Brokaw Supply Company, a single-store business in Fort Dodge, Iowa, sells and supports six different brands of precision equipment including Ag Leader Technology as one of their premier lines, and services a customer base that stretches into Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The dealership has been named Precision Farming Dealer’s 2013 Most Valuable Dealership. They boast 36 employees (4 precision ag specialists); 90 percent of their 2012 precision ag revenue was from hardware and their 2012 precision technician service billed 900 hours.

Brokaw’s General Manager Craig Harthoorn says the dealership had to break into the precision ag world.

He also says they are a “niche marketer”.

One way Brokaw is making the most of its independence and showing customers that its willing to find the best technology solution for their respective farm is through the development of its precision kits.

The company started putting together the kits — priced-out lists of precision parts for farm equipment — in 2009 to give customers a better understanding of what they were buying, and to provide salespeople with a handy tool.

“We wanted to make it simple for our salespeople,” says Harthoorn. “They just can’t sell a toolbar and say ‘OK, I want this cable, I want this flow valve, I want these on/off valves.’ The kits we make have a complete bill of materials and everything is prepackaged. They’ve just got to remember the part number and then everything comes off the shelf and it makes it that much easier.”

So far, Brokaw has developed nearly 100 precision kits — for sprayers, planters, fertilizer tool bars and sidedress applications. The dealership is continuously working on expanding their kit offerings with their existing equipment offerings and also other colors of equipment.

The hardest part in the process is establishing the kits, Harthoorn explains. This starts with identifying the need within the market and engineering the right combination of products.

So what’s next for Brokaw Supply? Harthoorn says when they look at manufacturers like Ag Leader and see what they’re doing in terms of customer support, they see an area where they can expand as a dealer. Listen more here.

Rick Hofer, Ag Leader territory manager for Iowa, adds, “They’ve always had the potential to sell on the precision side, because they were already in the application equipment business. In the last few years, they’ve taken that step and really moved into precision and fill that void in a big way.

“They go above and beyond to make sure the customer has what fits best on his farm,” Hofer says. “Their ability to make things work for customers, and their customer support, is great. It gives me confidence as a territory manager to know that Brokaw is a leader in this area.”

Read the full story from Jack Zemlicka, Technology Editor.

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