Digital advertising revenue surged in the U.S. to a record-breaking $59.6 billion in 2015, a 20 percent increase over last year’s record-breaking numbers, the Interactive Advertising Bureau said in a report prepared by PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

Advertising on mobile devices drove the surge, growing by 66 percent to $20.7 billion in revenue. Social media ad revenue grew by 55 percent to $10.9 billion.

The U.S. Department of Labor is expected to lower the salary threshold in its forthcoming final rule related to overtime pay. The new threshold, $47,000, would double the current threshold.

The overtime salary threshold is the level at which virtually all salaried employees who earn that amount or less qualify for time-and-a-half pay if they work more than 40 hours in a week.

This is the Association’s sixth year of publishing the magazine, and with each issue, the publication more firmly establishes itself as a resource and valuable benefit of membership.

You likely recently received the Spring 2016 issue of Ag Innovator magazine. It includes insights into how to:

Start-up company Carbon3D Inc.is developing a 3-D printing method that manufacturers, including Ford Motor Co., say shows greater promise than existing methods. It’s expensive, so it’s early uses may be in customized products like parts for airplanes.

But, a startup backed by Alphabet Inc.’s Google Ventures is developing a different 3-D printing method that some manufacturers, say shows more promise. Carbon3D Inc.’s printers project light continuously through a pool of resin, gradually solidifying it onto an

More than ever before, cyber crooks are targeting small businesses, according to law enforcement and cybersecurity experts. Mom-and-pop businesses are getting hit, and it’s pushing many entrepreneurs to the verge of bankruptcy.

An EPA-funded public relations campaign in Washington state takes aim at farmers.

The billboards and other promotional materials juxtapose photographs to suggest farmers are polluting waterways and killing fish. Federal lawmakers are demanding answers.

The FBI and USDA say criminals may steal farm-level data in bulk to track, even anticipate, crop availability and pricing. The data may also be vulnerable to ransomware or “hacktivists,” individuals who destroy data to protest, for example, the use of GMOs.

Lawmakers in South Dakota are experiencing the ripple effect of low commodity prices. As farm equipment sales dip, the state collects fewer sales tax dollars.

Sales tax collections on farm equipment peaked in South Dakota’s 2014 budget year at an estimated $43.9 million. Collections fell to $33.6 million in 2015.

An estimated 45.3 percent of American households—roughly 77.5 million households—pay no federal individual income tax, according to data for the 2015 tax year and the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan Washington-based research group.

Taking a broader look, the wealthiest 20 percent of Americans pay the most in income taxes, paying nearly 87 percent of all the income tax collected by Uncle Sam. in 2014, the top 20 percent earned an average of $134,300 a year.

The National Agri-Marketing Association named Dan Fanger, vice president of sales and marketing at Unverferth, its 2016 Marketer of the Year.

U.S. lawmakers recently passed legislation strengthening legal protection for companies’ trade secrets, including manufacturing processes.

The House voted 410-2 to approve the “Defend Trade Secrets Act.” The Senate unanimously passed the measure earlier in April.

Association members have asked to learn more about the work of committees and councils. This submission from Jeff Welsch, chairman of the Rotary Cutter Council, is part of that information-sharing process.

Council AdThe Association’s Rotary Cutter Council includes manufacturers of rotary cutters and suppliers of rotary cutter components. The council meets every year at the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville and the Association’s Fall Convention.

The primary focus of the council is to

As of this writing, the only thing standing between the Vermont legislature’s effort to interject its will on what language should be required in a private business agreement between manufacturers, distributors and independent dealers, is the lack of agreement between the House and the Senate on which version of bad legislation to send the governor.

The Vermont Legislature should rethink its further intrusion into private business and not rush a decision with so few days left in the 2016 session. Any proposal needs the proper time to be considered, and lawmakers should table this issue. (Click for More)

The status quo, while not ideal, will serve Vermont until voters of this state have their say in November.

Account Manager (Job #116) Company seeks an individual to sell and market forged, formed and machined steel components.

Marketing Manager – Ag Equipment (Tractor/Implement) (Job #115)
Looking for someone to promote and support all aspects of his or her assigned product lines, develop marketing strategies, train and support dealers, and gather, maintain, and communicate information about competitive products.

Test Engineer (Job #114) Executes field test plans, reports test outcomes, supports field test technicians, and follows up on field-related issues.

Purdue University’s Center for Commercial Agriculture and the derivatives marketplace CME Group are partnering to produce the Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer, a monthly nationwide measure of the health of the U.S. agricultural economy.

April survey results
The agricultural sentiment of U.S. producers increased to 106 in April 2016, which was an improvement in producer sentiment compared to the base period of October 2015 through March 2016.

Noteboom Implement and Hultgren Implement will merge on July 31.

BayWa Ag of Munich, Germany, and Claas, which is based in Harsewinkel, Germany, plan a cooperative venture in Canada

Used equipment inventory declined by $10.9 million or 3.8%.
Total revenues declined by 14.0% to $189.5 million.
Agriculture segment product support revenues reported a tenth consecutive quarter of growth versus the comparable period in the prior year, a trend beginning at the inception of the segment.
Gross margin increased to 14.9%, up from 14.3% in the first quarter of 2015.
Gross profit decreased by 10.1% to $28.3 million.

The Association bid farewell to Elaina Jackson in April. Jackson joined the Association staff in 2012 as director of membership. At the time, we counted just over 600 companies as active members. Through her outreach efforts, total membership grew year after year and reached just under 750 member companies.

Highlights from the AEM Ag Flash Report for March. For complete data to to FarmEquip.org/Flash

Farm equipment dealers tell Ag Equipment Intelligence and Cleveland Research Co. that sales are down and inventories are high. Take a look at highlights from the April report, which reflects dealer sentiments gathered during the last two weeks of March.

A tax credit established under the Affordable Care Act aimed at small business has gone largely unused. Response to the Small Employer Health Care Insurance Tax Credit, which offers an incentive for small businesses to provide group health coverage, has been underwhelming.

Company founder Jon Kinzenbaw has assumed the role of CEO and Chairman of the Board. Susie Kinzenbaw Veatch, Jon’s daughter, has been named President and Chief Marketing Officer. Brian McKown has been named Executive Vice President and COO.

This is the seventh straight month the overall index has moved below growth neutral. Recent declines are the result of lower agriculture and energy commodity prices and downturns in manufacturing.

Since June of last year, prices for farm products have fallen by approximately 11 percent, and fuel by roughly 25 percent,” said Ernie Goss, economics professor at Creighton University and the keynote speaker at the recent 2016 Spring Conference in Clearwater, Fla

Moves by: Van Wall Equipment, Schenkelberg Implement and
Van Wall Equipment

A seed potato farmer from Post Falls, Idaho, has started a company that will deliver the first driverless tractor this summer. The tractor has no cab, steering wheel, seat, or gauges, will require just 75 horsepower and will be roughly half the size of a contemporary tractor.

PEER Bearing Company was awarded the 2016 FinOvation Award for the TILLXTREME maintenance-free bearing solution by Farm Industry News.

The Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association is among 600 organizations supporting a suit against the Department of Labor to dispute the final draft of the so-called persuader rule.

The rule requires employers to disclose any talks with outside consultants about how to craft their message to workers during union-organizing. It broadens an earlier rule that required disclosure only when these consultants talked directly to workers.

These member companies are celebrating milestone anniversaries with the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association. Their collective membership represents 155 years.

We thank them for their outstanding commitment to this industry and this Association.

Today the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association adds its voice in support of the Protecting Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act. This important and reasonable federal legislation would require the U.S. Department of Labor to perform a detailed impact analysis prior to implementing changes to the exemptions for executive, administrative, and professional employees (the “white collar exemptions”) under the Fair Labor Standard Act’s overtime pay requirements.

Fastline Media Group was selected as a bronze winner in the 37th Annual Telly Awards for its piece titled American Farmer: Tools of the Trade.

Fastline Media Group’s American Farmer segment originally aired nationwide as part of the American Farmer TV series on RFD-TV.

In what the New York Times describes as the “starkest illustration yet” of the impact of the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, the Supreme Court deadlocked in a case that would give public-sector employees the right to refuse to pay union fees.

When the case was argued in January, the court’s conservative majority seemed ready to say that forcing public workers to support unions which they had declined to join violated their First Amendment rights. Justice Scalia’s questions consistently challenged the union position.

Industrial Hard Chrome (IHC), based in Geneva, Ill., has acquired Stelmi America of Marshall, Mich.

Ag Growth International Inc. has announced an agreement to acquire NuVision Industries Inc., which designs and builds complete turnkey fertilizer blending plants and material handling facilities. AGI characterizes the acquisition as a significant step in its strategic entry into the fertilizer sector.

Member companies Thurston Manufacturing and Dethmers Manufacturing, doing business as Demco, announced an agreement last week in which Thurston sells its Circle R Side Dump Trailer line and brand name to Demco.

Deere recently announced it has entered a joint venture with Hagie Manufacturing, which makes high-clearance sprayers. In the agreement, Deere acquires majority ownership of Hagie Manufacturing, which will continue producing sprayers in Clarion, Iowa.

After 29 years with the Italian Trade Commission, Alex Mussa has joined SNA Manufacturing, LLC, as its new director of sales and marketing. Mussa will be responsible for the overall sales growth of SNA’s farm equipment components division.

Finance Minister Bill Morneau has said because of circumstances such as slower-than-expected growth and collapsing oil prices, he forecasts deficits to exceed earlier projections. The promise of limiting the deficit to $10 billion will not be realized. In fact, the revised deficit projection for 2017-18 is $15.5 billion. This does not factor in the cost of Trudeau’s campaign commitments.

Krone North America is relocating. The manufacturer of hay and forage equipment announced it will move its corporate headquarters from Memphis, Tenn., to Shelbyville, Ind.

The family-owned, 110-year-old business planned the move as part of a strategic plan to grow its North American business.

Association members are on the look-out for strategic thinkers, relationship-builders, and talented communicators. Take a look at these open positions.

Marketing Director (Ad #111)

Sales & Support Specialist (Ad #112)

Sales & Support Manager (Ad #113)

Members of the Supplier Board of Governors elected Steve Kertesz to a one-year term as chairman during the board’s meeting in Clearwater last week. Kertesz, business development manager at Ingersoll Tillage Group, succeeds Jim Parsons as chairman.

Lawmakers in Iowa on Tuesday passed a bill that couples Section 179 with federal tax statute. The state’s political analysts expect Gov. Terry Branstad to sign the bill.

This means Iowa farmers, for the year 2015, will be able to deduct in one year the entire cost of a piece of farm equipment rather than make smaller, year-by-year deductions based on depreciation.

Purdue University researchers have explored the impact of a ban on GMOs and said it could drive up consumers’ food costs by $14 billion to $24 billion a year.

The U.S. government has reached an agreement with the government of Peru to remove barriers for U.S. beef exports to Peru. The agreement opens one of the fastest-growing markets in Latin America to American beef producers.

Farmer panelists on stage at Commodity Classic told the audience that precision farming strengthens their bottom line.

“Every dollar in savings is impacting our profits,” said Dave Nelson, a corn and soybean farmer from Iowa. “It helps to focus on data collected from many different areas of production such as conservation, agronomy, and sustainable precision tools.”

Ag Growth International Inc. has announced the acquisition of Entringer S.A., a Brazilian-based manufacturer of grain bins, bucket elevators, dryers and cleaners.

AGI President and CEO Tim Close said this is the right moment for the company to act.

Six and Mango Equipment LLP, has acquired Grayson County Equipment

Rocky Mountain Dealerships Inc. has released its quarterly and year-end numbers

Forrest Wade Sealey, president of Gaston Sealey Co., Inc., a family-owned wholesale distributor of farm equipment, died Thursday, February 25. He was 64.

Alamo’s Agricultural Division recorded net sales of $47.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2015 compared to $51 million in the prior year, a decrease of 6%. The division’s full-year net sales were $208.3 million in 2015 versus $214.3 million in 2014, a decrease of 3%.

Well-intentioned elected representatives passed state laws over recent decades to protect independent dealers from giant, multi-national corporations, but now those laws are being used to invoke buyback provisions, which advance “dealer purity,” hamper competition and deprive farmers and ranchers of the choice, value and innovation our members’ equipment brings to the market.