Changes ahead for M&S…
There have been many changes in the farm equipment industry in the almost 65 years that M & S Implement Company has been in business. One of the major changes in the industry began in the 1980’s, with manufacturers consolidating their brand ownership and increasing their global presence. An example of some previous consolidations which directly impacted our business: In 1985, Allis Chalmers and Gleaner brand products were purchased by KHD and renamed Deutz-Allis; in 1990, Deutz -Allis was sold to its management and became Allis-Gleaner Corporation (AGCO); since 1991, AGCO Corporation has continued to acquire other brands including Hesston hay and forage, White-New Idea, Massey Ferguson, Black Machine, Sunflower, Fendt, TerraGator, RoGator, Valtra, Etc. Another major change in the farm equipment industry, encouraged by the manufacturers, has been the consolidation of single store dealer locations into multi-store dealerships.
The existence of single store operations like ours has become increasingly rare. Our manufacturers have been promoting the multi-store dealership business model for years, in hopes that customers would be served better and that dealerships would be better able to survive the inevitable downturns in the ag economy. Multi-store dealerships can achieve economies of scale with their human resources, their facilities, their repair fleets, their assets, their inventories, and their fixed costs.
In the near future, M & S Implement Company will be joining the ranks of single store dealerships who have decided to sell to a multi-store dealership. We have signed a “Letter of Intent” to join forces, by late October, with the AgRevolution dealership group. AgRevolution presently has 7 locations: 5 in western Kentucky and 2 locations in Indiana. They are a full-line AGCO dealer, carrying all AGCO brands. So, purchasing our Harrisburg location means that the Fendt and Rogator brands will be available at our facility in the near future, as well as the AGCO brands already available at M & S Implement Company (Massey Ferguson, Gleaner, and Sunflower).
This change will give our Harrisburg business location the synergies to remain viable in the farm equipment business well into the future. This change will provide our present and future customers with the type of service experience that they need to succeed in this ever-changing, high-tech agricultural world. The management of M&S Implement Company Incorporated remains committed to our customers and our employees. We pledge to do everything we can to assist AgRevolution in meeting those commitments in a way that continues to provide a high-quality farm equipment dealership experience.
Roger Apple, President
M & S Implement Company Inc.
September 7, 2023