than one out of 10 companies have completed a transition to achieve certification under newer versions of two international quality standards, and member company Muir Graphics is one of them.

In addition to closing a dozen agriculture stores and a construction store, Titan Machinery plans to implement a new management structure at its remaining stores.

In a decision that should please American manufacturers that feed into the global supply chain, the U.S. Supreme Court has narrowly interpreted a law that imposes patent liability on components made in the U.S. for assembly overseas.

Lakeland Equipment and Z&M Ag and Turf have merged to form the biggest Deere dealership in the Northeast.

Financial institutions in New York soon will be required to implement controls to ensure a robust cyber security program. The new regulation also adopts risk-based minimum standards for technology systems.

Right to repair is back in the news because Apple is opposing a Nebraska bill that would require electronics companies like Apple to produce repair manuals and sell replacement parts.