Over the past 5 years there has been nothing steady when it comes to the business levels for dealers selling outdoor power equipment (OPE). They’ve witnessed a swing in annual revenues of 31% on average between 2012-16 ($3.32 million vs. $4.34 million). But this wasn’t the worst of it. Between 2013-15 alone, total revenues, on average, fluctuated by more than half ($2.85 million vs. $4.34 million).

Landscape contractors, one of the prime market segments for rural lifestyle equipment dealers, continue to show strong growth potential in 2017.

The rollout of their autonomous tractors at the 2016 Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, garnered Case IH and New Holland a lot of attention for several weeks.

Is organic farming a viable market to pursue for farm equipment dealers and manufacturers? Here's an analysis from the Feb. 15 issue of Ag Equipment Intelligence.

From cashflow to ordering and managing inventory, intelligently forecasting equipment sales are critical for dealers’ financial planning. Unlike dealerships catering to production farming that can use commodity pricing as a signpost for industry trends, for those specializing in rural lifestyle markets economic indicators are not so clear cut.

It was 1983 when Sidney Allen, owner of Allen Machinery Co., got crosswise with John Deere construction equipment. Mike Kelly, who was Allen’s service manager at the time, says, “They didn’t want him as a dealer anymore and they bagged and tagged him.”

Mike Kelly, owner of Kelly Tractor & Equipment, talks about what it means to be recognized in the Dealership of the Year program.

Mike Kelly, owner of Kelly Tractor & Equipment, shares that a major turning point of the dealership was back in 1986 when they purchased their first Yellow Pages ad.

For Kelly Tractor & Equipment owner Mike Kelly, taking care of dealership employees goes well beyond pay rate. Keeping open communication about the "goings-on" of the dealership are crucial. In addition, listening to ideas and concerns from all employees is a big deal.