A Note from Owen

To our valued friends & customers...

I proudly announce that 21st Century Equipment has merged with 4Rivers Equipment Ag to create a 26-store organization serving western Nebraska, eastern Colorado and southeast Wyoming. While planned for several months, this transaction became effective on June 12. We pledge to continue supporting the communities where our 600-strong employee base lives, works and plays. While some of you will argue that bigger is not better, I would like to share some customer benefits we hope to achieve with this merger.

First, we will no longer compete for employees between the two companies. Trading employees back and forth is a zero-sum game that constantly disrupts our ability to support customers in both organizations. From a 21st Century Equipment standpoint, the merger also gives us more access to potential employees along the front range to fill job vacancies, especially in the service department.

A larger scale also allows us to improve customer support by investing in new positions, like product specialists for forage harvesters, sprayers, combines and planters, all of which are becoming increasingly more complex and whose performance needs to be optimized so you get what you pay for in machine performance. The same is true for Precision Ag support, which is constantly evolving in complexity.

For our customers in the Pueblo and Fort Collins areas, we are committed to separating the 4Rivers ag operations from the construction side and moving to an ag and turf-only location as soon as possible. This move will improve our product support for our ag customers, with a broader parts selection and ag-centric service technicians.

The biggest gain for customers due to the merger is more access to new and used equipment. If John Deere continues to allocate new equipment inventory based on sales history, the larger our sales history, the larger our equipment allocation will be. And, more new sales create an even broader selection of used equipment inventory.

The used equipment offerings from 21st Century Equipment, which primarily consist of Deere's larger products, complement the former 4Rivers Equipment Ag offerings that focused on hay equipment and mid-sized tractors. This means customers can now enjoy a wider selection of pre-owned machinery available at their local dealership.

With parts availability much improved over the last few months, the combined parts inventory for the two companies is over 35 million dollars. As a result, our existing parts courier route will expand to meet the needs of the combined organization. In addition, the parts courier must share essential but low-demand parts should a failure occur.

I am also pleased to share that Mike Meth, the long-time General Manager of the 4Rivers Ag organization, will assume the role of Region Manager for our new West Region, comprised of the former 4Rivers locations. We are delighted that Mike has agreed to help provide much-needed continuity during the transition. I would also like to welcome the former 4Rivers employees who have become part of the 21st Century Equipment family.

In conclusion, there will be a few challenges as we adapt to this new organization, so please bear with us as we work the kinks out together. The goal of this merger is for the two organizations to work together to provide an even higher level of support to you, our customer, and continue to support the communities we serve.

Sincerely,

Owen Palm President/CEO

Effective June 12, 4Rivers Equipment’s Ag division will merge with 21st Century Equipment to create a 26-store organization serving western Nebraska, eastern Colorado and southeastern Wyoming. 4Rivers Equipment will continue to grow its construction division separately.

This merger, which is subject to approval by John Deere, combines the forces of two leading companies in the industry, creating a stronger, more innovative team that is better positioned to meet the evolving needs of its customers. The decision to merge was made after careful consideration and with the ultimate goal of enhancing customer service. By combining resources, expertise and technology, the merged company will be able to provide enhanced support to customers.

4Rivers Equipment and 21st Century Equipment firmly believe that this transaction ushers them into a new era, enabling them to provide laser-focused customer support. Together, they will be better equipped to build on their mission of providing industry-leading product support. The combined company is committed to making the transition seamless for everyone involved and will continue to provide the same level of excellence.

"We are excited to announce this merger, which will combine our complementary strengths and expertise to create a stronger, more diversified company," Keith Kreps, COO of 21st Century Equipment said. "Together, we will be well positioned to serve our customers and to drive growth and innovation in our industry."

CEO of 21st Century Equipment Owen Palm added, "This is a huge win for our customers, who will now have access to a greater selection of used inventory and parts, while our employees will all benefit from more growth opportunities in the expanded organization.”

4Rivers Equipment’s Chairman of the Board Mark Romer is also excited about the merger: "Both teams have tremendous groups of people who have a great focus on what they need to do to take care of customers. What really excites me about the merger is bringing those groups together and getting to a scale where we have more resources to take care of customers. I think it's particularly important for technology, training and for our people, as the scale allows us to have more specialization. I look forward to continuing to innovate and grow our Construction and Forestry division as 4Rivers Equipment.”

4Rivers Equipment is pleased to announce that Mike Meth, the long-time General Manager of 4Rivers Ag, will assume the role of Region Manager over the western region, which is comprised of the former 4Rivers locations. 21st Century Equipment will continue to be headquartered in Scottsbluff, NE. The merger of 4Rivers Equipment Ag and 21st Century Equipment marks a significant milestone in the history of both companies. The two are excited about the future opportunities this merger will bring and look forward to continuing to serve its customers and partners with excellence.

9000 Series

Self-Propelled Forage Harvester

The 9000 Series was designed to help increase your uptime and decrease your cost of operation.

Components That Last

In the end, it’s about money – when the wear parts of your machine last longer, the machine becomes more profitable. That’s why the 9000 Series is chock-full of ultra-hard-wearing Dura Line components throughout the crop flow. Shearbars, knife holders, the chute – Dura Line is everywhere to let you go season after season without exchanging wear components.

Buy With Confidence

You can purchase a new John Deere SPFH with more peace of mind from 21st Century Equipment. PowerGard™ plans offer valuable extended warranty coverage to protect you from unforeseen future repair bills and potentially costly downtime. Trust your machine will be repaired by the experts at 21st Century Equipment using only genuine John Deere parts. And, if your ownership plans change, any remaining PowerGard™ coverage is fully transferable.

Connected Support

John Deere Connected Support™ is a suite of telematics systems that enable 21st Century Equipment to better support you. With a JDLink™ connected machine, you can check in on work in progress. You can also grant your dealer access to monitor machine alerts, diagnose problems and push software updates remotely. The technology behind these systems is advanced, but the benefits are simple – John Deere Connected Support saves you time and money.

Uptime Box

Ask for details in-store.