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steers and farm tractors out,” something he “In the urban market, some people are
says a lot of dealers don’t do. buying toys instead of travelling to differ-
“Most of the dealers in my areas don’t ent parts of the world,” he says. “We’ve
do that, but we farm as well and I’ve al- sold a lot of Kubota mini backhoes which
ways done it. We generally have a little fleet are for estate owners. We’ve sold over 50,”
of tractors we use and lots of times I will which he says is unheard of. “I didn’t ever
use a tractor to help put in a crop, but we expect that, it was over double what we’d
are not into livestock,” he says. “Livestock sell in a normal year.” The only thing that
farmers will rent a tractor to cut hay or put has been down a bit is the farm economy
on a baler, so we rent out a fair bit of stuff.” because of the dry crops.
Rentals, depending on the equipment “We had a dry year, so the farmers are
being rented and the client, are usually by not spending the money they would in
the day or by the week. “Once in a while, some years.”
we will rent by the month to a construction He says the construction side has been
company. They might want an excavator strong, especially with backhoes and exca-
for a month or two and we’ll do that as vators. Sales have been so good they are
well.” They rent out snowplows in the win- waiting for orders because the equipment
tertime, as well tractors with blades and can’t be built quickly enough. John has seen
equipment for clearing sidewalks. a lot of changes in the business and the
The last year has been challenging for equipment over the last 20 years or so, es-
the company with the safety protocols that pecially with respect to computers and
came with COVID-19 restrictions, but John technology – and sometimes size.
says it was a good year for them. While “When we started, a combine generally
they had to close the shop and pick-ups had had a 20-foot grain head on it, now it’s got
to be done outside for a while, they have a 45-foot on a lot of them. Stuff got a lot big-
experienced their best year for sales. ger in the last 20 years.”

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