Nov/Dec 2016 TOP TEN MEMBER ISSUES


executive insight


In the December 2014 issue of The Retailer, I wrote about the top 10 issues facing our members. At that time, the top 10 issues were 1) taxes, 2) inventory, 3) buildings, 4) economic trends, 5) dealer transition, 6) legislative/political, 7) employee related issues, 8) dealer-manufacturer relations, 9) technology and 10) trucking regulations. In light of the recent changes to commodity prices, I felt that now would be a good time to see if these issues have changed.


1 Whole Goods Sales – Two years later, the number one issue on the minds of dealers is, not surpris-


ingly, the sales of whole goods, which are down. While this downturn is directly related to com- modity prices, the big question is, when we will see a turnaround? Most prognosticators predict this will not occur before 2018.


2 Right to Repair – “Right to Repair” or “Do it Yourself” repair legislation remains the second


most common topic discussed. Attempts have been made to pass legislation that would require dealers and manufacturers to “transfer an au- thorized copy of the computer program, or the right to obtain such copy” when the equipment is transferred. Currently, service manuals and guidelines are made available to owners of the equipment for servicing, but copyright protects the computer program.


3 Service Department – Shops in most dealer- ships remain busy. This is important since shops


often are the most profitable part of the dealer- ship, making it vital toward maintaining a strong customer base in the long run.


4 EDA Dues – Formerly known as the North Amer- ican Equipment Dealers Association, the Equip-


ment Dealers Association of St. Louis, MO, no longer has a connection to INEDA and as a result, charges dues at its own rates.


5 Dealer Inventories – Our quarterly state of the industry surveys show that whole goods invento-


ries are down 20% per year for each of the last two years. This bodes well for getting inventories in line with reduced demand for equipment.


OFFICERS: Boyd Mitchell


Chairman Bob Sinclair


Vice Chairman Bruce Keim


Past Chairman


EDA DIRECTOR: Ivan Dorhout


DIRECTORS: Todd Barker Scott Beach


Kent Grosshans Clay Haley


Steve Manzer Rock Valley, IA Lenox, IA Grinnell, IA


Central City, NE Carroll, IA


Osmond, NE


Vol. 96 No. 6


Atkinson, NE Sigourney, IA Hamburg, IA


OFFICERS: Don Partridge


Chairman Alex Rueter


Vice Chairman Mark Swedlund


Past Chairman


DIRECTORS: Bruce Bowman Rick Boat


Brian Jansen Nick Sinn


STAFF:


Andrew Goodman Tom Junge


Mark Othmer Donna Miller Will Rogers


Cindy Feldman Julie Taylor


Annmarie McGowan Kari Dostalik


Gretchen Burch David Adelman Tim Keigher


CONTACT I-NEDA: 8330 NW 54th Ave. Johnston, IA | 50131-2841


E: info@ineda.com | W: www.ineda.com P: 515.223.5119 | F: 515.223.7832 TF: 800.622.0016.


SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION:


Individual subscriptions are available without charge to Association members. One-year subscriptions are available to all others for $30.00 (6 issues). Contact I-NEDA for additional information. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is furnished with the under- standing that the Iowa-Nebraska Equipment Dealers Association, the publisher, is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. Changes in the law may render the information contained in this publication invalid. Legal advice or other expert assistance should be obtained from a competent professional.


Affiliated with: 2 | The Retailer Magazine | Nov/Dec


President/CEO IA Field Director NE Field Director Operations Manager


Director of Gov’t. Affairs Marketing Director Acct./HR Coordinator Assoc. Svcs. Assist. Editor/Writer


Assoc. Svcs. Assist. IA Legislative Director NE Legislative Director


Des Moines, IA Pella, IA


Des Moines, IA Des Moines, IA


Omaha, IA Elkhart, IA Ankeny, IA


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