Question:
How is your dealership adapting to an increase in factory-installed precision hardware on new farm equipment, and how is this impacting aftermarket precision sales?
Answers:
“I believe the factory integrated systems are preferred by our customers. We order most vehicles and implements with factory-installed hardware and control systems.
If there are issues with operation, there is no doubt who is responsible. With aftermarket systems, there is always a question. As a precision specialist this makes resolving problems much easier.
“Compatibility is never an issue. The only problem I see with this type of strategy is selling technology that is not on the cutting-edge of the market. However, most customers are not as concerned with leading-edge technology as they are with reliability.”
“We primarily sell aftermarket systems where an integrated solution is not available. There is still plenty of opportunity with entry-level operations. Once we have a system installed we usually continue to upgrade and add to the precision presence with the customer.
“We have not been impacted yet with aftermarket sales, but it will not be long before most systems in the field will have integrated solutions.”
— Ron Rockvam,
Miller Sellner Implement,
Sleepy Eye, Minn.
“Our farmers were early adopters of auto-guidance and strip-till. The first made the second more effective. So we have already adapted to the factory-installed boom.
“We put up our own network of RTK base stations to sell RTK radios and subscriptions. We sell overlap controls. We have started to get into implement steering systems for pull type strip-till machines. We are into ISOBUS control of products through Case IH’s Pro 700 so we can apply two products while planting or strip-tilling.
“We are installing our guidance into competitive machines because of the service we provide. We will make maps for producers. We bought a Juno handheld so we can rent it to farmers to mark center pivots, field boundaries and elevations. And, of course we are still trying to find a way to make a profit while doing all of this.”
— Todd Hopkins,
Garden City Farm Equipment,
Garden City, Kan.
“Our strategy is to increase factory installed and encourage resale customers to utilize the technologies. Selling aftermarket precision hardware is less of a focus for us
“Customers are more willing to understand and utilize the technologies if they are already in place at they time they purchase the equipment.”
— Mitch Rezansoff,
Enns Brothers,
Winnipeg, Manitoba
