Dealer Profile Green and Sons
it would make more sense to keep both locations.”
The transition from the original site to the new site was straightforward. As soon as the renovation allowed it, they had new equipment delivered to the Mt. Sterling location and also brought trade-ins there. They gradually moved over other
parts, equipment, tools and office inventory. They implemented a new business system with the new location. “I had been using an insanely simple system. I tracked our inven- tory in spreadsheets and we hand wrote every invoice. We knew we needed something different,” Bill says. They purchased software from Inventrakk, which is now owned by Ideal Computer Systems. “We’re right on the verge of outgrowing the software because it’s limited to 12 users. At the time, we only had 4 or 5 people using it and we thought we’d never get to 12. Now, we’re right up against the limit.”
Adding More New Equipment
The Greens soon started investi- gating other new equipment lines to expand their reach to commercial landscapers. They added Exmark zero turn mowers in 2008.
In November 2006, Green and Sons purchased a site off Interstate 71 in Mt. Sterling, Ohio. The site offered lots of warehouse space and good visibility and access for rural lifestyle customers. Their grand opening was the following May.
“We know we need to be malleable
about what we are going to offer and we needed something to complement our commercial lines,” Bill says. “We were as green and as uninformed as any couple who has bought their first piece of property. I approached it like an end user who was going out shop- ping. Every landscape contractor I saw had a trailer with 2 or 3 Exmark mow- ers so I knew the brand had a tried and true following.” The Kubota RTV utility vehicle added another way to expand. “When we placed our initial order, I thought
we were going to have them as demos forever. I thought it would be good if we sold 5 of them a year and now we’re selling 60,” Bill says.
“We know when we can make
something work …”
Two years ago they added a line called “The Farmboy” from UTV Hitchworks, which helps sell Woods and Land Pride attachments for Kubota RTVs. The Farmboy is a 3-point hitch system that uses standard UTV front or rear hydraulics to power attachments. (See the sidebar “Rural Lifestyler’s Invention Makes UTVs More Versatile” on pg 26.) Offering the 3-point hitch has helped us sell more attachments. It’s really taking off,” Peyton says.
Changing Sales Philosophies
Green and Sons added Exmark mowers to its new equipment lineup in 2008 as a way to expand its reach to the commercial landscaper market.
24 RURAL LIFESTYLE DEALER SUMMER 2013
The Greens adjusted sales philos- ophies since adding new equipment to their lineup. For instance, Bill says some of the team still feels more com- fortable selling used equipment and they’ve had to get used to lower mar- gins on new equipment.
continued on pg 27
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