A member company that manufactures peanut harvest equipment, tillage tools, poultry house maintenance equipment, and disc mower caddies is seeking a territory manager to cover Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, southern Ohio, and Iowa. A dealer network and established market is in place.

Farm equipment sales and farmland prices have declined, according to data released in March from the Creighton Rural Mainstreet Index.

Responses from this monthly survey of bank CEOs in a 10-state rural region led to the lowest Rural Mainstreet Index since February 2010 – 43.6 on a scale of one to 100.

EFC Systems, Inc., a provider of solutions for agri-business retailers and wholesalers, has announced an agreement to purchase AgJunction Inc.’s Cloud Services division.

U.S. steelmakers struggling to compete with overseas exporters of the metal are taking their case to Congress. The industry seeks a revision in the way in foreign trade complaints are reviewed.

The domestic steel industry recently has idled 32% of its capacity, according to reports, and U.S. raw-steel output is down 14% this year. U.S. steelmakers are being pinched by a strong dollar, which makes it possible for foreign producers to spend less in production hence net more in sales, and a geographic shift in demand. The U.S. needs more steel as demand levels off in China and remains flat in Europe.

Alamo Group Inc. has named Richard H. (Rick) Raborn as its executive vice president of its North American Agricultural Division. He succeeds Rick Pummell, who retires in May after more than a decade leading Alamo’s Agricultural Division.

PR Week named the film FARMLAND as recipient of the prestigious Arts, Entertainment and Media Campaign of the Year award.

The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance supported the 2014 documentary, which debuted in more than 170 theaters and surpassed ticket sale expectations by 84 percent.

Industrial chain provider PEER Chain Company has announced that Arthur Merwitz will return to PEER as power transmission product manager. Merwitz joined PEER Chain in 1996 and served as regional sales manager, OEM sales manager, and vice president of strategic sales. He left PEER in 2012 to pursue an MBA with a focus on international business.

The governor of Kentucky signed a law in mid-March that bans breweries from distributing their own products, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. The measure is aimed at forcing St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch to sell or close its two distributorships in the state.

AgJunction Inc. announced in March an agreement with Novariant Inc. to acquire Novariant through a merger transaction. The transaction is expected to be complete this summer and is subject to several conditions.

Rick Heiniger, president and CEO of AgJunction, said the merger “extends the reach and influence with which we pursue a common passion – delivering the most accurate, innovative and reliable steering solutions in the world.”

A Southern Illinois manufacturer of hot-formed and heat-treated component parts is seeking an outside sales person to travel the Corn Belt and Northern Plains, calling on OEMs and distributors.

Candidates should have experience with metals and heat-treating. Knowledge of agricultural practices and turf maintenance is a plus, as is being a veteran.

Ag Growth International Inc. has announced that sales for the year ended December 31, 2014 represent record highs for AGI and were primarily the result of a strong performance in AGI’s core North American market

Farmers are using their phones for more than talking. According to a February 2015 Farm Journal Media survey, 69% of farmers today own smartphones. Based on plans to purchase, 87% of farmers will use smartphones by 2016. Prior surveys show that only 14% of farmers owned a smartphone in 2009, and that number has grown roughly 10% each subsequent year.

Vermeer Corporation recently announced that Nathan Guess has been named Managing Director, Forage Solutions. The company also announced that in addition to his role as Chief Marketing Officer, Mark Core will now provide senior leadership to the forage segment as Executive Vice President of Forage and Lifecycle Solutions.

Topcon Positioning Group in Livermore, CA recently announced the acquisition of Digi-Star LLC, based in Fort Atkinson, WI.

Chip Bowling, president of the National Corn Growers Association, issued a statement last week in response to a movement by the International Agency for Research on Cancer to reclassify glyphosate as a class 2A probable carcinogen.

In his statement, Bowling said this move to reclassify the herbicide “ignores findings of more than four decades of credible scientific research” and “creates unnecessary fear and confusion over the proven safety record of this important agricultural tool.”

Highway Equipment Company has named Cory Venable its director of business development.

Venable joined HECO in 2013 as Original Equipment Manufacturer Account Manager. He will continue to manage key relationships and add oversight of strategic growth initiatives for New Leader crop nutrient applicators and Hi-Way road maintenance equipment brands.

Sentry Insurance invites you to a national seminar on planning, implementing, and managing your company’s safety policies and programs. The training is May 19 to 21 at Sentry’s headquarters in Stevens Point, WI.

While OSHA maintains baseline compliance standards for employees to follow, this seminar will go beyond those regulated minimum standards to help you further understand and apply the OSHA standards at your business. The seminar is $350 for Sentry customers and $375 for others.

PEER Bearing Co. announced new roles for two members of its senior leadership team.

Reinhold Zehnter, formerly the company’s President, has assumed the newly created role of President of Global Sales & Marketing for PEER Group. He will lead the company’s global sales and marketing, engineering, finance and IT functions and drive strategic business expansion for the industry-focused segments, including agriculture, fluid, industrial transmission, material handling, electrical and off-highway.

Cervus Equipment Corp. announced financial results and operational highlights for the year

Rocky Mountain Dealerships Inc. reported financial results year ended December 31, 2014.

Titan Machinery announced it is closing three stores and reducing its workforce by 14%

Western Equipment Dealers Association announced the selection of Matt Veldhuis as its new Vice President, Western Canadian Region.

USDA announced last week a proposal to limit payments to individuals who may be designated as farm managers but are not actively engaged in farm management. The 2014 Farm Bill authorized the USDA to address this loophole, which most commonly occurs in joint ventures and general partnerships.

Our thanks and recognition to the following companies for their membership in, and continued support of, the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association.

Our continued success is based not only on the support of many long- term member companies, but also an amazing number of new companies joining our ranks each and every month.

A northern Illinois custom manufacturer seeks a sales person to join its work in offering hot-formed, forged, and machined steel parts and assemblies for OEM customers in heavy equipment industries.

Responsibilities include:

More than 400 employees at Saskatoon’s Case New Holland manufacturing plant recently received layoff notices in response to what the company called “market conditions.”

California’s three largest dairy cooperatives petitioned the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently to create a Federal Milk Marketing Order for the state, according to news from the Farm Journal.

Regardless of our individual roles in the farm equipment business industry, we must continue to learn and build relationships to succeed. That simple truth is at the heart of the growth of the annual Farm Equipment Manufacturer Association’s Spring Conference and Showcase, which drew more than 300 executives and their guests from both the manufacturing and supply sides of the industry.

AEM will extend a special discount of $75/per individual (regular non-AEM member price $675) to members of our Association that wish to attend the AEM Product Safety & Compliance Seminar in St. Louis, April 20-23, 2015.

Supplier members at the Spring Conference in Charlotte voted on members for its Board of Governors, which will lead the section through the 2016 Spring Conference. Steve Nichols with Technical Publication Associates, Inc. was elected to his first term, while Jamie Silver was elected to a second term.

Avery Weigh-Tronix has announced its new partnership with Nestle as the preferred partner in weighing technology for its prestigious Dairy Farming Institute (DFI) in Shuangcheng, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, China.

Two regional associations representing equipment dealers have announced their intent to form a partnership and strengthen their presence in the industry.

Directors from the SouthEastern Equipment Dealers Association and the Midwest Equipment Dealers Association unanimously approved moving forward with merger discussions.

Agricultural Manufacturers of Canada (AMC) announced the appointment of Ms. Leah Olson to President effective March 2. Olson will assume her presidential responsibilities immediately under the guidance and transition of retiring President, Jerry Engel.

The Wall Street Journal reported recently that domestic steel makers in the U.S. slashed prices in February to cope with a flood of imports juiced by the strong dollar, a move that will pressure their profit margins and reduce costs for buyers of steel.

Imports rose 33% in January compared with the year before, according to figures released Wednesday by the American Iron and Steel Institute, reaching 3.85 million tons, compared with 2.9 million tons a year earlier. The jump in imports comes as oil and gas drillers cancel orders for steel pipe, underscoring the resilience of overall U.S. demand compared with other markets.

Warren D. Bottenberg, 78, of Holton, KS passed away March 13. Warren was on our Board of Directors in the early 1980s

Bob Mancuso, Sr., 82, of Omaha, NE passed away March 9. Bob was founder of the Triumph of Agriculture Exposition, Farm & Ranch Machinery Show, and a member of our Association since 1971.

A new field-based study from the University of Maryland shows that the world’s most common insecticide does not significantly harm honey bee colonies at real-world dosage levels.

The study, published recently in the journal PLOS ONE, looked at the effects of the insecticide imidacloprid on honey bee colonies over a three-year period. To see significant negative effects, including a sharp decrease in winter survival rates, the researchers had to expose the colonies to at least four times as much insecticide encountered under normal circumstances. At 20 times the normal exposure levels, the colonies experienced more severe consequences.

Mahindra USA will begin utilizing Paladin Attachments as its implement supplier in April 2015. This follows Paladin’s acquisition of Kodiak Manufacturing, Mahindra’s current implement supplier. Mahindra anticipates a smooth transition as the Kodiak management team will remain in place and the Paladin team will bring its expertise along with a solid platform for continued growth through increased capacity and market support.

Advocates and authorities on U.S. agriculture traveled to Cuba earlier this month to talk with Cuban government officials about the opportunities for both countries if the United States lifts the trade embargo with Cuba.

Alamo Group reported net sales for the fourth quarter of 2014 were $223.9 million, an increase of 34% from 2013. Net income for the quarter was $11.4 million, an increase of 104%. For full year 2014, net sales were $839.1 million versus $682.1 million in 2013, an increase of 23%.

Kifco, a water reels manufacturer based in Havana, IL, recently acquired Weiss Master Manufacturing.

Weiss Master, based in Brush, CO, produces hay and livestock handling equipment and cattle guards. The company specializes in custom heavy-duty hay heads for moving, stacking and loading hay in all forms and bale sizes.

This month we thank the following companies for their membership in, and continued support of, the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association. We look forward to having these companies, and yours, as members for many more years.

Congratulations to these companies on their February anniversaries.

Quoting the budget proposal directly: “Overly generous benefits have almost eliminated the risk in farming at a cost to taxpayers in the billions.”

While cuts in federal spending are long overdue, it’s important to remember that many programs important to production agriculture were sacrificed in the 2014 Farm Bill, in exchange for help with the cost of crop insurance. Agriculture has clearly already done its part when it comes to cutting federal programs.

The Association opposes the proposed cuts and earlier this month, published the following statement on our website (FarmEquip.org/CropIns) as an open letter and sent it to House and Senate Budget Committee Chairs and Ranking Members:

Art’s Way Manufacturing Co., Inc. announces its financial results for the year ended Nov. 30, 2014. The company’s consolidated sales increased 5.7%, from $34,227,000 in fiscal year 2013 to $36,170,000 in fiscal year 2014.

The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) recently announced the recipients of its 2015 AE50 Awards for outstanding innovations, and several Association members’ products appear on the list.

SRI Quality System Registrar announced recently that it has awarded an ISO 9001:2008 Management System certificate to Superior Gearbox Company, located in Stockton and Buffalo, MO, for the design and manufacture of gear drives for power transmission systems.

The annual business meeting of our Associate Supplier Section will be held on Friday, March 19 at 2:00 p.m. during the Association’s Spring Conference and Supplier Product Showcase in Charlotte, NC. The purpose the meeting shall be the election of leadership of the Associate Supplier Section and the transaction of such other business as may come before the meeting.

Last month the New Jersey Senate Economic Growth Committee reported Assembly Bill A1812 favorably out of committee.

This bill amends the new vehicle “lemon law” to extend the protections of that law to “new motor vehicle farm equipment” This bill amends the new vehicle “lemon law” to extend the protections of that law to “new motor vehicle farm equipment” purchased or leased in New Jersey. Specifically, the bill includes farm tractors under the types of motor vehicles covered under the terms of the “lemon law,” along with the existing categories of passenger automobiles, authorized emergency vehicles, and motorcycles. The bill references the definition of “farm tractor”

While we monitor all states for legislation that could effect our members, our Association has retained a lobbyist to protect our interests in Kansas for the 2015 session. We have not yet seen any proposed legislation related to dealer buyback, warranty or lemon laws, but we did note some other relevant activity.

Some ag companies feel the need to build sturdier digital fences to fend off cyberattacks that industry officials say increasingly target the sector, the Wall Street Journal reports. Companies including Monsanto and Deere are investing more in cybersecurity as the farming business grows more data centric, with satellite-steered tractors and algorithm-driven planting services expand.

A new bill has been introduced in the Ohio legislature to protect Lake Erie from harmful algal blooms, adding several new proposals to a measure that last year passed the House but failed to make it through the Senate.

The new bill is designated as “Senate Bill 1,” a numbering that apparently reflects the Ohio Senate leadership’s determination to make it a priority. The sponsor claims the bill represents the strongest effort yet by lawmakers to curtail harmful algal blooms that threaten municipal water supplies drawn from Lake Erie.

The bill includes the following provisions, all similar to those in the House measure, House Bill 490, that was defeated in 2014:

Deere’s equipment operations reported operating profit of $414 million for the first quarter, ending January 31, compared with $891 million last year, according to Nasdaq.com. Net income of the company’s equipment operations was $241 million for the quarter, compared with $543 million in 2014.

The company’s worldwide sales of agriculture and turf equipment are forecast to decrease by about 23% for fiscal-year 2015, including a negative currency-translation effect of about 4%.

West Coast port employers and their union came to a tentative five-year agreement on a new contract Friday night, a union spokesman said, bringing an end to a nine-month negotiation process that resulted in significant slowdowns at the ports.

• Mahindra USA announced the opening of a new Midwest Authorized Distribution Center in Lyons, KS

• Tractor Supply Company, announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended Dec. 27, 2014

• Hoober Inc., an agricultural equipment dealer with 9 locations in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, announced it opened