It's great reminiscing with my nearly 91 year old dad about how he started the local John Deere dealership in late 1954, buying out the JD dealer in town then purchasing property that the Massey Harris dealer was located on to relocate his new adventure. Actually in the previous 2 years before he started the dealership he was able to get JD to host a plowing demonstration on one of their farms, that's when the buzz started thinking he had something in the works with JD. After he got the business moved and going he went to East Moline for a week's training at the branch office , there he meet the new president of JD William Hewitt who he thought came from California. He was very interested to talk with my dad. Later in a few weeks they had a dealers meeting and Mr. Hewitt spoke and when he finished his part they had a break when Mr Hewitt came walking down the aisle towards the Martin Bros.from Roanoke who were the big dealers at the time ,but Mr Hewitt walked past them and sat down with my dad and he said the look on their faces was priceless cause they had no idea who he was but again my dad and Mr Hewitt enjoyed visiting. As my dad has time these days to think about some of his past I am sure very happy to hear theses stories.
- Thread starter 8850dave
- Start date
Marin brothers became Martin Sullivan within the last five years or so, and still huge. They still have dealer in Roanoke, which is about a half hour south of me, plus a bunch others. We deal with KSR which is 3 locations, small by today?s standards! I enjoyed reading your story about your dad and can?t wait to share it with my grandfather!
Adirondack case guy
Well-known Member
Things used to be different. The Case company people were also our friends.Dad's house had 2 guest bedrooms up stairs. and when a Blockman or Service Rep where here they stayed over night. There were also people in branch management who stayed over here also. They were all our friends and Grampa, Dad, and I also hunted and went on fishing trips with them.
Having the farm also allowed the engineers a place to bring some experimental equipment, or modifications, in for real field testing. They also stayed at dad's house. The upstairs jokingly became known as the "Case Suit".
Evenings were great. Mom and dad would fix a big meal and afterwords we would sit around a talk sometimes about Case and new equipment or what if talk. Also the conversation turned to planning the next fishing or hunting trip, and perhaps a new gun that someone bought. As a young guy back then I sat back and listened a lot, but non of those company people excluded me from the conversations.
When there were company/dealer meetings the company people always sat with the dealers during the meals.
Loren
Having the farm also allowed the engineers a place to bring some experimental equipment, or modifications, in for real field testing. They also stayed at dad's house. The upstairs jokingly became known as the "Case Suit".
Evenings were great. Mom and dad would fix a big meal and afterwords we would sit around a talk sometimes about Case and new equipment or what if talk. Also the conversation turned to planning the next fishing or hunting trip, and perhaps a new gun that someone bought. As a young guy back then I sat back and listened a lot, but non of those company people excluded me from the conversations.
When there were company/dealer meetings the company people always sat with the dealers during the meals.
Loren
Not JD but I will add one. Back when Jonsered was getting going in the US. A rep was in the area and saw a garage selling Solo and a few other odd ball chainsaws. He stopped in and all but begged the guy to be a dealer (the guy was reluctant) finally he said I will leave you x many saws and a service box of parts. (no cost no credit check).If you do not sell any I will take them back. Well when he came back all the saws were sold along with an order list for more plus parts. He became the biggest Jonsered dealer in two counties with stories similar to Case guys on company reps. TIMES HAVE CHANGED.
JD Sure has changed today and not for the better in my mind. They do not want independent dealerships. They want corporate clones that are locked to the company so tight that JD can do whatever they want. If JD could they would not have privately owned dealerships today. Deep down JD would love to own the whole thing top to bottom. Vertically integrated top to bottom.
Think not??? I was at dealership principle meetings 30 years ago where they talked about too many dealerships and how this effected the company margins. They had the corporate drive then to close down stores.
JD used to be a real classy act. I would have loved to have gone to the New Generation Tractor Intro when the 4010s where announced to the public. IRC it was held on the King Ranch in Texas. The first dealer I worked for talked about how JD treated the dealers like Kings during that Intro.
Sure different years later when JD started driving dealerships out. Changing sales targets and market share minimums to force the single store dealerships out of business. Towards the end at the last store I worked at JD changed the area of responsibility for our store. On paper we where supposed to service the entire county. Even though there where two other JD stores in the Country. I will use the above 100 HP tractors as an example. JD claimed that nationally JD sold 60 of the total tractors that were 100 HP or larger. So in our county if all brands sold 10 100 HP tractor we where supposed to sell 6 of them. Anything the other dealerships counted against us. So if we did not sell the 60% JD cut our volume discount.
I could go on for hours about how JD designed the fall of many dealerships. The very people that BUILT the JD market share and customer support. JD Corporate people had little to do with customer service. The majority of that was at a direct dealership cost. One example is pickup and delivery for warranty issues. JD pays nothing. Loaner while your tractor is worked on. JD once again pays nothing.
Think not??? I was at dealership principle meetings 30 years ago where they talked about too many dealerships and how this effected the company margins. They had the corporate drive then to close down stores.
JD used to be a real classy act. I would have loved to have gone to the New Generation Tractor Intro when the 4010s where announced to the public. IRC it was held on the King Ranch in Texas. The first dealer I worked for talked about how JD treated the dealers like Kings during that Intro.
Sure different years later when JD started driving dealerships out. Changing sales targets and market share minimums to force the single store dealerships out of business. Towards the end at the last store I worked at JD changed the area of responsibility for our store. On paper we where supposed to service the entire county. Even though there where two other JD stores in the Country. I will use the above 100 HP tractors as an example. JD claimed that nationally JD sold 60 of the total tractors that were 100 HP or larger. So in our county if all brands sold 10 100 HP tractor we where supposed to sell 6 of them. Anything the other dealerships counted against us. So if we did not sell the 60% JD cut our volume discount.
I could go on for hours about how JD designed the fall of many dealerships. The very people that BUILT the JD market share and customer support. JD Corporate people had little to do with customer service. The majority of that was at a direct dealership cost. One example is pickup and delivery for warranty issues. JD pays nothing. Loaner while your tractor is worked on. JD once again pays nothing.
"Think not??? I was at dealership principle meetings 30 years ago where they talked about too many dealerships and how this effected the company margins. They had the corporate drive then to close down stores."
That's about the time we lost our biggest and best local dealer. Late summer of 91. There had been issues with warrantee work,three repossessed combines financed through JD Credit that the dealer was told they had to pay the interest on until they were resold and a myriad of other issues until Deere told them they weren't a part of Deere's master plan and their contract was pulled.
Be darned careful of your criticism though. You'll make powerful,lifelong enemies on this forum.
That's about the time we lost our biggest and best local dealer. Late summer of 91. There had been issues with warrantee work,three repossessed combines financed through JD Credit that the dealer was told they had to pay the interest on until they were resold and a myriad of other issues until Deere told them they weren't a part of Deere's master plan and their contract was pulled.
Be darned careful of your criticism though. You'll make powerful,lifelong enemies on this forum.
Deere force the local dealer that I work for thru collage out and they were bought by a local dealer south of here for a total of 3 stores. Now there owned by a big dealer out of Kentucky. I was in the process of trading my gator in on a new one, had everything done but write the check. It was right after Christmas and said I was going to the Bahamas and would be in the first of the year. The new dealer took over the first of the year and would not honor the deal and wanted $800 more. I bought a Polaris 15 minutes later!
Cummins bought out all the distributors and now there all corporate owned but they make alot of revenue and that adds to my profit sharing so I am not complaining!
Cummins bought out all the distributors and now there all corporate owned but they make alot of revenue and that adds to my profit sharing so I am not complaining!
It really easy to see Deere?s corporate dream. Just look at the construction side of the business.
Not only has mother Deere gotten pushy, the large dealer chains are as well. They seem to forget that the customer needs to make money if they want a piece of the pie.
Not only has mother Deere gotten pushy, the large dealer chains are as well. They seem to forget that the customer needs to make money if they want a piece of the pie.
Sean Feeney
Well-known Member
You got that right there corporate greed, a few years back RN Johnson in New Hampshire
no warning at all 4:15 pm shut them down one of the oldest dealers in us,
classless in my opion.
no warning at all 4:15 pm shut them down one of the oldest dealers in us,
classless in my opion.
ditchwitch
Well-known Member
JD that's just like Automobile Franchises . They did the same thing. In the earlier days everyone could have one "until" all the franchise owners where Bitc%^&$ about not making any money. Then the squeeze was on to weed out the smaller dealerships. By doing this the Corporate Heads figured out now they can force even more out by stricter rules for your dealership qualifications They did this by saying you got to sell this many or they pull you dealership away. The other thing was to get rid of the small guy was you have to have this much dollars in parts inventory the small dealerships couldnt afford that hit. Then some of the larger ones couldnt take the hit to do inventory and a building so now there gone and all is left is the ones that are the really big ones. Then the your dealership had to look like this and give you plans for the "Modern" up to date contemporary Building you going to have to build or your out. These corporate heads dont give a $hit about you your farm or anything else but the bottom line. And dont ever forget it. I know this to be true statement..
Tx Jim
Well-known Member
- Location
- Coyote Flats, Texas
I agree JD is not the same company it was back in the 50's-70's. I attended the introduction of the New Generation tractors in 1960 due to the fact that my brother was a JD dealer. It was held in Dallas at the Fair Park Pavilion. I still remember seeing the 4010 on the turn table under spot lights turning round-n-round.
Traditional Farmer
Well-known Member
- Location
- Virginia
I think JD is some people's religion, not just their tractor company.
One new reality they're gonna have to face in the near future though,is that things have stabilized in the industry and they have three competitors with some independent dealers who can set their own prices and make their own deals. Time will tell. More changes might become necessary. Even after GM and Ford survived the 08 crash,they've had to specialize away from sedans. Who knows what different equipment companies will have to focus on down the road.
What I don't understand is a sale is a sale - a tractor sold is a tractor sold. It seems to me that Ford, Chevy and JD - as examples have a bottom line price to their dealers that has enough margin to keep the mother ship floating. Let the local dealers battle it out and may the best one win the market share - regardless if they are big, small 2 or 3 in each county.
I do know this - when the Ford, Dodge, Jeep dealerships in our neck of the woods closed, most of the locals continued to by local - only Chevy, Buick, etc. Sales were lost because a dealer was shuttered, not because they were a small dealer.
I do know this - when the Ford, Dodge, Jeep dealerships in our neck of the woods closed, most of the locals continued to by local - only Chevy, Buick, etc. Sales were lost because a dealer was shuttered, not because they were a small dealer.
Traditional Farmer
Well-known Member
- Location
- Virginia
I wasn't joking.
This is very true IMHO.
I feel that Deere caught the competition flat footed with the new generation tractors, their powershift transmission and further mashed them with the 40 series. That - coupled with financial struggles of IH and perhaps others, along with the farm situation of the early 80's gave JD a powerful advantage. Some suggest that the booming times in the 50's, 60's and early 70's in this country had much to do with expansion, but in many ways, industries had no international competition as it was destroyed by WWII. With the late 80's and forward, international competition has been tremendous - especially from China. I think Deere (along with their great product line) had an advantage over the competition during those tough times for others. Perhaps had it not been for the 80's farm crisis, high interest rates, Carter's grain embargo, etc. AC, MF and others might have survived and thrived. Many say the 8000 AC tractor series were ahead of JD in their day.
However - today, JD has some serious competition with CaseIH/New Holland, Agco/MF and especially Kubota. I spoke to a dealer the other day and they are carrying McCormick tractors since Agco pulled their long tome MF dealership - but this dealer isn't going anywhere. Another dealer is now carrying Dutz-Fahr tractors.
Having said all that - for us, we are not brand or color loyal. We look for the best bang for the buck - period. We have bought a JD tractor, an old JD rake and a JD square baler. I came within a hair of buying a JD disc mower conditioner, but the JD dealer also sold Krone and made us a deal on one of them. My brother also bought a JD utility tractor based on price and features - so JD does have some good equipment out there.
YMMV
I feel that Deere caught the competition flat footed with the new generation tractors, their powershift transmission and further mashed them with the 40 series. That - coupled with financial struggles of IH and perhaps others, along with the farm situation of the early 80's gave JD a powerful advantage. Some suggest that the booming times in the 50's, 60's and early 70's in this country had much to do with expansion, but in many ways, industries had no international competition as it was destroyed by WWII. With the late 80's and forward, international competition has been tremendous - especially from China. I think Deere (along with their great product line) had an advantage over the competition during those tough times for others. Perhaps had it not been for the 80's farm crisis, high interest rates, Carter's grain embargo, etc. AC, MF and others might have survived and thrived. Many say the 8000 AC tractor series were ahead of JD in their day.
However - today, JD has some serious competition with CaseIH/New Holland, Agco/MF and especially Kubota. I spoke to a dealer the other day and they are carrying McCormick tractors since Agco pulled their long tome MF dealership - but this dealer isn't going anywhere. Another dealer is now carrying Dutz-Fahr tractors.
Having said all that - for us, we are not brand or color loyal. We look for the best bang for the buck - period. We have bought a JD tractor, an old JD rake and a JD square baler. I came within a hair of buying a JD disc mower conditioner, but the JD dealer also sold Krone and made us a deal on one of them. My brother also bought a JD utility tractor based on price and features - so JD does have some good equipment out there.
YMMV
I can see what Deere was trying to do. They looked at a map and said "We want dealers every so many miles,with no large areas going unserved." That's fine,but when it's coupled with the negatives that JDSeller lists,in areas that do have good independent dealers for other brands,that's where they get in to trouble. Those other dealers aren't held back by those corporate constraints and have the potential to make things pretty miserable for Deere. I could show you where two New Holland dealers with two different owners,have benefited greatly from a two location,locally owned Deere dealer being forced in to selling to a chain. There's a single location CaseIH dealer right in the middle of that area too who I don't think got hurt by the deal by any means. Only the most die hard Deere fans will continue to keep going back.
Case ih is forcing the small dealers out of business as bad if not worse than Deere and Agco Is doing the same thing with their dealers so how are they any more independent? There are 3 different John Deere dealers in this area and all 3 have different prices so there goes that theory .
T in NE
Well-known Member
- Location
- Cambridge, Nebraska
Well, I didn't find myself driving down the left side of the road due to a stack, intake snorkel, and door frame blocking the view of the oncoming traffic in the 7,000 series, and the 8000 series didnt have that, either.
I've never seen proof of that here. Plenty of single owner CaseIH,New Holland and AGCO dealers here in Michigan. I'd say they're more the rule than the exception. Those who are multi location are in the 2 to four store range. Of those that have sold to somebody else,none appear to have been forced. What seems to be happening more often than not is that some dealers are expanding and just flat opening new locations where old dealers closed up over the last decade. I guess there must be a demand for their brands or they wouldn't be building new from scratch.
Similar threads
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.
Copyright © 1997-2024 Yesterday's Tractor Co.
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.
Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters
Website Accessibility Policy