Jim Spicer, Takeuchi Regional Product Manager

Jim Spicer Regional Product Manager

Equipment sales and agriculture have always been a passion of Jim Spicer’s. It is that passion and experience in the industry that has led him to work for one of the world’s leading compact equipment manufacturers, Takeuchi.

Jim was introduced to the ag industry when he began working at a local implement dealership when he was 16. He started out sweeping floors, washing equipment, and fixing lawn mowers, but quickly realized that this was the industry he wanted to have a career in.

After going to Lakeland College to become a technician, he worked on ag equipment for six years until given the opportunity to begin farming. He spent 13 years raising corn and soybeans and is grateful for the opportunity he had to learn even more about the industry and what it takes to have a successful farming operation. “I am a firm believer that you must learn something new every day which made farming a great job,” says Jim.

Once he stopped farming, Jim got into the construction side of equipment at Central Illinois Ag. He spent a year and a half working on Takeuchi track loaders and excavators at the Farmer City store, before transitioning into selling them. “I always wanted to get into selling equipment and the day I got the chance, I jumped on it,” he says.

From there, his career has led him to become the Regional Product Manager at Takeuchi where he covers seven states and works with several dealerships. Today, he gets to train sales staff to keep up with the current trends in the marketplace and loves getting to see his colleagues succeed on their job each day.

Jim says that Takeuchi has been a great company to work for as well as a great product to support. “Takeuchi is a manufacturer that does not cut corners or cheapen up a machine just to save a couple of dollars,” he says. “They are by far the heaviest built machines on the market.”

It is that strong build that ensures the longevity of the machine and keeps customers coming back. The great resale value is a unique quality of the brand that proves its durability on the jobsite.

Another selling point of Takeuchi equipment is often the overhead door in the track loaders. It helps with the overall safety and versatility of the machine and is a convenient feature that customers enjoy having. Additionally, Takeuchi excavators stand out from the competition for coming equipped with a hydraulic detent for running an attachment on continuous flow. Jim says that these machines have a wide variety of attachments they are able to operate and are more than capable of running them proficiently.

In the near future, we can expect some new units being released such as the TB370 excavator with a touch screen monitor, the redesigned TL8R2, and the TB220E, an all-electric excavator. Jim is confident in the direction Takeuchi manufacturing is going considering the dedicated managers and employees whose goal is to assist the needs of end users.

“Takeuchi has always been known for building a solid machine,” he says. “I have always stood behind Takeuchi products and they have yet to disappoint me.”

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