30
Technology/Machinery
www.FarmProgress.com ● June 2015
Wallaces Farmer
Iowa farmer
wins combine
for 2015 harvest
A
FARMER from Blencoe in western
Iowa is grand-prize winner of the
Lexion Driven to Win Giveaway
contest by Claas of America. The prize
is the use of a new Lexion combine and
header from Claas for the 2015 harvest.
Mark Dehn was a little suspicious on
April 10 when Todd Enke, territory manager of Ziegler Ag Equipment, stopped by
the farm with an entourage. “I really didn’t
tip him off too much when I asked to stop
by. Mark wasn’t sure what was going on,”
says Enke. Among the surprise visitors
were Pat Flinn, Iowa region sales manager
for Ziegler; Allen Miller, division sales
manager for Claas; Jeremy Bailiff, Claas re-
gional manager; and John Costello, Claas
marketing coordinator.
Mark Dehn, who farms with brothers
Mitch and Matt, and father Mike, sent his
registration in last fall for the chance to
win. After a bit of a wait, Mark was surprised to discover he was the lucky winner.
The family grows corn and soybeans on a
large farm, where the Dehns have worked
the land for many generations.
Mark’s new Lexion 750 TT combine and
header will be delivered in time for harvest. Meanwhile, he was left with a model
of the combine and a set of keys to remind
him of things to come. “I’m excited to try
out the new technology and see how it
EQUIPMENT WINNER: Iowa farmer Mark Dehn has won the free use of a Lexion
combine for the 2015 harvest. From left are Allen Miller, Jeremy Bailiff, Dehn (holding
a model), Mitch Dehn, Matt Dehn, Todd Enke and Pat Flinn.
runs this fall,” he says.
Claas of America Inc. offers innovative
combines, forage harvesters, balers and
hay tools to provide growers optimum
performance. The products are designed
by an engineering staff at numerous world-
Equipment dealers merge
T
HERE’S a lot of buzz about the
effect low crop prices are having
on farm machinery sales and what
will happen if farm income continues to
decline the next few years. Two strong
standalone companies have announced
they are taking a forward-thinking approach by merging their strengths.
Brokaw Supply Co. of Fort Dodge, Iowa,
and Riggins Ag Equipment of Marshall,
Mo., have finalized the merger of their two
family-owned, independently operated
companies to create one of the largest and
most dynamic non-major ag equipment
dealerships in the Midwest. Ag Solutions
Group is the name of the combined companies, each specializing in planting,
sprayer and fertilizer application equipment, along with multiple other non-major
ag machinery lines.
The expanded organization will be led
by John Flaugh (currently president of
Riggins Ag) as president, along with Dave
Nelson (currently president of Brokaw
Supply) serving as vice president. They
announced the merger May 14. The combined company will build on what each
organization has achieved independently
and provide an enhanced ability to grow,
expand capabilities and further support
their customers’ success.
Store names stay the same
“That is why we will not be changing our
individual stores names,” says Flaugh.
“We want our customers to know we are
still the same individuals they’ve come to
know and trust. Ag Solutions Group might
be our new name, but Riggins, Brokaw and
Concordia Implement will remain the individual store names and who you’ll continue doing business with day to day.”
By combining more than 110 team
members, we can “continue to strengthen
and enhance the customer experience
by bringing the added value of expanded
scope and reach to every sales, service
and parts interaction,” Nelson says.
MERGER: Brokaw Supply Co. of Iowa and Minnesota and Riggins Ag Equipment of
Missouri and Nebraska are both well-known companies. They are taking a forwardthinking approach to farm equipment sales by merging their businesses.
The scope of Ag Solutions Group will include the six current storefront locations
located in Marshall; Concordia, Mo.; Fort
Dodge; Redwood Falls, Minn.; Mead, Neb.;
and Hastings, Neb. The enterprise will operate in a five-state region: Missouri, Iowa,
Minnesota, Nebraska and Kansas.
“The valued customers and partners
of each dealership should see very little
change in those who call on them or in
processes they are accustomed to, and
if they do see changes over time, it will
be with improvements that benefit them
and make their experience with us even
better,” says Flaugh.
Firm will test equipment
Unique to Ag Solutions Group, the new
firm will further enhance their own innovation proving grounds concept they
have with Brokaw Supply and the Nelson
Family. Nelson Family Farms is a full-scale
farming operation in north-central Iowa,
which has proven to keep Brokaw Supply
ahead of the innovation curve when
helping their customers and manufacturers develop new technology.
“By developing new concepts, improving designs and training our employees on our own proving grounds, we
can be that much more of a resource to our
customers,” says Flaugh.
Nelson adds, “We know everything
about the equipment before we ever sell
it, because we’ve ran it on our own farm.”
Brokaw Supply Co., based in Fort
Dodge, is a sprayer and fertilizer equipment and parts dealer, with expertise in
both self-propelled sprayers and application of dry, liquid and NH3 fertilizer equipment. Originally started in 1957 by Bill
Brokaw Sr., Brokaw Supply was purchased
by the Nelson family in 2008. For information, visit brokawsupply.com.
Riggins Ag Equipment is a distributor
of planting, custom fertilizer and chemical
application equipment, parts, sales and
service. It opened in 1988 in Marshall. More
information is at rigginsag.com.
Source: Ag Solutions Group
wide factories focused on production and
design of harvesting equipment. Design,
performance and reliability have made
Claas an international market leader. For
information, visit claasofamerica.com.
Source: Claas of America
Vermeer
honored
A
N Iowa-based company, Vermeer
at Pella, has been named Dealer’s
Choice in the ag/shortline manufacturer category for the third consecutive year by the North American
Equipment Dealers Association.
The awards are based on results
from NAEDA’s annual dealer-manufacturer relations survey. “Our customers
spend so much time interacting with
our dealer network on a day-to-day
basis, continuing to support that network is key to maintaining our high
quality standards,” says Mark Core,
Vermeer executive vice president.
“Gaining this recognition three years
in a row shows Vermeer is truly dedicated to providing great support to our
customers.”
The survey asked dealers to rate up
to five manufacturer lines they carry
in 12 key categories, including overall
satisfaction, product quality, product
availability and product technical support. Over 6,000 total evaluations were
collected from North American dealers.
Vermeer is rated highly by its dealers,
taking the No. 1 spot in 10 categories.
Nathan Guess, director of the firm’s
forage solutions division, says the
results provide insight as to where
Vermeer has competitive advantages,
as well as opportunities for growth
and improvement. “Earning this award
shows we have successful business
practices already in place, but it also
brings to light areas in which we can
become even stronger and provide
even better service for our customers
and dealers.”
Vermeer makes agricultural, underground construction, surface mining,
tree care and environmental equipment. The equipment is backed by
local customer service and support
by independent dealers. To learn more
about products, visit vermeer.com.
Source: Vermeer Corp.