AGCO Corporation recognized one partner-level supplier and presented nine supplier awards during its annual AGCO North America Virtual Supplier Event on April 14, 2021. AGCO’s partner-level suppliers are recognized for surpassing the top level of achievement in innovation, world-class service, global growth, and cost savings.

AGCO’s annual Supplier Awards ceremony allows the company to celebrate its supply chain relationships in areas such as corporate sustainability, innovative solutions, quality products, and effective collaboration. AGCO places tremendous emphasis on its core values of accountability, integrity, respect, and transparency, which figure prominently in the Supplier Award nomination and award process.

“Our annual Supplier Awards ceremony is a great opportunity for us to meet with our exceptional supplier network, discuss new products, such as the Fendt large AG line and combines, and strategize how to help farmers across the globe with industry-leading, smart farming solutions to sustainably feed our world. As a global manufacturer, we source suppliers the world over so we can bring high quality, technologically advanced products that are affordable to our customers,”

said Josip T. Tomasevic, SVP, and chief procurement officer.

During the day’s sessions, senior AGCO executives updated attendees on topics including the company’s COVID-19 response and recovery, global market outlook, 2021 key initiatives, and benefits for high-performing suppliers. Live and interactive virtual breakout sessions allowed leaders and participants to share key experiences, insightful observations, and helpful responses to questions.

“Our suppliers performed admirably in 2020 and we are very grateful for their support and initiative. We will collaborate again in 2021 to navigate a challenging supply landscape and ensure timely delivery of quality components to AGCO’s manufacturing facilities, our dealer network, and, ultimately, the world’s farmers,”

said Michael Clem, vice president, Purchasing and Materials, Americas.

AGCO 2021 Partner-Level Supplier Distinction

Custom Steel Processing of Madison, IL.  Founded in 2002, Custom Steel Processing specializes in supplying steel to large volume OEM’s with superior customer service and competitive pricing.   Their processing facilities’ production includes hot-rolled, pickled and oiled, cold-rolled, and galvanized steel. Custom Steel Processing has been a trusted partner-level supplier for AGCO for many years and has a distinguished reputation for reliability, quality, innovation, collaboration, and customer service.

AGCO 2021 Supplier of the Year winners (by award)

Supplier of the Year: Nucor of Charlotte, NC.  Founded in 1940, Nucor Corporation is the largest steel producer in the United States, the largest “mini-mill” steelmaker, and the biggest recycler of scrap in North America. Nucor is a strategic and innovative supplier for AGCO, providing aggressive competitive pricing and key support with all products on the AGCO platform.

Indirect Supplier Award: Lead Anywhere of Ogden, UT.  Founded in 2009, Lead Anywhere provides advanced behavioral profiling technologies that help businesses identify website visitors and create marketing efforts and the site content that effectively generate quality leads and close sales. Lead Anywhere has been recognized as a strategic supplier for AGCO by providing innovative customer-facing tools that result in critical lead generation, increased conversion rates, and pipeline-ready opportunities on a consistently reliable basis.

Logistics Outbound Service Provider Award: R.E. West Transportation of Ashland City, TN. Incorporated in 1979, R.E. West Transportation is a for-hire contract freight hauling operation that has provided AGCO strategic collaborative logistics services for over 12 years and transported over 8,600 loads to dealers across the US and Canada. High-quality reliability and outstanding customer service make R.E. West Transportation an effective partner-supplier in innovation and collaboration.

Logistics Inbound Service Provider Award: UPS Supply Chain Solutions is the supply-chain optimization arm of United Parcel Service, Inc (UPS) of Atlanta, Georgia. UPS SCS is a critical partner supplier for AGCO by providing collaborative and innovative shipping and delivery solutions. UPS SCS monitors AGCO’s supply network, provides end-to-end visibility, acts as a single source for all transportation service needs, and improves efficiencies and compliance for inbound logistics services.

Aftersales Award: GT Midwest of Wichita, KS. Founded in 1946, GT Midwest is completely committed to delivering the right parts, to the right place, at the right time, and at the right price. With order flexibility, quality parts, and customer service, GT Midwest provides adaptive and strategic collaboration to meet the needs of AGCO’s manufacturing sites, dealers, and farmers.

Sustainability Award: Custom-Pak, Inc. of Clinton, IA. Custom-Pak has been designing and manufacturing blow-molded plastic products since 1974. They have been recycling manufacturing supplies and minimizing waste products in their plants for over 40 years, resulting in manufacturing plants that produce virtually zero waste. Custom-Pak’s Midwest-Poly recycling operation collects and converts over 20 million pounds of waste plastic into clean, re-usable plastic resin annually. Custom-Pak has been working to reduce their environmental footprint since long before it became fashionable, and they intend to continue that tradition, making them incredible stewards of the environment for generations to come.

TRAIT Award: Mechanical Devices Company of Aurora, IL. Founded in 1914, Mechanical Devices is AGCO’s 2020 Top TRAIT Supplier as a minority/woman/veteran-owned business and has been certified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). The company has been recognized for community outreach as well as for its diversity and inclusion efforts. Mechanical Devices Company is employee-focused, offering flexible hours for their workforce and providing a clear developmental path for their employees based on skill level and the training required for advancement to the next level. Their outreach program places an emphasis on collaboration with local law enforcement to develop rehabilitation efforts that positively impact the community.  When COVID-19 restrictions closed all gyms, churches, and schools in their area, Mechanical Devices converted their facilities into a gym, baseball fields, basketball courts, and a soccer area.  These resources were opened to the community and attracted more than 550 children each week.  Mechanical Devices Company represents AGCO’s core values of Transparency, Responsibility, Accountability, Integrity, and Team Spirit (TRAIT).

Quality & Delivery Performance Award: Hy-Tek Manufacturing Co. of Sugar Grove, IL. Hy-Tek is a privately held company in the western suburbs of Chicago with over 30 years of experience in the design and production of machined components for the Industrial, Commercial, and Government markets. Hy-Tek Manufacturing Company is recognized for its focus on outstanding performance in AGCO’s quality and delivery category by working in close collaboration with engineering, logistics, and purchasing to provide the most value and the highest quality solutions for AGCO and our customers.

Collaboration & Innovation Award:  Nidec Motor Corporation, headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. Founded in 1973, Nidec Motor and is the world’s largest comprehensive motor manufacturer, handling “everything that spins and moves”, including components that range from miniature to gigantic. Nidec is recognized for its remarkable performance and strategic alignment with AGCO’s design, engineering, and purchasing teams to successfully implement design changes and bench testing which have produced tremendous technological advancements and cost savings that benefit participants across AGCO’s product cycle.

Source: AGCO

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Livingston Machinery Company announced today that the Company has signed a Letter of Intent (“LOI”) to partner with Ag Solutions Group.

With four locations, Livingston Machinery sells, services, and maintains primarily AGCO products. Livingston Machinery was founded in 1987 and became an employee-owned company in 2008. Livingston Machinery is one of AGCO’s top dealers in the nation, winning AGCO’s 5 Star Dealer Award 5 times for Dealer Excellence.

Ag Solutions Group, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, will buy out Livingston Machinery’s existing Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and fund Livingston Machinery’s growth and expansion plans. As Livingston Machinery looks to grow and open new locations, the Company also secures the long-term future of the Company with increased financial strength and resources to meet the needs of its growing customer base and broader geographic region.

With this new partnership, Livingston Machinery’s management and staff are all staying with the Company, committed to serving their customers with their parts, sales, and service needs. All else stays the same: key relationships, sales staff, technicians, and all contact information stays the same in this new partnership. Livingston Machinery’s daily operations will continue just as customers have come to expect. Livingston Machinery’s commitment to 24/7 parts and service will continue and customers can soon anticipate quicker response times from added team members and additional locations.

Shawn Skaggs, President/CEO of Livingston Machinery Company, said:

“We expect this new partnership to greatly expand our capabilities in servicing our valued customers and partners in agriculture. Our plans to establish new facilities and develop better resources will further improve the experience that our customers have come to expect. It’s an exciting time for all of us and we look forward to growing together with our new partners.”

With over 110 employees serving farmers across Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, and Colorado, the goal will continue to be exceptional customer service. Ag Solutions Group’s interest in the company stems from Livingston Machinery’s growth potential and customer-driven culture that the Livingston Machinery team has established. The target date to finalize the acquisition of Livingston Machinery’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan is December 31st, 2020.

Once the partnership is finalized, the new capital investment in Livingston Machinery will focus on expansion, improving facilities, and broadening the reach of personnel to better serve the company’s wide-spread customers.

Source: Livingston Machinery

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Deere & Company announced a further commitment to Farm Rescue, a nonprofit partner, by hosting a virtual country music benefit on Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. EST. Since its inception in 2005, Farm Rescue has helped hundreds of farmers suffering from a major illness, injury, or natural disaster to plant, hay, or harvest their crops.

Today, among the U.S. population of 330 million, there are 3.4 million farmers—just one percent of the population. Those few rise to the challenge of providing food for each of us every day. On average, each farm feeds 166 people, so even one missed planting season or one missed harvest due to an unexpected event has a ripple effect.

Farm Rescue does just what its name implies. When a farmer faces an unforeseen crisis, the organization and its volunteers step in to help farmers get their crops planted or harvested, ensuring the food on tables across the country, and the livelihood of that family. Farm Rescue’s mission is more important today than ever.

“The impact of COVID-19 has been felt by everyone throughout the country and around the world. Farmers are no exception,”

says Bill Gross, President, and Founder of Farm Rescue, which provides the necessary farm equipment and volunteer manpower to farmers in need.

“COVID highlights the vulnerability of family farms—when something unpredicted happens, not only is the family carrying that health burden, but also the pressure to produce, and the stresses of maintaining a viable operation.”

The Farm Must Go On by John Deere virtual benefit concert, open to the general public, will honor how innovative, industrious, and resilient farmers are—a side most have never seen—while shining a spotlight on all that they do for our country.

“John Deere and Farm Rescue share something special—our work is driven by a commitment to empowering the livelihoods of farmers. For John Deere, it’s about the machines, technologies, and services that enable farmers to become more profitable and sustainable, despite the challenges and uncertainty they face,”

says Nate Clark, president of the John Deere Foundation.

“For Farm Rescue, it’s providing a rich system of support including machines and volunteers that lend a hand when farmers and their families face an unexpected situation that threatens their very livelihoods.

“We are excited to host this event which allows us to celebrate and amplify the important work of farmers, their families, and Farm Rescue,”

added Clark.

The experience will broadcast live from the Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville featuring a musical lineup of Dustin Lynch, Maddie & Tae, Mickey Guyton, Travis Denning, and Tyler Farr. It will be live-streamed on YouTube, at no cost to viewers. Donations are encouraged.

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A native of Northeastern Colorado, Brian Allmer began his career in agricultural broadcasting in 2005.  He launched Barn Media in 2007, and seeing the hunger for more local agricultural news, he launched the Colorado Agriculture News Network in 2012.

“BARN Media and the Colorado Ag News Network’s mission is to provide accurate and factual information pertaining to any ag issue facing Colorado ranchers, producers and agriculture entrepreneurs,”

says Brian Allmer, owner of Barn Media.

“Then let the listener or web visitor make up their own mind based on the facts presented to them.  We are excited to partner with J.L. Farmakis, Inc. as they have the same passion for local ag media as we do at the BARN.”

J.L. Farmakis, Inc. is one of the leading agricultural media rep firms in the U.S. with more than 40 multimedia partners.

“We have watched Brian’s presence in Colorado over the last few years and his network is a perfect complement for our other prominent State Farm Radio Networks,”

Bill Farmakis, president of J.L. Farmakis, Inc. says.

“His super-local ag programming and connection to producers follow our model in other states.”

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The awards were presented by the Tech Breakthrough organization, which specializes in conducting market research in AgTech and other tech sectors such as IoT, Cybersecurity, Mobile/Wireless, Digital Health, and FinTech.

Fieldin’s Control Center helps commercial specialty crop growers leverage real-time field data to better manage and optimize spray applications, harvest activities, and other cultural practices.

Using proprietary sensors and user-friendly apps, Fieldin’s platform seamlessly connects in-field sensors, tractors, and machinery to provide managers with actionable data and reporting that improves production and operational efficiency in the field.

Fieldin COO Iftach Birger said:

“It’s nice to be recognized for our work because I know our team works really hard and is dedicated to helping our growers be more efficient and improve their operations every day. We’re thankful to be working in this amazing industry, with all of the innovative companies in the space and our progressive growers who constantly challenge us to push our platform to the next level.”

According to organizers, Fieldin was among 1,250 nominees for the AgTech Breakthrough Awards, which recognized companies in the following categories: Farm Management, In-Field Systems, Irrigation, Harvesting Solutions, IoT and AI, Analytics, Post-Harvest Systems, Automation and Robotics, and more.

Congrats to Fieldin’s hardworking team members all over the globe, and all of the innovative companies that were mentioned this year.

Source: Fieldin

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Polygon Company has collaborated with partner and distributor Kuhne Industrie to supply composite bearings to a major feeding technology company for use in a demanding mixer cart application.

The feeding technology company client in this case delivers premium feeding technology, including feed mixers and automatic feeding systems, to livestock farmers globally. The company’s feeding technology helps modern livestock farmers manage their farms more efficiently, and they consistently work to design new solutions and develop existing technologies to better suit farmers’ needs.

This company tested several other bearing types in their feeding technology applications, but all of the tested materials led to excessive wear and premature failure, loud noise, or couldn’t be properly sized to fit the application. In particular, after experiencing difficulty finding bearings that could stand up to the demands of their mixer cart’s walking tandem axle design over time, this company turned to Kuhne Industrie to find a better solution. Kuhne recognized that their longtime partner and supplier Polygon would be able to supply custom composite bearings to solve the customer challenge and extend the lifespan of the walking tandem axles.

Polygon worked together closely with Kuhne Industrie and the customer to select a composite material that would be suitable for withstanding the aggressive wear from the mixer cart’s axles, given the application’s high load and high oscillation. The result of this collaboration was a custom-designed composite bearing that eliminates prior issues of excessive noise and uneven wear. As a result, Polygon’s bearings help to reduce maintenance needs and extend the lifespan of the mixer cart product. Polygon’s bearings were immediately retrofitted onto existing equipment in the field and will be incorporated into the mixer cart’s manufacturing going forward.

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Owned by Don F. Ahern, the Ahern Family of Companies includes Ahern Rentals, the largest independently-owned rental company in North America, high reach OEM’s, Xtreme Manufacturing and Snorkel, and an extensive global distribution network, including Diamond A Equipment in the USA, and Ahern International dealerships in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Germany, Ireland, Japan, and Spain.

“We conducted an expansive search of more than 14 telematics providers, including a multi-month pilot scheme. At the conclusion of the study, our telematics committee selected Trackunit as our telematics partner. Our requirements are expansive since we encompass rental, manufacturing and distribution, and we resolved that Trackunit was the best-suited to the needs of our customers. With the integration points to our existing ERP software suites, we expect to be able to recognize the full value of the Trackunit platform across the family of companies.”

said Don Ahern, CEO, Ahern Companies.

Trackunit will be deployed across the Ahern Rentals fleet within the next three years, and new Xtreme and Snorkel lifts will be assembled with a Trackunit compatible connection for customers who wish to install the telematics. This will become available in late 2020, and rolled out across the global manufacturing footprint by model type with OEM branded dashboards. The Trackunit telematics solution will also be available on products sold through the Ahern Companies distribution channels, including Diamond A Equipment and Ahern International.

Mike Stilwagner, CIO, Ahern Companies added:

“It was imperative that our chosen telematics solution is a well-accepted and proven solution for our customer base, and also satisfied the needs of our internal stakeholders. Trackunit is a global product, meaning that our customers can have consistency of data, no matter where their equipment is manufactured or located. A benefit of evaluating the available telematics solutions from a trilateral rental, manufacturing and distribution perspective is that we are confident in Trackunit’s ability to meet the needs of our customers, and all of our stakeholders.”

Ahern Companies signed the agreement with Trackunit in early May 2020, and is commencing roll-out in the rental fleet with immediate effect.

Jeff Cohen, President at Trackunit said:

“We are extremely excited to begin this partnership with Ahern Companies at a time of transformation within our industry, as the focus shifts from gathering to utilizing data. Ahern Companies’ decision to roll-out the telematics solution across their business during this time is testament to their commitment to using data for the long-term benefit of their businesses, their customers, and the industry.”

Source: Ahern

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