Last Call: Confidential Regular Member Survey

The Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association, teaming up with St. Louis-based Advantech Consulting Group, is pleased to offer members the opportunity to participate in the return of our Annual Survey of manufacturers of specialized farm equipment.

In January of this year, Association Regular Members were invited via email to participate in the only survey of business conditions and compensation designed specifically for manufacturers of specialized agricultural equipment.

We understand that 2011 has gotten off to a very fast and busy start for many of our Regular Members and it’s likely some are just now getting final numbers from their CPA and accounting departments. For that reason we have extended the deadline and are making a second request for data from Regular Members. The new extended deadline for submitting data for the Annual Survey is April 25, 2011.

All of the Survey questions have been reviewed by a group of members who looked at ways to improve the quality of the Survey information. At the group’s request, a few additional questions have been added to this year’s Survey in order to increase the value of the results.

The Annual Survey continues to contain important and detailed information for shortline manufacturers and their bankers. Everything from critical operating ratios, marketing costs, inventory turns, operating expenses, average pay levels and employee benefits and a vast array of other statistics are contained in the 60 plus pages of results which allows you to compare your own firm with others in the industry.

While you can still use Advantech’s online system, a printed questionnaire with return envelope is enclosed for each company we do not yet have data from. We encourage you to take the time to complete this important survey.

Please note that all responses to this Survey are sent directly to Advantech Consulting Group. Individual data will not be seen by either the Association staff, officers or directors and will be destroyed by Advantech after tabulation.

If you have any specific questions regarding the Survey tool or data analysis, please contact Brent Natzke at (636) 230-7347.

Once the Survey is closed, Advantech Consulting will produce a written report. This report will be available at no cost to all who completed the Annual Survey. If you do not complete the Survey and would like access to the results, the purchase price will be $395 per company.

Again, the new deadline for submitting data for the Annual Survey is April 25, 2011. Survey results will be available in early May. ◆