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.

We heard this month from our colleagues at the Farm Show Council that their members had been targeted with phone calls suggesting a booking agency was calling members on the Council’s behalf.

Among company names the scammers used were Allied Acquisition Services, Convention Housing Authority, and Expo Lodging. The calls are not legitimate.

On July 30, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released more than 50 pages of documents in which the Army Corps of Engineers—EPA’s partner in writing the rule—rebuked agency officials for their abuse of the rulemaking process. The economic analysis used to support the rule, Army Corps officials wrote, had no basis in either science or economics.

The Agricultural Division of Alamo Group Inc. has named Craig Harthoorn as President of Alamo Group (Iowa) Inc.

Harthoorn assumes responsibility for the Indianola, Iowa facility as well as leadership of the worldwide marketing and distribution of the Herschel, Valu-Bilt and CT Farm & Country brands.

Trade negotiators from the U.S. and 11 other Pacific nations failed to reach final agreement in July. Trade ministers deadlocked over protections for drug companies and access to agriculture markets, the New York Times reported.

Would you like a few extra copies of the Association’s 2015 Membership Directory? The printer produced more than we ordered, so we are able to share additional copies with members this year.

Tighter borders, fewer immigrants and a strengthening U.S. economy have created a work shortage on U.S. farms. In response, farm companies are wooing employees by raising wages faster than inflation and enhancing medical and other benefits, the Wall Street Journal reported this month.

Summery of commodity results from the past week by Doane. With the exception of cotton and rice, crop markets were lower last week as prices reacted negatively to the USDA Aug. 12 Crop Production and WASDE reports.

Sentry Insurance is offering a three-day advanced seminar designed to help you plan, implement and manage your company’s safety program and improve your safety culture.

The seminar is Oct. 20 to 22 at the company’s office in Stevens Point, Wis.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the U.S. needs a disaster program for the poultry and turkey industries.

“Whether it’s a risk management insurance-type program, or a disaster program, or a combination, it really will reinforce the biosecurity aspects of this,” Vilsack said in July at the Avian Influenza Outbreak Conference in Des Moines.

AGCO reported net sales of $2.1 billion for the second quarter of 2015, a decrease of about 24.8% compared to the $2.8 billion net sales for the same quarter last year. Excluding unfavorable currency translation impacts, the year-to-year comparison changes to a 10.9% decline.

Annual business meeting with elections at the Fall Distribution and Marketing Convention. The meeting is 1:15 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, in the Chicago Room. Members will gather to elect new directors and conduct other Association business. Each regular member company present will have one vote on each item on the agenda. There are no provisions for proxy voting.

Doug Griffin will be part of a panel on contemporary concerns in distributing farm equipment. Griffin brings 27 years of experience in the farm equipment manufacturing industry, including serving as the North America sales manager for Caterpillar’s Agricultural products division until 2002, when Caterpillar sold its ag division to AGCO.

Chad Colby will talk with members on Thursday, Oct. 29, about 21st-century strategies for equipment sales.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Trans Coastal Supply Co., based in Decatur, Ill., sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from creditors in July, blaming losses and broken sales contracts after China detected the genetically modified corn in 2013 and began rejecting shipments.

The calendar is set for 2016—Clearwater, Fla., in March, and San Diego in October—but the following year is an open question.

In the last few weeks, Executive Vice President Vernon Schmidt has visited Tulsa, Okla., Little Rock, Ark., and Omaha, Neb., to check out meeting venues and see what the cities offer our members.

Much has changed over the decades, but the meeting’s focus has not. Its purpose remains to create a forum in which manufacturers of shortline farm equipment meet with wholesalers, independent sales representatives and others who focus on marketing farm equipment.

Our goal is to provide industry leaders opportunities to build on existing relationships and find new avenues for distributing equipment that brings the outstanding choice, value and innovation that farmers and ranchers expect from shortliners.

Blount International, Inc., has released numbers for its quarter ending June 30.

Sales in the second quarter were $212.7 million, a decrease of $22.7 million, or 9.6%, compared to 2014. Operating loss for the quarter was $47.3 million, including a $62 million non-cash impairment charge, compared to operating income of $22.4 million in the same quarter last year.

CNH Industrial released results for its second quarter last month. Ag equipment net sales were down 23.7% compared to the same period in 2014 on a constant currency basis (down 31.6% on a reported basis).

The devastation left by successive explosions at a chemical warehouse in China last week has forced Deere & Co. to suspend factory operations until later this week.

Buhler Industries reported its third-quarter earnings this month. Revenue for the quarter was $79.1 million, up from last year’s $77.1 million.

Sales of $203.9 million for the first nine months of the fiscal year dropped from the $250.7 million reported for the same period last year. The decline reflects lower demand for agricultural equipment resulting from lower commodity prices and the unstable political environment in Eastern Europe.

Supplier members can reserve exhibit space now for the 2016 Spring Conference & Supplier Showcase in Clearwater, Fla. The showcase, usually a sell-out, offers 57 booth and 18 table displays.

If you book by Sept. 11, you will save. Prices until then are $279 for a booth and $259 for a tabletop. After Sept. 11, prices are $319 and $299.

The Kansas City company that 15 years ago introduced MachineryLink—a farm equipment leasing and sharing program—recently expanded to also offer an online platform for equipment sharing.

The platform launched in July with limited participation. It is open to ag retailers, equipment dealers, and co-ops. In the fall, individuals will be able to also offer their equipment for sharing.

Duane Wilder, 62, passed away at his home in Williamsburg, Va., on August 13th. Duane was a respected businessman who started his career as a young co-owner of Alpena Ford Tractor, before moving to Iowa to launch a career with J.I. Case Corporation.

Dorsey joined Towner Meyer Company, an independent wholesaler of farm equipment and related supplies in 1950, and in 1973, became President and General Manager.

EMDA recently reported the death of Dorsey Meyer, Sr. Dorsey served on the FEWA Board of Directors from 1980 through 1985. He was president of the board in 1984

OSHA published a proposed rule in the Federal Register in July that clarifies an employer’s obligation to make and maintain records of injury and illness during the required five-year period.

Highlights from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers’ Ag Flash Reports. For complete data, go to FarmEquip.org/flash.

Alamo Group Inc. released numbers from its quarter ending June 30.

Net sales for the quarter hit a record $215.7 million compared to net sales of $207.8 million in 2014, which reflects a 4% increase. Net income for the quarter was $9.7 million.

The company’s agriculture division reported net sales of $53 million, a 1% decrease compared to the $53.6 million in net sales for the same quarter last year.

“We believe in this final rule the EPA is trying to convert itself from an environmental regulator to a central planning authority of states’ energy economies,” said West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, whose office is leading a 15-state coalition challenging the rule in court.

As we’ve discussed in earlier articles, in order to treat an employee as exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act’s overtime requirement, the employee must (1) meet a salary threshold, (2) be paid on a salary basis, and (3) perform certain “white collar” job duties. Recently, the Department of Labor announced that it intends to restrict this test and reduce the number of employees eligible for exempt status.

The United States Trade Representative, which is part of the White House executive office, has asked the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association to solicit feedback from member companies about trade.

Canada has posted trade deficits every month this year, and the cumulative 2015 total deficit of $13.6 billion is a record, reported the Toronto Star.

Data from Statistics Canada revealed that exports in May were down by six-tenths of a percent over April and 6.7% from the same time last year. Energy exports rose slightly in May although remain significantly down (33.8%) compared to the same time last year.

In 1950, a group of manufacturers visiting their distributors in Chicago at what we know now as the Fall Marketing and Distribution Convention, recognized the need for a common voice that would connect them and represent their interests. That same year, they founded the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association with 46 member companies.

Sixty-five years later, the Association has grown to more than 700 member companies, and our efforts to build coalitions, bring members together, and serve as a common voice for the shortline equipment industry have never wavered.

In this issue, that commitment has us focused on several federal developments, including transportation and tax policy.

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster (D) filed a federal lawsuit July 15 against Tom Vilsack, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, seeking to compel the USDA to accept acreage reports from Missouri farmers beyond the normal deadline.

Your Association membership entitles you to free 30-minute consultations with attorneys on distribution and human resource issues. For details,

Small business groups are sounding the alarm about an obscure IRS rule that excessively fines small businesses.

The rule, an apparent unintended consequence of the Affordable Care Act, penalizes employers who do not offer employees a group health plan but give them additional pay to compensate for the purchase of health insurance or cover direct medical expenses.

In the relentless flow of information we process at the Association each week, we sometimes see trends in topics.
The trends are often predictable. When it rains for 18 consecutive days, for example, the news will trend toward planting progress and crop predictions

Hayward Distributing Company has announced it purchased the assets and distribution rights of Ford Distributing, a supplier of specialized agricultural and industrial equipment.

Ford Distributing has supplied several brands to dealers in Ohio and surrounding states since 1976. Its staff will remain in place and continue to operate from its Marysville, Ohio location.

The Far West Dealer Association recently noted the passing of Douglas K. Moore. Moore founded Gearmore Equipment Co. with Bob Giersbach in 1965.

Need more Member Decals?You can help us build membership by displaying these decals on your equipment. Every manufacturing member gets three free rolls of the 2.5- by 1.5-inch decals. If you need more, let us know. Rolls are $12.50 for 250 decals.

Register Early and Save … You can save over $200 on registration for the Fall Marketing and Distribution Convention if you sign up by August 14.

Have News to Share? We hear repeatedly from members that you want to hear more about other members.

Ag Innovator is on the Way – The August issue of Ag Innovator will be mailed next week.

The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) recently announced completion of one standard, one revision and four new projects…

Lessiter Publications Inc., announced Monday that it bought the assets of Implement & Tractor magazine from Farm Journal Media.

As part of Lessiter’s acquisition of the assets of the magazine, longstanding columnist Greg Petersen, also known as Machinery Pete, will contribute content and analysis for Lessiter Publications.

An Association member company is searching for a national sales manager to direct its sales and marketing department. The candidate must have a minimum of three years of experience in a sales management role, preferably in the agriculture industry.

John Fabick Tractor Company and FABCO Equipment Inc., have combined their family-owned, independently-operated companies.

Barnes County Implement in Wimbledon, N.D. is expected to close by October 1, with nearby Cooper Implement in the process of switching to independent status.

Hollingsworths’ Inc., with Deere stores in Ontario and Burns, Ore., and one in Weiser, Idaho, has changed hands and is now part of Camp Equipment

The economic indicators and percentage declines can feel burdensome, but a recent article from Dave Kanicki, executive editor of Farm Equipment and editor/publisher of Ag Equipment Intelligence, puts today’s economic climate for farmers in perspective.

The Department of Labor (DOL) has filed suit against John Deere, claiming it violated the whistleblower provisions of OSHA.

At the center of the suit is a pipefitter who was terminated in 2012 from Deere’s Moline, Ill., facility. The suit alleges the termination was in response to the pipefitter reporting unsafe work conditions.

Creighton University released its Rural Mainstreet Index for July last week, and the survey revealed a subtle uptick in growth for the fourth consecutive month. News specific to farm equipment sales was weaker. The July index rose to 17.9 from June’s record low of 12.5. The index for farm equipment sales has been below growth neutral for 24 straight months

Highlights from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers’ Ag Flash Reports. For complete data, go to FarmEquip.org/flash.

Alamo Group Inc. announced last week that Edward (Ed) Rizzuti joined the company as its Vice President and General Counsel. Before moving to Alamo Group, Rizzuti was Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for Erickson Incorporated, an aircraft manufacturing and operating company based in Portland.

ASA and the USDA agreed last week to embark upon a partnership in data- sharing.

The USDA said the partnership aims to better protect working lands, predict and prevent natural disasters, and inspire young people to pursue careers in science, math, technology, engineering, and agriculture.

U.S. Supreme Court will consider limiting the power of unions who represent government employees to collect fees from employees who are not union members. The teachers want the court to overturn a legal precedent that said unions can require non-members to pay for bargaining costs as long as the fees don’t go toward political purposes.