Worthington Ag Parts - President's Blog

Merry Christmas!

I would first like to wish everyone a safe and joyous Christmas.  As I write this plans are being made to close of a few of our stores tomorrow (Christmas Eve) because of the prediction of the worst storm to hit Minnesota and other states in twenty five years!  We are only supposed to be open until noon anyway.  We are closed Christmas day through the weekend and return to full hours on Monday, December 28th.

For those of you in this storm's path I hope each of you find a safe warm and happy place to spend your Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. 

Merry Christmas to all!

Cheers,

Mike Winter

USDA Farm Internet Access Study!

I had some interesting facts delivered to my inbox this morning via the Farmer Show Case Newsletter. 

According to USDA, 64 percent of US farms have computer access. That's unchanged from the previous survey two years ago.

Fifty-nine percent have Internet access, up from 57 percent in 2007. Thirty-six percent of farm computer users have DSL access, up from 27 percent in 2007. Twenty-three percent use dial-up, and 11 percent have cable access.

Thirteen percent of the farms report buying farm inputs over the Internet. Eighty-one percent of U.S. farms with sales of $250,000 or more have access to a computer, 76 percent of whom have Internet access.

Sixty-five percent of Minnesota farmers report having Internet access, along with 61 percent in North Dakota.

It is our intention to increase our marketing to farmers via the web in 2010 offering email specials.  If you want to be a part of this, you can sign up on our web site with a click here!

Cheers,

Mike Winter

Happy Thanksgiving!

Worthington Ag Parts - Your all makes source for Tractor Parts, Combine Parts, Cotton Picker Parts and Implement Parts!  Providing solutions to repair problems of our valued customers for 45 Years!

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on everything we have to be thankful for. I am thankful for my family, my job and my friends but I am also very thankful for our Worthington Ag Parts family.

We all spend time with our family but if you think about it you spend as much or more of your time with your work associates. I preach I have two families the one at home and my work family with Worthington Ag Parts.

The biggest compliment came in Germany from our current export customers and potential new ones. They all said we have heard or experienced that the Worthington employees are like a big family and we enjoy being or want to be a part of that experience.

That -- my brothers and sisters is the epitome of Worthington Ag Parts, we may bicker amongst ourselves from time to time, but we stick together when challenged from the outside. We value our customers and our competitors who keep us motivated to provide the industry best customer service.

Happy Thanksgiving to our customers, competitors and especially to my brothers and sisters at Worthington Ag Parts!

Regards,

Mike Winter

New Corn Heads Available in 2010!

Worthington Ag Parts - Your all makes source for Tractor Parts, Combine Parts, Cotton Picker Parts and Implement Parts!  Providing solutions to repair problems of our valued customers for 45 Years!

Here is an article that is going to be published on new corn heads available from Worthington Ag Parts!  This is one of the potential product lines we will be carrying in 2010!

A new corn header made in Argentina comes with some unique features at an economical price.  The Allochis header is made by Allochis Division of Cabezales and distributed by Worthington Ag Parts.

 

The low profile header comes in two styles; steel and aluminum. The steel headers are used for low cost on smaller headers where weight is not an issue. Aluminum is used on larger headers to reduce weight. Steel headers come with a painted frame.  The aluminum header is not painted. Both heads come with plastic dividers in yellow or other colors if preferred.

 

Heads are available in 18, 20, 22, 28, 30, 32, 36 and 38 inch row width headers. Allochis offers 6, 8, 10, 12 and 16 row headers in 30-38 inch row width and up to 20 rows on 22 inch row width headers.

 

All headers come with a feature that allows for inserting different adaptors to fit any of the combines in the United States today.  Other features include hydraulic operated stripper plates and clear plastic inspection window in the shields to make maintenance quite simple.

 

“This is s a lightweight, no frill, low profile corn header that will save the customer around 20 to 25 % off OEM corn headers”, says Carl Vande Weerd of Worthington Ag Parts.  The aluminum construction reduces the header’s weight considerably which is a big advantage as combine headers keep getting bigger.  Some people have asked whether a header with aluminum will hold up in the field.  Vande Weerd said “Due to Allochis extensive three year testing program, the Allochis header’s stand up.”

 

A 12 row header was field tested this year in the United States.  It was first installed onto a 7700 John Deere® silage cutter to grind ear corn.  The customer ground about 1,300 acres in field conditions not like most years. The header was switched to a 7120 CNH® combine to run about 3000 acres. When Vande Weerd talked to the customer, they were running 225 bushel corn at 19%   moisture at 4 mph.

 

An estimated cost of a 12 row 30 inch header with hydraulic deck plates to fit a CNH®  or John Deere®  combine will run $66,000.00 which is an economical alternative to the higher priced OEM corn heads with the same or better functionality.

 

If you are interested in more information contact Carl Vande Weerd of Worthington Ag Parts 1.800.637.4810 or email cvandeweerd@worthingtonagparts.com.

 

Here is an interesting article written about our company earlier this month in The Land,click here to read it.

Cheers,

Mike Winter

Agri Technica Wrap Up

Worthington Ag Parts - Your all makes source for Tractor Parts, Combine Parts, Cotton Picker Parts and Implement Parts!  Providing solutions to repair problems of our valued customers for 45 Years!

I have returned from visiting the Agri Technica show in Hanover, Germany.  The size of this show is truly amazing and the millions of dollars spent on booth displays is incredible.  John Deere's display was quite amazing.  You can see from the photo they set a tractor on it's back with a glass top so you could peer inside the cab!  John Deere was not the only one of the majors that were displaying their muscle at the show.  You name the agricultural parts company and they were there.  In two days because of european customer meetings I'm guessing I only saw a fifth of the show.  It was truly an eye opening experience for me!  I returned with my head spinning of ideas, all to benefit our customers.

The last day was spent in the parts manufacturer's building from Turkey, Israel and China to name a few.  We even visited A&I's booth from Rock Valley, Iowa.  Bruce Jacobsma and Anden Van Beek were displaying their after-market new combine parts.  They had five more days of workng the show to go, I am sure they are going to be worn out by Saturday evening.

The exhibition for the first time ever had a building where it featured used parts and machinery.  This was an interesting stop for us.  We introduced ourselves to a few companies that dismantle tractors and combines for parts.  I have a feeling it was the beginning of some long-term relationships.  Those of us in the salvage business have a rare bond.  The photo to the left is one of those used companies we visited. 

In summary the world is small and getting smaller.  With today's technology we expect answers in minutes and can get them via text, email and mobile phones.  Farming is farming world wide and the equipment along with the replacement parts are very similar if not the same. 

In closing as Brad Paisley says - "Welcome to the Future" "Wherever we were going - well we are here!"  and ours is definitely focused on the United States and abroad.  As for Germany - I will return because in Germany - God is great, the beer is good and the people are (drive) Crazy!

Cheers,

Mike Winter

 

 

Day One Agri Technica!

Good evening!  Yesterday was a very busy day at the farm show.  The first two days are by private invitation only.  The first impression of this show is overwhelming.  You truly need a map to know where you are going.  There are so many buildings, 13 separate buildings to be exact.  This makes the Louisville Farm show seem small.  The world economy may be struggling but given the attendance at this show for invitees only you wouldn't know it!  We met with a few of our existing international customers and a couple potential new customers.

Once inside the first thing you notice are the very professional displays by all the vendors.  You can see to the left John Deere has a second floor for their customers to visit with staff!  We even encountered a company selling shots of Famous Grouse Scotch chilled to -18 degrees for one Euro.  They were selling jackets, I guess if you pump enough Scotch in the potential customer they will buy anything!  I have also included a photo of New Holland's release of the "Boomer" 8N tractor.  What a marketing campaign "Past Is Back - Future is Present!".

That's all for today, tomorrow is going to be just as hectic.  It's easier to track my thoughts during our meetings at the farm show on my twitter account - click here!

Thanks for reading!

Cheers,

Mike

Greetings from Germany!

I am writing to you from my hotel in Hanover, Germany.  Colin Taylor, (International Sales Manager) Jason Atkins, (Neil's Parts Australia - General Manager) and I arrived on Thursday.  If you have been following my Twitter account you will know we have visited a few work sites and a few tourist sites the last two days. We have come to attend the 2009 Agri Technika farm show the next few days.  We have meetings with a variety of foreign customers and suppliers scheduled.

We were able to visit the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp on Friday.  It is estimated 70,000 people died in this camp, many of which died towards the end of the war.  As the Allies closed in on Auschwitz thousands of prisoners were shipped into Germany to Bergen-Belsen.  There are mounds of mass graves each marked with the number that were buried by the British soldiers after their arrival. 

The largest mass grave had 5,000 bodies in it and there were a few of them.  You can read all the books and study it in school but that is nothing compared to actually experiencing a visit to an actual camp.  Anne Frank died at the camp and is buried on site.  They have a large memorial center playing different video's of actual footage of the terrible conditions documented by the British soldiers each day.  It is an experience that is truly humbling, it's hard to imagine the human race cold do this to each other.  May we never forget and never let something like this happen again.

Well thanks for letting me deviate from talking about Worthington Ag Parts.  Tomorrow is a big day and hopefully I will have lots of pictures to post in my blog about the show!  It's late here in Germany time to turn in.   Thanks for reading.

Regards,

Mike Winter

P.S. If you have time check out our new weekly newsletter format - click here!  Want to subscribe?  Click here!

Worthington Customer Service Redesign!

Worthington Ag Parts - Your all makes source for Tractor Parts, Combine Parts, Cotton Picker Parts and Implement Parts!  Providing solutions to repair problems of our valued customers for 45 Years!

The Worthington, MN location has been in business since 1964 - 45 years!  We recently remodeled the sales customer service area to better accommodate the large amount of traffic the store receives each and everyday.  The front area needed to be brightened up and opened up.  The lobbyhas been redesigned so we have six parts specialists on the phone at all times.  We also have two at the counter selling parts as well.

The door to the tear down shop was removed.  This helps us from a safety factor because customers would sometimes wander into the tear down shop to see their parts removed or just be curious as to what was being dismantled.  The funny thing is many customers for decades have walked in the lobby and walked through that tear down door on their way to our electrical rebuild shop for repair work on their starter, generators or alternators.  The guys tell me they now walk in take a right and walk directly into the pop machine.  We are definitely creatures of habit!

I was on the counter earlier this week for about six hours and it was amazing how many times the customers commented how nice the lobby looked.  Many of them wonder if they are in the same place.  It's difficult to change culture but this is a definite step in showing to our customers we are not just a "junk yard".  We sell quality used parts, almost as many after-market new parts and re-manufactured parts world-wide now!  Worthington Ag Parts are solutions providers, we solve your mechanical problems by diagnosing which parts installed correctly will fix your problems.

Larry Frodermann is shown to the left, he is one of our Director of Operations and the Worthington store is one of the locations he oversees.  He looked at me Monday evening and said "You know when you told us we were going do this I thought you were nuts, but you were 100% correct this is great!"  Coming from Larry who has been based out of the Worthington store for almost 30 years, that's validation enough for me.  Times are changing and for the better.  The next time you are in the area stop in for a cup of coffee and see the store but be careful the boys might just fix a few of your parts problems while you are there!

Cheers,

Mike Winter

Niverville Inventory

Worthington Ag Parts - Your all makes source for Tractor Parts, Combine Parts, Cotton Picker Parts and Implement Parts!  Providing solutions to repair problems of our valued customers for 45 Years!

Good afternoon everyone!  Today I am at our Niverville, Manitoba location with the inventory crew.  The weather is cool but we have had worse up here!  Inventory has been taken with snow flying or piles of it on the ground in the past.  This morning at the Comfort Inn in Winnipeg I was reminiscing with the hotel manager that I have been staying at their hotel for fifteen years.  Charlene and Lucia have been working there for as long as we have owned the Niverville location.  Who says we aren't creatures of habit!

We acquired Rempel Tractor Parts in April, 1994.  I was at that time the Chief Accountant and did much of the financial due diligence on the acquisition, my how time flies!  Herman Rempel the former owner use to have the phone ring in his house and at the yard back then.  He always answered with "Herman here!".  Herman actual has moved onto "easy street" these days and that is not a lie, he actual does live on the street here in Niverville.  The original location had a small sales office in a small 40 foot by 40 foot block building!

This location has always been known as a tractor yard.  Back in 1994 they had over 40 acres of salvage tractors piled in here.  We now carry a large inventory of replacement parts for combines including used and after-market new parts.  Give the team a call today, they can help you find the parts you need!  1.800.244.7662!

Here are a few of the employees:

Dan Klippenstein - Office Manager.  He has been with Rempel and now Worthington since December of 1991.  He prepares all the financial statements and all other administrative tasks. He has a long commute to work walking to his home about 300 feet away.  It sure beat rush hour traffic in Minneapolis!

 

Rose Koop - Bookkeeper.  She has been with us since July of 1996.  Rose has this little rule if you swear in the office it's either a "push-up" or a dollar.  Let's just say I come prepared with a lot George's in my money clip!  ;)

Mike Williamson - Manager.  He has been with us since  February, 2004.  Mike was recently promoted from Assistant Manager to Manager.  He has been selling parts for the last five years and can help you out with anything you need.

Patrick Klippenstein - Assistant Manager.  Pat has been with us since February, 2006.  He can help you with all of your parts needs.

These are just a few of the people on the Niverville team.  It's amazing a week ago I was wrapping up a trip to the Ukraine visiting customers and today I am in Canada for inventory.  Stay tuned who knows where I will turn up next week!  That's all for today!

Cheers,

Mike

 

Combine Parts - We got'em!

Worthington Ag Parts - Your all makes source for Tractor Parts, Combine Parts, Cotton Picker Parts and Implement Parts!  Providing solutions to repair problems of our valued customers for 45 Years!

Combine season for corn and soybeans, while delayed a little, will be getting into full swing shortly here in Minnesota. It has started in some areas of the country!  We have your replacement combine parts - Worthington Ag Parts has been selling used combine parts to farmers for over 45 years now!

Used combine parts are field tested and prov-en, saving the farmer up to 70% off of a new OEM replacement part.  Our parts are backed with a one year warranty.  There are others in the industry that are "boasting" about labor warranty on their parts, we don't have to put it in writing.  I can tell you we have been in business for 45 years, if our parts create a problem call us we have and always will work with you - not against the limit of a labor warranty in writing.  If you have a problem and one of our stores doesn't work with you here is my email address:  mwinter@worthingtonagparts.com, or my corporate phone number 800.316.7133 - contact me.  We want to protect you from some mechanic that might take advantage of you and us in the repair process - it's that simple.  Let our knowledgeable solution providers work for you!

Now back to combine parts - Worthington Ag Parts was built on providing solutions to farmers in their time of need and this has never changed.  We have the largest used combine parts inventory in the world.  Since last harvest ended we have trucked in 275 combines for replacement parts.  When your combine is down rest assured we have the parts for you in your time of need.

Here is a little summary of the models of combines we have hauled in since last November and the number of each in brackets:

John Deere - CTSII (1), CTS (2), 9760STS (1), 9750STS (1), 9660STS (2), 9650STS (2) 9600 (17), 9510 (1), 9500 (8), 9400 (1), 8820 Titan II (1), 8820 (7), 7720 (8), 7700 (9), 6620 Titan II (1), 6620 (18), 6600 (21), 55 (2), 4425 (2), 4420 (2), 4400 (14), 3300 (1)!  Yes even the older models we carry late to early!

Case and International - 2388 (7), 2188 (3), 1688 (2), 1680 (9), 1660 (6), 1640 (1), 1480 (8), 1460 (17), 1440 (11), 1420 (4), 915 (4), 815 (1), 715 (4), 503 (1), 203 (1).

New Holland - TR98 (2), TR96 (1), TR95 (1), TR86 (2), TR85 (2), TR70 (4), 1400 (1).

Massey Ferguson - 860 (2), 8570 (1), 8560 (1), 850 (1), 760 (2), 750 (2), 550 (4), 540 (1), 510 (9), 410 (2).

Allis Chalmers - R72 (1), R62 (1), R60 (1), R52 (1), R50 (2), N6 (2), N5 (5), M2 (5), M (4), L3 (1), G (1), F2 (5), F (1).

White - 9700 (3), 7600 (1).

Did you find your model of combine?  There is a good chance that you did and if you want to see photos of it, they can be viewed on our salvage web page.  Click here!  Every piece of salvage equipment we purchase through any of our locations in the United States and Canada has photos taken and is entered in our web site.  All of our stores have access to each other's inventory real time, so there is one number you need to call when you break down 1.888.845.8456 that is toll free and it routes you to the store nearest you.  Want to program in a specific location's toll-free number you can find that on our web site by clicking here!

I wish you a safe harvest and you can TRUST we will get you back up and running should you break down this fall!

Sincerely,

Mike Winter

President - Worthington Ag Parts

Twitter @mtwinter