Photo credit: Grosshans Inc.
Q. HOW HAS THE COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE CHANGED SINCE YOU STARTED SELLING PRECI- SION FARMING AT YOUR DEAL- ERSHIP? HOW DO YOU SEE IT CHANGING DOWN THE ROAD?
BA – We have seen a decline in aftermarket sales as precision products have become more prevalent on OEMs. We are fortunate that we are on the equipment side so we can recoup the revenue on those products. It doesn’t matter what color you are, OEMs are more or less getting with the times and offering precision products on their machines. However, the same issues will still be there on the service side, we just may go about trouble shoot- ing and fixing it differently.
GI – As we run into more precision products equipped on OEM equipment, there will be less for us to sell aftermarket, leading to a shift in focus on the service end of the business. Fortu- nately, we are able to offer a wide array of pre- cision equipment to fit different manufacturer’s machines. Another thing we’ve seen more of is transferring a system from one machine to anoth- er. If they already have a system in place all we do is put on the platform kit or cabling so they can run it on the new equipment. We’re not selling as many full systems anymore, most of our custom- ers already are using the technology.
HA – Despite the growing trend of more and more precision technology being added to OEMs, there are still a lot of opportunities for us to sell and service precision ag. A lot of older machines need to be updated and some of the newer technology isn’t offered on OEM machines yet. So as long as we stay on top of the latest technology, we will always have new products to add on to existing equipment. In addition, when machines come from the factory with this precision technology al- ready in place, they will still need to be serviced.
LI – As more and more precision ag gets built into tractors and combines, I feel it will become sup- ported more by our service department and tech- nicians down the road. I also feel that precision ag will become more agronomically focused. We are working to shift more toward the agronomic end of things. However, while we do have a Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) on staff, we continue to work in partnership with local agronomists versus compet- ing with the local ag service providers.
PI – Down the road, I definitely see us moving away from selling precision whole goods as more precision products are coming standard on the machines. Our focus will then turn to making sure the customer is using the technology and taking the data and doing something with it. I see us be- coming more service based than hardware based.
18 | The Retailer Magazine | Mar/Apr
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