I just celebrated my 35th anniversary in the Ag equipment industry. I started in parts and remember looking up parts for customers on Micro Fiche. It was a great way to provide resources at the time from the manufacturers but led to some great discussions with customers when there was a hair or a scratch on the Microfiche and they argued that was the hose or line they were looking for.
I would say the greatest game-changer to the equipment industry was the introduction of guidance/autosteer in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This led to huge gains in efficiencies on the farm especially with seeding and chemical application. Today not only is guidance a staple on the farm but machines now talk to each other, sync and share lines, and autonomy is on the near horizon.
Rocky Mountain Equipment now has 43 locations across Western Canada. This leads to stronger support for the customers with centralization of complex available expertise, parts/equipment availability, and financial horsepower to grow the business sustainably. The need to support the technology integrated in the equipment is as important as supporting the mechanical functions of the equipment.
Farm equipment magazine is my go-to for industry news and industry current events. The best practice portion of the content is always interesting and focuses on current challenges in the industry.
Check out other "A Look Back in Farm Equipment History" blogs
Industry commentary on “55 Years of Farm Equipment”
- The ‘5 Greatest Tech Advancements’ in My Career as a Dealer | Leo Johnson, Johnson Tractor
- The Impact of Consolidation & Technology on Agriculture Over Half a Century | Sam Christianson, Titan Machinery
- A Service Manager’s View on the Changing Times | Brent Bazin, Young's Equipment Inc.
- Reflections on Farm Equipment | George Russell, Machinery Advisors Consortium
- Farm Equipment Sales in the 1970s | Charlie Glass, FEMA Dealer Relations Commitee
- Digital Communications Changed the Course of OEMs Working With Dealers | Tom Taylor, retired farm equipment executive
- RDO Equipment’s Take on the Last 55 Years | Daryl Shelton, RDO Equipment
- Reflections from a North American, International & Company-Store Dealer Exec | Stacy Anthony, AgRevolution LLC
- A Lot of Change in Shortline Equipment | Hans Rasmussen, Summers Manufacturing
- Business Acumen, Technology Forever Changed Equipment Sales & Service | Brian R. Carpenter, Champlain Valley Equipment
- Not Your Grandfather’s Farm Equipment Dealership… | Josh Waggener, Hutson Inc
- Left Major OEM Career 55 Years Ago to Become Dealer-Principal | Paul Wallem, Retired International Harvester executive
- Titan Machinery Reflects on Significant Changes to Dealership Environment in 55 Years | David J. Meyer, Titan Machinery
- From 3 Stores Within 50 Miles to 25 Stores Across 8 States | Tom Rosztoczy, Stotz Equipment
- 45 Years of Observations on Ag Equipment Manufacturing & Distribution | Chuck Bellew, retired farm equipment executive
- Today’s Staff Has No Fear Approach to Risk, But It Still Exists | Jeff Morgan, H&R Agri-Power
- A Recent Retiree’s Perspective on Equipment Industry | Lars Paulsson, Laforge Systems
- 60 Years of Equipment Dealer Associations Consolidation Continues | Kim Rominger, NAEDA
- Vast Technology Changes Assisted Dealers’ Computerization | Ed Archambo, Basic Software Systems
- ‘I Didn’t Listen to My Uncle Roy’ | Jon Eis, Eis Implement Co.
- Farm Equipment Manufacturers and the Early 1980s Farm Crisis
- GMO, Autosteer Forever Changed Our Business | Tom Janson, Janson Equipment
- My 35 Years at RME, from Microfiche to Guidance | Jim Wood, Rocky Mountain Equipment
- Export Opportunities Changed Game for Canadian Shortline Manufacturer | Hal Carnago, Schulte Industries Ltd.
- 40 Years with Sunco, Hiniker, Ingersoll, Southern Marketing & Forges de Niaux | Larry Hansen, Forges de Niaux
- From Dreaming Farm Boy to Equipment Dealer | Tim Brannon, B&G Equipment
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