MT-ND | c_mayer - 8/5/2024 09:02
Finally getting time to respond a bit to this post, but honestly, I haven't wanted to.
Reading your post, it's all the same thing that's been rehashed 1000 time here...there's no AGCO dealers in your area.
Glad you can get old Hesston parts from your CNH dealer, all of them around here send their customers to us, and tell them they can't get them...even if it's an actual old Case tool, or even some New Holland built stuff, because they have parts guys who don't care!
If you say, there are AGCO dealers, and it's a Challenger/CAT dealer turned AGCO, then you really don't have an AGCO dealer for anything other than new stuff, in my opinion.
Look, I get it, AGCO needs more dealers. If any of you can point me in the direction of someone in your area who really WANTS to be a dealer, I would be more than happy to put my Dealer Development contacts onto them, as they are looking all over for dealer opportunities who will push the brands, support the product, and help AGCO grow...but if they want to hang a sign and get cheap prices for themselves, then too bad.
Has AGCO's branding been clunky and changing, yep, can't argue that...but since 2011 it's been pretty solid...a core line of Global brands. MF and FENDT for North America, with FENDT getting some extra push since 2018 or so when they started expanding the line.
As someone else said, they don't continue to make products that don't sell...like MF combines, Farmhand mixers and tub grinders, Glencoe tillage, etc. They also support things that grow and do well, Gleaner Combines, Hesston Inline balers, White Planters, with or without an antiquated pressure meter that can't singulate todays corn for crap unless you get perfect seed from your seed dealer, etc.
In the end, I don't know that we disagree as much as you think we do, but I live in reality where we work with what we are given, and take advantage where we can, and do NOT worry about the past and how things could have been done differently. That's not helpful to anyone, customers first and foremost.
If you don't like AGCO, or your dealer, it's very simple, go somewhere else. If you don't have a dealer, then don't drive 100 miles to get one unless they are worth the trip. You have never seen me tell anyone on here to buy AGCO no matter what...that is not feasible, or a smart decision. If you have a good dealer, then support them...if not, then go the CNH, or Deere, or whoever your best option is.
They all build good products, the dealer is the difference in almost every case.
If you think I'm talking out of both sides of my mouth, OK...I don't think so, but OK.
Chris
I actually did call AGCO in the past about becoming a dealer, they told me:
Full line or nothing, aka MF, Fendt, Challenger, Gleaner, etc and GSI.
Minimum of 3 dealer locations from the start
Minimum of 3 trucks per location, in addition to 6 mechanics at each location
Minimum number of equipment sales, down to x number per brand per hp range.
Minimum number of grain systems sold per year
It penciled out to well over 500 million to get going, with buildings, land and all, but even if I did find a way to get that ridiculous amount of money, they said being within 300 miles of the Caterpillar ag dealer was too close.
Don't think I just complain about dealers. I've called, emailed, and met with Agco about becoming one. I know if I could do one location, with the same shop requirements, I could make it work for full line Gleaner and Hesston, and parts for the rest of the line, as that was what the former dealer here had and was extremely successful with, until Agco told him he had to take on the full line and do multiple locations or get out. Challenger, MF, Fendt, even the old White and AC brands were never popular here, but those two brands were.
I know of a neighbor who was a big Challenger fan, with more money than he knows what to do with, he went to Agco about becoming a dealer. He was given the same requirements and was told he was too close anyways. Virtually identical emails we got, 6 years apart.
And no Chris, you can't sell the same identical thing for 10 to 40 years with little to no improvement, people want better. Agco quit putting money into every brand it killed long before it cited lack of sales. That's what I meant by the farmhand speil. Of course no one bought an agco farmhand because agco didn't put a dime in it. They sold the exact same things Farmhand Inc sold for 10 years. Agco put money into White and Allis then quit then cited lack of sales compared to the brands they put into.
And no Chris, an Axial Flow doesn't work for me. We run Gleaners because they work for us, we love the machines. They do better work than red or green, that's why we still have them.
Why do you think I'm hard on Agco Chris? It's because I've went to them, offered to buy 10 combines, 10 swathers, 3 sets of common wear parts for every Gleaner and Hesston model in the area upfront, put up a building on land in town, pay more than the oilfield for mechanics to get and keep mechanics, and it was agco who told me to show up with half a billion or forget about it and I'm too close anyways.
That's why. I've went to them, with bankers, investors, and statements saying I can do this if you'll allow me, I've offered to be a dealer for the brands that make sense and would sell easily here. They're the ones who have said no you have to be Mr. RDO for us to even consider you.
So don't think I myself haven't tried to solve the issues I complain about, because I have. |
Question for Chris
