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North Dakota |
Martin Richenhagen and Bob Crain peered into the mist where the Ghost of AGCO’s North American Future pointed. All they could see was lost consumer confidence, an even further decimated dealer network, slumping sales, and declining market share. Further beyond, they could see their shadowy legacies as the guys who lost AGCO’s North American market, and their replacements who scrambled to make things right.
“Tell us, Spirit,” they pleaded. “Is this a vision of what will be or what may be?” But the Ghost of AGCO’s North American Future was silent.
Come on guys, take a lesson from Scrooge. IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO CHANGE YOUR MIND. Orange isn’t dying; you’ve been killing it with lack of support, an incomplete product line, and uncertainty about the future. You have made orange’s decline a self-fulfilling prophesy. The “reasons” put forth for your decision are half-truths and easily addressed.
Don’t let AGCO’s Tiny Marketshare die. With a bit of support, Tiny Marketshare could even grow into Healthy Marketshare. AGCO needs dealers (orange and red), not consolidation, and CAT dealers sure aren’t doing the job. Listen to your people in the field. They know what the market wants. They’ve stood by AGCO and their customers. Save your dealer network. You have a product line that’s second to none. People want to buy your products, and a lot of these want orange paint and their local dealer. But don’t just keep orange-- support it with a full product line and help orange equipment help AGCO grow in North America. Just remember: you can’t expect customers and dealers to support AGCO products when you won‘t support AGCO products.
Note to John Deere Corporation: Dust off your “Solid, Stable, Still John Deere” advertising campaign and prepare for yet another increase in market share.
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An AGCO Christmas Carol (w/apologies to Charles Dickens)
