Andrew Campbell's Blog (11)

Planting A Flag: AGCO All-In On Mixed-Fleet Aftermarket Ag Tech

Farmers have long self-segmented solely on the paint color of their favorite brands of farming equipment. Oh, you’re a green guy? You prefer John Deere tractors, combines and sprayers. Or maybe you overheard someone make an offhand remark that your farm is “all red.” That’s not a shot at your political party affiliation. It means Case IH is your preferred brand of equipment. No matter how you slice it, if you spend any time hanging around farmers it’s clear: they value loyalty and relationships. These long-standing, dyed-in-the-wool equipment allegiances do not die fast. They’re passed down like coveted family heirlooms from grandfather, to father, to son and daughter, and so on. It’s rather fitting then that AGCO Corporation, a major farm equipment player long left out of these pigment-based affinity groups, has signaled another evolution in its go-to-market strategy. HOW IS AGCO SHIFTING GEARS? The company is planting its flag as the farmer-first, mixed-fleet leader for afterm

Ag in Motion farm show combines business and fun

A small city sprouts up alongside the canola every year near Langham, Sask. That's where Ag in Motion holds its three-day outdoor farm show. The event attracts about 10,000 daily visitors to its 40-hectare site northwest of Saskatoon. "It's like they got one of everything out here," said Trevor Kwiatkowski. He farms grain and oil seed crops near Prince Albert, so he's always looking for the newest seeding and tilling technology. Live demonstrations of machinery in the field and opportunities to test it himself are what keep him coming back. "It's one of the best places to come and check out all the equipment," Kwiatkowski said. "There's usually enough people on staff to either train you on it or tell you what it's all about anyway. Otherwise, you're running from dealer to dealer trying to figure it out." The event attracts spectators and businesses from across North America. More than 600 exhibitors from the crop, livestock and other ag sectors were expected throughout the week, t

Machinery News: AGCO Reorganizes Ohio Dealer Network, John Deere Launches New Gator UTVs

AGCO Details Ohio Dealer Reshuffle, AgRevolution Expanding North When word leaked online that AGCO was pulling its brands out of a long-standing dealer, Ohio Ag Equipment, at the end of 2024, many were left wondering what would become of AGCO's presence in Ohio? The Duluth, Georgia-based manufacturer says it will lean on what it is calling several “well-established” local dealers to provide expanded service within the state. The company will also begin expanding its AgRevolution hub-and-spoke mobile dealer and service business model into the Buckeye State. According to AGCO: • The Ohio dealerships will all offer AGCO's full brand portfolio, including Fendt, Massey Ferguson® and PTx products and services, going forward. • Lowe & Young (Wooster, Ohio), Mayer Farm Equipment (Jeffersonville, Ohio), and North Star Hardware and Implement (North Star, Ohio) - the three local dealers AGCO has selected to fill Ohio Ag Equipment's void - will continue operating in their current geographic a

Machinery And Tech News: More John Deere Layoffs, DJI Details Global Ag Drone Usage

WQAD-8 ABC in Moline, Ill., is reporting that 345 more layoffs have hit John Deere's manufacturing operation in Waterloo, Iowa. The equipment company has now dismissed over a thousand workers from its plants and offices around the Midwest. Over 500 employees in total at the Waterloo plant, which normally employs north of 3,000 production workers, have been given walking papers. An additional seven employees in a Coffeyville, Kan., facility will also be dismissed as of August 9, according to WQAD. Deere told WQAD the changes are due to reduced demand for the products made at the Waterloo and Coffeyville facilities. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) June 2024 U.S. combine and tractor sales metrics show both segments down considerably compared to June 2023. Deere assembles many of its combines at the Waterloo facility. John Deere says the dismissed employees are eligible for recall and severance packages. This latest round of layoffs comes fresh on the heels of mounti

Machinery and Tech News: Class-10+ Combine Hits North America, Taranis Launches GenAI Assistant

Claas unveiled its new Lexion 8900 Terra Trac combine this week at the Ag in Motion farm show in Saskatchewan, Canada. The newest entry to the Lexion lineup delivers 779 max horsepower from an efficient 16.2L MAN engine – an increase of 89 hp over the Lexion 8800 model, according to the company. Claas says the class-10+ combine is well suited for large-scale small grain operations. While the machine is new to North America, it’s been offered in select regions around the world since 2019. Other notable features include: 510-bushel grain tank 5.1 bushels per second unloading speed APS Synflow Hybrid system maximizes harvesting performance and efficiency by controlling threshing and separation systems independently. Cemos Automatic system automatically adjusts machine settings in real-time based on crop flow and changing crop conditions. Broad range of available CLAAS combine headers, including the new 50 ft./15.3 m wide CONVIO FLEX 1530 flex-belt draper header. Taranis Harnesses Gen