Worthington Ag Parts - President's Blog

Catching Up!

Tractor Parts, Combine Parts, Implement Parts providers to customers all over the world for 43 Years!

Hello everybody!  It's been awhile and things have been very busy!  I've been overseas on business and catching up here at the office!  On top of that I caught some type of bug overseas or while breathing that wonderful airplane air.  Two days in bed and two types of inhalers later, I'm breathing and moving again! Imagine what type of germs are shared with a couple hundred people for nine hours on a plane, if we knew we'd probably never fly again! 

I can't elaborate on too much of my trip overseas because the competition reads my blog but I can say it's nice to know that the Worthington brand name is becoming well known all over the world.  We have some fine customers overseas to go along with our outstanding domestic customers!

Fall Mailer - 2007!  We've mailed out our July promotional flyer offering 15% off on all orders of $500 or more now through July 31st, 2007!  You can download a version of the flyer by clicking here!  Warning - this is a large document and if you are on a dial up connection it could take a while!!  It's our annual get ready for fall promotion, but it includes discounts on all of our parts not just combine parts! 

Personnel Announcement!

Please join me in welcoming Mike Chorzempa to our team!  Mike is replacing Randy Balster as our new company controller.  Mike has eighteen years of experience in the accounting field.  Randy Balster will be training him over the next few months before his departure!  He has big shoes to fill but I'm confident he'll be able to get the job done.  We interviewed many well qualified candidates and Mike was the winner!  Email Mike a welcome message by clicking here. 

Happy Birthdays - Current or Belated!!

Gene Wagaman (a.k.a. - "Geno"), Part Specialist - Leesburg Division! Gene's birthday was on June 17th!  I'm not going to tell everyone that you turned 30 Gene, I'm sure they all know that already!!  Gene will be with the company for 23 years on July 11th.  If you need a part Gene can find it for you.  Thanks Gene for all you do, and I wish you many more 30th birthdays!  Click here to wish Gene belated birthday wishes!

Bill Swinney, Truck Driver - Sikeston, Division.  Bill's birthday was June 21st!  Bill has been with the company for almost 28 years.  There was a brief hiatus to a muffler job but I won't elaborate on that wonderful experience Bill had!!  No matter what it is Bill can haul it!  Happy Birthday Bill and I wish you many more!

Denny Bell, Manager - Re-manufacturing Division, Sikeston, MO.  Denny's birthday was June 25th.  Denny will be with the company for thirteen year as of July 1st.  The hydraulic pump shop managed by Denny has produced over 16,000 pumps, tops in the industry!  Job well done Denny and I wish you many more birthdays!  Click here to wish Denny belated birthday wishes!

Rashid Ibrahim, Systems Architect - Corporate Division, Maple Grove, MN.  Today is Rashid's birthday!  Rashid has been with the company almost six years!  He is a real team member and very talented individual, the joke around here is if we need something designed Rashid says it will only take two days!  Click here to wish Rashid a Happy Birthday!

Thanks for taking the time to read this!  I hope your summer has been enjoyable so far!

Cheers,

Mike Winter

 

Who's The Customer?

Tractor Parts, Combine Parts, Implement Parts providers to customers all over the world for 43 Years!

I've waited a couple days to elaborate on an advertising issue that really upset me and others in the industry.  It's left me thinking who really is the customer in this situation?  I will refer to this publishing and web based company as WTC (Who's The Customer?)!

Company WTC started a web page and print publication a few years back as a spin off of another industrial equipment web page and print publication produced by them.  The focus would now be on agricultural equipment.  As normal they approached most of the dealers and after-market parts providers to advertise with their print publication and list their parts, salvage equipment and whole goods for sale on their web site.  Like most in the industry, Worthington Ag Parts joined in with free listing of our salvage equipment, parts and whole goods on their web site for a fair advertising fee.  It was worth the risk even if they would not provide circulation numbers.  Almost everyone provides circulation numbers in the industry!  Circulation numbers are the actual count of magazines printed and distributed.

Now is where it gets interesting!  The time lines and details leading up to the event are a little fuzzy but close to reality.  Remember almost all of these were mid year changes not end of year and NEVER have they shared their circulation numbers.

First Change:  (Estimated:  Three Months Later)

WTC decides to split the publication into two regions instead of one.  If we would like to advertise across the entire United States we would have to pay double the price to get it.  Oh yes, remember no advertising in the publication meant no listing on their web sites and also still no circulation numbers.

About right here is where a few of us in the salvage industry decided to quit advertising with them for awhile.  We are currently advertising with them again at this point.

Next Change: Somewhere in here they went from monthly to bi-weekly publications with no rate changes - another double in price for the same coverage.

Next Change:  (Estimated:  Four Months Later)

WTC decides to split the publication into four regions, now to get the same coverage you will have to spend "roughly" four times the amount.  The requirement to remain on the website was we had to advertise one issue per month in any region.  So for $495 a month we could continue to list the salvage, parts and whole goods on their web site.  Remember no circulation numbers yet, for all we know they could be dumping 100 copies in truck stops around the United States.

Next Change:  (This week effective July 1st)

WTC visited my office on Tuesday.  This change was so big they decided to send in their rep!  Let me prefice this by saying currently we are paying $495 per month to run one full page ad in only one of their regions.  This allows us to list whole goods, parts, and salvage on their web site for all of our eleven locations in the United States.  (The largest distribution network in the industry!)  Their proposal was Worthington Ag Parts in order to remain on their web site with all of our eleven locations, would have to spend a minimum of $3,960 every four weeks.  That is an 800% increase, and oh yeah it starts on July 1st, oh and yes still no circulations numbers on the publication!  Their response was if we have a problem with the circulation numbers we can pay a flat fee of $396 a month per location to list our salvage and parts on their website but that DOES NOT INCLUDE our whole goods for sale.  Do the math that's $4,356 per month to advertise our parts and salvage on thier website but NO WHOLE GOODS! 

Who is the customer in this?  They are telling us what we MUST do to use their services!  Not even my friend, Bob Deiss at the Farm Progress Companies could sell this pile of manure to me!  If Gordy Brower of Fastline treated me this way, our relationship would be done.  The owner at WTC could learn how to treat a customer from these two ad reps!  I refer to the owner because the ad rep for WTC is just delivering the bosses instructions.  Imagine if we told our loyal and valued customers - Hey, if you don't spend 800% more with us next month and every month there after we won't give you the same level of service anymore!

It's going to be very difficult to do even a small amount of business with WTC going forward.  I'm very glad of the fact - Worthington Ag Parts knows who our customer is and we will never treat them this way because we appreciate their business!

Happy Birthday!

June 3rd - Chad Magnan IT Support - Corporate.  Chad's birthday was last Sunday and he's been on vacation this week, fishing with his family in northern Minnesota.  You can count on Chad being here everyday to support all of computers throughout the United States.  Happy Birthday Chad and I hope you caught the big one on vacation!  You can email Chad birthday wishes with a click here!

Happy Anniversary!

Carl Vande Weerd - Export Division - Carl has been with the company for three years as of June 1st!

Galen Kruse - Worthington Division - Galen has been with the company for five years as of June 3rd!

Roger Kilker - Worthington Division - Roger has been with the company for five years as of June 4th!

I'd like to express my appreciation for your hard work and dedication to the team!

Have a great weekend and Keep Smiling!

Cheers,

Mike Winter

 

 

Worthington Ag Parts - Known or Unknown?

Tractor Parts, Combine Parts, and Implement Parts providers to the Agricultural Community for over 43 years!

It's Friday 8:30 AM and as I'm working my way through my first "large" cup of coffee and emails, I received a very interesting phone call.  It was a potential supplier of Ag and Industrial replacement parts.  They are a large supplier of parts to the OEM's but are looking for a distributor in U.S. for their recently configured after-market product line.  (I'll leave the name and product line unsaid because a few of my competitor friends read my blog!)  They are interested in us because we have a very large distribution network in the United States!

As we reviewed the details more in depth, I asked the man why did you contact us?  He said he found our company searching the Internet and was impressed by what he read about us on our web page!  Now my curiosity kicked in and I asked "Had you not heard about us before this, because we've been in business for 43 years?"  He said NO and also told me he'd been with a major OEM company for nine years in parts distribution. 

Okay so now I'm thinking how can this happen!  I quickly estimated that Worthington Ag Parts in the last 20 years has easily spent over $10 million in advertising!    I've also been to farm shows where farmers have not heard of us.  The fact is there are still many potential customers in the market place and we have to continue to evaluate our marketing efforts to touch each of them.  Then it's up to us to provide the exceptional customer service, insuring we are their supplier of first choice! 

Worthington Ag Parts strives to be the KNOWN supplier of choice for replacement Parts!

Happy Birthday....

May 24th - Randy Balster, Corporate Controller!  On May 24th it was Randy's Birthday.  You can email Randy belated birthday wishes with a click here!  Randy has been with us since September, 1997.  Many of you already know that Randy is going to be leaving us before the year-end.  We will miss him and he will not be easy to replace.  I do wish him the best of luck on his career endeavors! 

May 31st - Darrell Arndt, Parts Specialist - Evansville, WI.  On May 31st it was Darrell's birthday!  You can email belated birthday wishes with a click here!  Darrell has been with us since February, 2006.  Darrell can handle all of your parts needs.  At Evansville we now stock after-market replacement parts for choppers too!  Call Darrell toll free at 1 800-525-7278 to inquire about parts for you chopper! 

Bill Rowe, Worthington, MN Division.  Today is Bill's birthday!  Bill has been with us since August, 1997!  If you need a part on the yard in Worthington, Bill can find it for you!  He's always on the go, as you can tell from the picture.  He wouldn't even slow down to take it!!!  Happy Birthday Bill I wish you many more!

Jamey Beardon, Parts Specialist - St. Johns, MI Division.  Today is Jamey's birthday!  Jamey has been with us since May, 2000!  You can email Jamey birthday wishes with a click here! If you need a part Jamey can find it for you just call toll free 1 800-248-9263!  Happy Birthday Jamey!!

That's all for today, keep smiling!

Cheers,

Mike Winter