If you are a shortline manufacturer, you or someone else at your business has received an email asking you to participate in a survey about this Association.

If you have not yet responded, you will receive a fourth email Thursday.

A legal battle involving manufacturers of farm equipment and equipment dealers has reached the New Hampshire Supreme Court. It is the newest development in a dispute over a state law introduced in 2013.

FAA has granted permission to use a paper airplane conversion kit for commercial aerial photography. . . “abandoned all logic and sensibility” with its exemption for the paper airplane conversion kit.

Researchers exploring the damage done by corn earworms and the difference bats can make shared a big number recently in Science magazine.

The USDA has trimmed its yield and production estimates for the U.S. corn crop, which is still expected to be the third-biggest on record.

The department now projects a national yield of . . .

Employers and employees fighting over wages or hours should try to settle their disputes before taking them to the Department of Labor or the courts.

As of Tuesday, only 16 rooms remained at the convention rate. And, with the Kansas City Royals pushing toward post-season play, it may be nearly impossible to find additional rooms during the World Series.

In the most recent Outlook Survey conducted by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), 74% of respondents named the cost of health insurance as their top business challenge.

And, it’s no wonder. Health insurance premiums in the manufacturing sector have increased from $6,549 for a family policy in 2000 to $16,538 in 2014.

Contributing to the angst are two components of the Affordable Care Act: the redefinition of small business, which will take effect Jan. 1, and the so-called Cadillac tax slated for 2018.

Redefining Small Business – Beginning Jan. 1, businesses with 51 to 100 employees will fall into the small-group category for health insurance purposes, a designation that likely will lead to higher premium costs.

Republican presidential candidates need to get beyond a “meat cleaver” approach to immigration policy and ensure that farms and food processors have an adequate supply of labor.

U.S. Sen. Schumer (D-NY) announced his support of the Agriculture Equipment and Machinery Depreciation Act last week. The bill would revise federal tax code so farmers could depreciate their equipment over. . .

USDA and the Department of Defense have introduced enhanced services to veterans interested in pursuing a career in agriculture.

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives received a letter last week from this Association and 68 other organizations urging them to pass a six-year reauthoriziation of the federal surface transportation program.

Accounts receivable may be one of the largest assets on the balance sheet, but most manufacturers focus on other areas like LEAN production or sales rather than credit and collections. It is not uncommon for companies to tie up many thousands of dollars in accounts receivable every year.

Highlights of August report of U.S. and Canadian retail sales of tractors by HP and self-prop combines. Source: AEM

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack became the first member of President Obama’s Cabinet to endorse Hillary Rodham Clinton in her 2016 presidential bid.

The Board of Directors of Geringhoff International announced August 31 that it appointed Tosh Brinkerhoff as President and CEO of Geringhoff North America.

Brinkerhoff was previously employed by John Deere, where he held several senior roles, including

A ruling from the National Labor Relations Board in August has rewritten a 30-year-old standard defining what constitutes a “joint employer.”

The new rule says businesses need only exercise “indirect” control over workers to be named a party in labor disputes and negotiations, which makes it easier for contract workers and temporary employees to unionize.

Manufacturing members of the Association soon will receive an email from our president, Mike Kloster, asking you to participate in a survey about the value of your membership done by a third-party firm.

By taking the time to complete the questions, you help the Association develop strategies that will support your work in the long-term.

Kongskilde Industries, Inc., hosted industry colleagues and community leaders at an open house earlier this month celebrating its $10 million expansion in Hudson, Ill. Kongskilde added 75,000 square feet to its plant, bringing the total square footage to . . .

Montag Manufacturing announced in August a limited distribution relationship with John Deere.

The relationship combines Deere’s 2510H High Speed Nutrient Applicator and the Montag Dry Fertilizer metering system.

ASABE has announced the completion of ANSI/ASAE S331.6, Implement Power Take-off Drive Shaft Specifications.

McFarlane Mfg Co Inc. in Sauk City, Wisconsin has 90 surplus Galaxy Implement tires for sale. Items were purchased from Alliance Tire in June of 2012 and have always been warehoused.

CLAAS of America recently announced it has expanded its footprint in Saskatchewan with two Canada West Harvest Centre locations.

Lucy Ellis, who founded Ellis Equipment with the late Jim Ellis, recently celebrated her 100th birthday.

The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) has announced the formation of a new technical committee focused on unmanned aerial systems (UAS), or drones.

The UAS committee, designated MS-60, will focus on . . .

In a recent editorial, media personality John Stossel defined government regulation as the “quiet cancer that kills opportunity with an accumulated burden,” which he blames for America’s slowest economic recovery since the Depression.

This past week, the public comment period ended for the Labor Department’s proposals to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) regulations implementing the exemption from minimum wage and overtime pay for executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, and computer employees (known as the “white collar” exemptions).

A professional with a history in manufacturing and marketing to dealerships is seeking an employment opportunity in upper management.

We’ve offered you glimpses of our speaker lineup in the last several issues of Shortliner, but as we move into these final days, we want to bring you a start-to-finish look at the people who will shape our conversation during our time together and give us the tools we need to assure the shortline industry continues to thrive.

CNH Industrial America said in a news release in August that 70 employees at the Grand Island, Neb., plant will lose their jobs in October in response to market trends.

Among our members common interests: steel. How it’s shipped, cut, welded and painted matters to your everyday. So, we’re thrilled to conclude the 2015 Fall Convention by inviting you to take an inside look at EXLTUBE on . . .

Updates on three dealer groups with new locations, new names, and recent purchases.

Deere & Co. announced Aug. 31 that its plants in Davenport and East Moline will reduce their workforces. About 180 workers are affected, including 150 at Harvester Works in East Moline and 30 at Davenport Works.

A glut of used farm machinery in dealer inventories is harming an already weak market for tractors and farm equipment, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. Key to a turnaround in the new equipment market is. . . .

Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc., recently announced changes to its leadership team. David Disberger has been named . . .

Meanwhile, growers’ expectations about next year’s business conditions have improved to an index value of 98, up from 88 last August. It’s the highest reading since August 2012.

A University of Florida horticulture professor targeted by activists for accepting $25,000 from the biotech company Monsanto is donating the money to a food pantry program, the Gainesville Sun reported.

Real estate mogul and presidential contender Donald Trump’s tough talk on immigration has exacerbated already difficult labor shortages in agriculture and bogged down what the ag community hoped would be a low-key Congressional process to fix the nation’s guest-worker program, Politico Magazine reported.

“Trump is terrible for agriculture,” Harold McClarty told the magazine. McClarty is a California peach and plum farmer who relies on thousands of workers every year.

An Association member company in the Midwest is searching for a
mechanical engineer with at least 10 years experience. If you are interested and not currently employed by an Association company, please send your resume and letter to. . .

The United Steelworkers union did not reach a labor deal with U.S. Steel and ArcelorMittal by the Sept. 1 expiration of its previous contract, but work continues at the companies.

These members represent 180 years of collective participation in the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association. We mark their milestone anniversaries by thanking them-and each of you-for your commitment to the shortline industry and the Association that supports it.

Ag Growth International Inc. last week announced its three- and six-month financials for the periods ended June 30.

In the first six months of 2015, the company reported profits of about $4.8 million, compared to about $14.9 million for the first six months of 2014. Adjusted profits are more comparable, showing $19.3 million for the first six months of 2015 and $16.8 million for 2014.

The boards of the Mid-America Equipment Retailers Association (MAERA) and the Ohio-Michigan Equipment Dealers Association (OMEDA) have approved a plan to merge.

The Minnesota-South Dakota Equipment Dealers Association in Owatonna, Minn., has named Nick Sinner as its new president and chief executive officer.

The North American Equipment Dealers Association (NAEDA) has named Joe Dykes as vice president of industry relations and Natalie Higgins as vice president of government relations and general counsel.

These members represent more than three centuries of collective participation in the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association. We mark their milestone anniversaries by thanking them—and each of you—for your commitment to the shortline industry and the Association that supports it.

Economists with the Federal Reserve have taken note of a worrisome trend in agriculture: Operating loan volumes have risen among farmers, the Fed reports, while farm income in 2015 has been projected to drop compared to last year. Loans made to finance short-term operating expenses drove the increases in farm sector lending at commercial banks, the data showed.

T. G. Schmeiser Co., Inc. recently acquired the Smart-Till product line from HCC, Inc. of Mendota, Ill. The purchase includes all assets and trade names associated with the Smart-Till product line and its associated parts and components. Smart-Till’s manufacturing and administration operations will relocate from Illinois to the newly constructed Schmeiser manufacturing facility in Selma, Calif.

Most parents of school-age children say they consider manufacturing jobs financially and professionally rewarding, but few of them think the work is innovative or intellectually stimulating.

Among the more than 1,000 parents polled, 89% thought that manufacturing jobs paid between $7 and $22 an hour.

The Geringhoff Corporation, headquartered in Ahlen, Germany has acquired its North American distribution partner, Geringhoff Distribution LLC of St. Cloud, Minn., previously owned by the Jandrisch family.

As union negotiations continue in Pittsburgh this week, members of United Steelworkers are staging rallies at sites run by U.S. Steel Corp. and ArcelorMittal USA to demonstrate to the companies “we’re strong, we’re united, and we’re prepared to do whatever it takes to win a fair contract,” the union’s web site says.

Titan International has reported second quarter results. Net sales for the quarter ended June 30 were $376.1 million compared to $523.7 million in 2014, a 28% decrease. Overall sales experienced reductions in volume of 11% and price/mix of 7% as the agricultural market remains in a cyclical downturn.

The general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board ruled July 28 that McDonald’s could be held jointly liable for labor and wage violations by its franchise operators, reported the New York Times. The decision, if upheld, would disrupt longtime practices in the fast-food industry and ease the way for unionizing nationwide.