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Farm Equipment Dealers Head to Spring Supply Summit

Posted by Joe Gargiulo | Tue, Feb 27, 2018 @ 08:00 AM
farm equipment dealersProduced by the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association, the Spring Supply Summit & Showcase is an important seasonal destination for farm equipment dealers and manufacturers. The event is scheduled for April 18 – 20, 2018 at the Hilton Omaha. The first two days feature several board and committee meetings before seguing to lighter engagement such as receptions and dinners, a golf tournament and trap shooting. Acknowledging the importance of these gatherings, days three and four present a powerful lineup of speakers and seminar sessions that address the future of the farm equipment market.

The programming for Tuesday, April 17 includes the Executive Committee & Board of Governors Luncheon, Services Corp. Board Meeting, Executive Committee Meeting and President's Board Dinner.

Wednesday, April 18 follows with a Board of Directors Meeting, 1st Ladies Coffee, the concurrent golf and trap shooting events, and finally, the 1st Time Attendees Reception and Welcome Reception.

Advanced Learning for Farm Equipment Dealers and Makers

Thursday, April 19 begins with registration and a walk-run event before the timely breakout session, “Product Liability.”

A senior safety consultant with Association partner Sentry Insurance, speaker Greg Pellegrom will address the basis for product liability lawsuits and the prevention of user harm. In his regular gig, Pellegrom provides safety consultation services to policy holders in the Sentry/Farm Equipment Manufacturers Product Liability Insurance Program.

His presentation is framed by a provocative rhetorical question: “What would your customers do with your product … if you didn’t tell them what to do?”

“As product liability lawsuits and their related cost continues to grow, manufacturers must continue to warn and instruct in manuals, collateral materials, safety signs and in social media,” wrote Pellegrom in his session description. “A product liability lawsuit can cripple your enterprise and severely harm your brand.”

Meanwhile, two other experts will discuss “Healthcare and Tax Reform” during a concurrent breakout session.

Ed Fensholt of Lockton Companies (a commercial insurance, risk management and employee benefits company) will discuss association-based health insurance while Dave Burger of KCoe Isom will speak about the recent Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Fensholt says proposed rules for association health plans by the U.S. Department of Labor could reshape the regulation of association-based health insurance and open the door to association-based health coverage that crosses trade or industry lines.

Next, Burger — an authority on agricultural manufacturing tax programs — will review the potential impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on farm equipment dealers and makers.

After a refreshment break, professor and extension economist Jim Mintert from the Purdue University Department of Agricultural Economics will lead the general session, “Ag Economy.” This discussion focuses on “a data analysis and personal insights into what lies ahead for the agriculture economy.”

A Critical Period for Farm Equipment Dealers and Makers

farm equipment dealersNo session encapsulates the urgency of the moment like the keynote address, “Responding to the Threat to Distribution,” where presenters George Russell and Doug Griffin will review issues facing the farm equipment marketplace and how members can respond.

Russell’s Machinery Advisors Consortium provides consulting, training, coaching and best practice dealer group leadership while Griffin is a principal at Context Network, a global agribusiness consulting firm.

Acknowledging that the traditional tractor-dealer distribution channel for shortline manufacturers is being threatened by consolidation, OEM dealer policies, globalization and technology, “this interactive session looks at distribution options, adding value to farmers and rural life-stylers, and ways to reinforce traditional channels.”

Thursday’s programming continues with a Supplier Associate Section Meeting, the Supplier Showcase, Showcase Reception and finally, the Omaha Crawl before the “Technology in Manufacturing” general session.

Presenter Mark Sumner, the national sales manager at Acieta, will discuss the state of automation in manufacturing. His company has installed more than 4,200 robotics systems in manufacturing plants in North America, and will host a plant tour at its facility in Council Bluffs, Iowa immediately after his talk.

A tour of CLAAS of America is scheduled at the time period, 11:30 am - 2:00 pm, offering a look inside CLAAS’ North American Headquarters where hundreds of LEXION combines are assembled each year.

Attendees will see “specialized seat lifts in cabs, a track stretcher and feederhouse lift and learn how CLAAS uses consolidated commissioning to address the complexity of the bill of materials for unique machines with a minimal footprint. The test booth runs each machine to ensure top-of-the-line quality with notes and modifications communicated within teams for accountability and improvements.”

After the Acieta and CLAAS tours, the summit concludes with a Conference Planning Session.

Payment Solutions for Farm Equipment Dealers

CrossCheck creates payment solutions that address the rising cost of farm equipment. In particular, the Multiple Check premium enables buyers to make affordable down payments without using credit.

They simply write 2 – 4 checks and arrange to have them deposited by dealers on designated dates over the next 30 days. Meanwhile, dealers receive guaranteed funding from CrossCheck as each check is deposited. It’s a win-win for both parties!

Multiple Check has helped complete down payments and sales that would otherwise not have happened for over 25 years. Download our free guide to learn how it can work for you.

 

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Written by Joe Gargiulo

Marketing Specialist Joe Gargiulo has 25-plus years in marketing, communications and copy writing. As a writer, he enjoys connecting story leads to all aspects of the human experience.