The 2018 recipient of Precision Farming Dealer’s sixth annual Most Valuable Dealership is Central Valley Ag (CVA) based in York, Neb.
In total, 27 U.S. and Canadian dealerships including large and small farm equipment dealership groups with precision departments, independent precision operations and co-ops were nominated by their farm customers, precision equipment suppliers and their own employees.
We asked an independent panel of judges to evaluate precision farming sales growth and diversity, along with how each nominee is generating revenue from hardware, software and precision service.
The judges also analyzed less quantifiable elements that define the best precision farming dealership, such as employee training, performance standards, innovation, sustainability and community involvement.
Most Valuable Dealership Alumni
2013 Brokaw Supply Company Fort Dodge, Iowa
2014 South Dakota Wheat Growers Aberdeen, S.D.
2015 Ag Info Tech Mount Vernon, Ohio
2016 Hoober Inc. Intercourse, Pa.
2017 Southern States Cooperative Richmond, Va.
Previous recipients of the honor showcased the diversity of dealerships carving out a successful niche in precision farming, and 2018 once again highlighted another uniquely innovative retailer in CVA, marking the third time a farm cooperative has captured the honor.
With agronomy revenue of nearly $300 million in fiscal year 2017, the 11,500-member cooperative serving Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas, has established a reputation for building its precision business on relationships, trust and innovation.
“It all starts with service,” says Keith Byerly, Advanced Cropping Systems manager for CVA. “To succeed, we need quality employees who are willing to learn something new every day and be able to adapt to each individual grower’s situation and needs. At the end of the day, the widgets are only as good as the person behind them.”
As noted by the judges, CVA is thriving by creating a collaborative culture — both internally with open communication among its 26-member Professional Ag Services team and externally with specialized services including variable-rate prescriptions and irrigation management.
Most Valuable Dealership Judging Panel
Dr. Harold F. Reetz, Jr. Owner, Reetz Agronomics LLC, Monticello, Ill. Reetz has nearly 40 years of experience as an agronomic consultant in the areas of high-yield cropping systems, precision farming technology and on-farm research. From 1995-2009, he was the lead organizer for the InfoAg Conference series and served as co-coordinator of the International Conference on Precision Agriculture in 2008 and 2010. He currently serves as executive director of the International Society of Precision Agriculture.
Terry Brase Precision Ag Instructor, West Hills Community College, Coalinga, Calif. After spending 15 years as professor of Agricultural Geospatial Technologies at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Brase launched BrASE LLC, an educational consulting company designed to assist agriculturists develop their geospatial technology skills in 2014. In 2016, he joined West Hills Community College as a precision ag instructor, teaching a variety of agricultural science courses and developing technology and curriculum at the Farm of the Future.
Thomas Krill Consultant, Precision Strategy LLC, Pettisville, OhioFor more than 20 years, Krill has worked in the precision agriculture industry as a collegiate instructor, sales manager and research and development team member for farm equipment manufacturers and an agronomic consultant. Krill currently works as an independent strategist with Precision Strategy LLC.
