Dusty Fussnecker’s dealership has its beginnings as an FFA project. Seven years later, he has a successful lawn and garden dealership and recently added the Massey Ferguson line.

Ariens has partnered with local dealer Mike Buboltz to manage the store as a power equipment dealership. Buboltz is the owner of Hardware Plus, which has sold Ariens equipment since 2011.

Rural equipment dealers forecast another good year for overall and aftermarket sales, according to Rural Lifestyle Dealer’s 2017 Dealer Business Trends & Outlook survey, the magazine’s 9th annual. Despite the economic and social turbulence of an election year, these optimistic forecasts follow a very strong year for growth in 2016. Eighty-four percent of dealers think 2017 will be as good as or better than 2016 for total revenue and more than 90% think aftermarket revenue will also be as good as or better than last year. This compares with last year’s survey in which more than 88% of dealers expected 2016 to be as good as or better than 2015 for total revenue and more than 90% expected aftermarket revenue to be as good as or better than 2015.

Succeeding in the market requires recognizing the preferred method of snow removal in your area; matching your equipment inventory with future snowfall; and having technicians willing to repair broken machines during cold weather.