PARTNERS Getting Started
Spring 2013 . Issue #1
Curt Hanson, Founder
Getting Started............Page 1 VT Equipment..............Page 2 Early Ordering..............Page 3 FarmSight Updates.....Page 3 Ask the Expert...............Page 4 Spring Parts & Service.Page 5 Safety Everyday...........Page 5 Featured Equipment.Page 6 Rental Department....Page 7 Current Events.............Page 8
Site of Mid-State Power & Equipment in Columbus, WI─
Curt Hanson (L) and Bob Groh (R)
Partners with your Operation for future Success...
www.midstateequipment.com
Mid-State Equipment
Welcome to the first edition of our Partners Newsletter. We anticipate sharing this newsletter with you quarterly each year. With this being the first issue of our Partners Newsletter, I thought it fitting to discuss how our partnerships with you, our customers, all began... In the fall of 1973, John Deere was searching for a dealer in Columbus, Wisconsin. The long time local dealer in Columbus (KingMiller) had closed in the spring of 1972. At this time our family was living in Wausau and I was working for John Deere. I told my division manager that I might be interested in building a dealership in Southern, Wisconsin. I was 29 years old with two children. I could not even think about such a venture without a partnership or working with someone, or another dealer. My division manager gave me the name of Robert Groh who lived in Columbus. He had inquired about starting a dealership in Columbus, but he did not follow-up with any plans.
business plan to see how much capital we would need to start a dealership, and if we could develop a successful business plan. It didn’t take long to realize that our two families did not have near enough capital to start a business, or get a John Deere contract. We started looking for other support for our business idea.
I soon learned of a new government program sponsored by the Farmers Home Administration to develop new business in rural America, and provide employment and services. This new program would guarantee a bank loan for new businesses that provided new employment, as our country was in a deep recession in 197374. After six months of meeting FHA officials in Stevens Point and writing to Washington, D.C. we did get approved for a 90% loan guarantee. Now we needed a bank to back us. The first bank we contacted turned us down because they did not think we would be successful even with the FHA guarantee. Next we contacted Farmers & Merchants Union Bank in Columbus In November 1973, I contacted Bob Groh and and, with the urging of local farmers, the bank board gave us the approval on our business indicated that I was interested in starting a plan only with the 90% FHA guarantee. During dealership. We seemed to be compatible that time I had worked on the business plan, and had many of the same thoughts and ideas. However, a dream of starting a dealer- Bob had met with local landowners trying to ship in Columbus was a long shot for both of find a suitable location to build with highway us, with limited money, no building, no land, access. After many rejections, a local farmer, Lester Moll agreed to sell us 11 acres of land on no tools or employees. We kept in contact Hwy 151 south of Columbus. with each other. Bob looked for available land to buy and Linda and I worked on a (Continued on Back Page...)
Columbus
920-623-4020
Jackson
262-677-8400
Janesville
608-754-8450
Prairie du Sac 608-643-3307
Salem
262-843-2326
Watertown
920-261-8118
You Can Count On Us!
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TO VT or not to VT... that is the question Mike Berkevich, Ag Sales Manager
Over the last several years, vertical tillage has become one of the most talked about tillage practices we have seen or heard of. I would like to review the benefits of these tools.
• Promote decomposition with size and anchor residue─ We need to mix soil with the residue to help the bacteria break down the large amounts of residue we are seeing with the modern hybrids • Promote soil warm up─ If we can mix soil with residue we will promote a looser soil texture and a darker ground profile which will help our spring warm up • Level ridges and fill in minor ruts─ Provide a smoother surface for our planting equipment to ride and do its best job of seed placement • Improve our seedbed─ Improved germination and emergence will increase yields and our return on investment, the ultimate goal We have seen many different uses of this machine over the past five years. Some customers have used the VT as a primary tool in the fall to help with sizing corn stalks in place of conventional shredders. Others have used them to work down primary tillage practices where they may spread manure or commercial fertilizer. Many dairy producers have used these machines to incorporate or cover liquid and dry
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manure. One of the most popular uses seems to be the seedbed preparation application for both drying out the soil and preparing for planting. We started working with the Landoll company in 2009 when they introduced their vertical tillage line of equipment. In 2012 John Deere started to manufacture their version of the vertical tillage machine. Landoll currently offers the following sizes: 14�- 20�- 23�- 26�- 29�- 33�- 39�- 44�- 49� John Deere currently offers the following sizes: 20�- 26�- 29�- 30�- 33�- 40� With both companies, the recommended horsepower is between eight and ten horsepower per foot. Recommended ground speed with these units is the six to eight miles per hour range depending on soil conditions. In general, vertical tillage machines work in the dry zone. This is the top layer of soil, normally no more than four inches deep. In our last five seasons of working with vertical tillage machines, our customers have made these implements the tools of choice for a large percentage of their tillage operations. Please contact your Mid-State salesperson to help you decide which unit would best suit your need. We a have a good selection of new and used units available today!
Pictured John Deere 2623VT
Early Ordering & New Product Offerings Dean Pierce, Ag Sales Manager
Spring is finally upon us and everyone is busy planting the 2013 crops. As we get busy, please take time to work safely to keep yourself and others around you safe.
and act early to take advantage of these programs.
I also want to invite you to stop by one of your local Mid-State locations to take a look at the New E-Series John Deere Skid Steer Loaders. New options include keyless start, Ride ConWith that said, I want to tell you about the trol, all new EH controls, and more. The New E-Series offers 2013 Early Order Planter Program. The first more power, and more control than ever. phase of the planter program runs now through June 3, 2013. If you haven’t already heard, I am proud to announce that The first phase of the planter program ensures you the best price, waver option, and delivery time, so please get in touch Mid-State Equipment is now your Wacker Neuson dealer, with with your sales person to take advantage of this program. Also a full line of equipment including wheel loaders in all wheel steer and articulated models. In many cases, these smaller those of you who are in the market for a DB (Deere-Bauer) planter you must take advantage of the first phase of the early wheel loaders can be a better fit for your operations due to greater dump height, visibility, and reach than a skid steer. order program as they will sell out of the DB planters early. These wheel loaders have a wide variety of attachments available to fit them and your needs. Visit The next early order program, the John Deere spring tillage www.midstateequipment.com to view the complete lineup of program, begins June 1, 2013. Like the planter program, this will ensure your best price and delivery for all your spring till- Wacker Neuson Equipment. age needs: Field Cultivators, Soil Finishers, VT’s, Seed Bed Finishers and Disks. Review your spring tillage machinery needs Stop in to see what Mid-State Equipment and Wacker Neuson have to offer you and your operation.
Mid-State FarmSight Updates Phil Moskal, Integrated Solutions Manager As we have moved into spring I’d like to remind you of a few things that can make your AMS operations run more smoothly. Here are a few tips and tricks.
is the “brain box” of the system. It has a cell modem, satellite modem, battery, solar charger and connections for the second part, the soil moisture probes. You can hook one or two probes up to the gateway. These probes come in three different sizes.
1) 2600 Data Cards– It is always best to start out the Season/Year with a clean card. The smallest probe is the half meter probe. This probe is designed for shallow rooted crops like vegetables and flower Whether this is deleting all of your old data off your curplants. There are four moisture sensors on this probe spaced rent cards or getting a new card to start fresh. at 4", 8", 12" and 20" below the ground. 2) Software Updates– Deere has released an update for your Greenstar system. If you have not updated since the The medium probe is one meter long and intended for larger vegetables, vine plants, smaller trees, sugar beets and most middle of Feb, it would be a good opportunity to do so row-crops. The sensor spacing is the same as the smaller now before the rush of the season. probe, with the addition of a deeper sensor at 40" below the 3) TCM Calibrations– After updating your Starfire Receivsurface. ers, you will need to recalibrate your TCM. Once you get The tallest probe is one and a half meters big and designed for the tractor hooked to your implement, you can do this fruit and nut trees. It adds a sensor at 60" below the ground. before you go to the field. These probes transmit data to the gateway every 30 minutes. 4) Load your display– Make sure you have your display This data is stored at the gateway and then transmitted via loaded with all your Farms and Fields before you get going cell or satellite every two hours to your MyJohnDeere.com so you can just select them from the drop-down menus. user profile. This data can be shared with any trusted advisors to help in your water management decisions. New Product– In the future there will be different add-ons that will record It has been somewhat slow in the AMS world as far as new many different weather variables like air and soil temperature, products go. Introduced last fall was John Deere Field wind speed and a rain gauge. More information about this Connect. This is a new soil moisture monitoring system. It product can be found at your local Mid-State store. consists of two parts. First is the Field Connect Gateway. This 3
Ask the ExpertS
Agricultural Service Managers & Technicians What size should the blades be on my planter or drill? Part# Application N283804 750, 1560, 1590, 1990 All Single Disk Seed Opener Mark Scott
Janesville Ag Service Manager
New Dimension Minimum Dimension
18"
16"
Recommeneded at 17"
AA55927
15"
14"
AA57466
13.5"
12.5"
A72358
16"
15"
Corn Planter Seed Disk Double Disk Fertilizer Opener Single Disk Fertilizer Opener
What side of the SCV do I hook up the pressure hose for my vacuum, and where does the return hose go? The pressure hose for your vacuum should be hooked up to the right side port on the SCV. That way, when the lever is pushed forward the vacuum is turned on and the float will shut off. Also, the return hose should go to a motor return port and not the SCV.
Daryl Oren
Janesville Ag Service Assistant Manager
A special note: Colored zip ties are useful for marking the hoses from year to year installation. They can be purchased as kits at the dealership.
How can I become more familiar with my AMS Monitor System? There are simulators on John Deere Stellar Support with a generic monitor that you can practice with in the off-season. This can help answer basic questions and help you get a feel for general setup. In addition, you can always ask Phil Moskal or Justin Langer, our AMS Specialists, about off-season meetings to answer more specific or in-depth questions. Don Seltzner
Columbus Ag Service Assistant Manager
Another tip I would like to share with all customers is to make sure you have the correct and legible Operators Manual available for every piece of equipment. Many questions can be answered instantly with your Operatrs Manual saving you time and expense.
Green Toys 4 U
Mary Loucks, Toy & Merchandise Coordinator Green Toys 4 U has some new and exciting items coming in June. First, is a 1/16th Scale 6030 Precision Elite Series Replica. The cost will be $184.99. Another item of interest is the 1/16th Scale 3020 and 4020 Tractor 50th Anniversary Set for $109.99. Keep an eye out for these items as they will go quickly. There will also be a limited quantity of the John Deere Girl Build-A-Bears coming in late October. Pre-ordering will be available on www.greentoys4u.com.
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With Father’s day approaching in June, we are offering specials beginning May 16th through June 15th on Wallets, Belt Buckles, Knives, Hats, Steering Wheel Covers and more. Dad will surely appreciate being geared up with Deere apparel! To save on shipping, stop in to your nearest Mid-State location to shop all things John Deere. Find new specials and products arriving each month.
Spring Service & Parts Specials Eric Stith, Corporate Aftermarket Manager
I want to take a few minutes to let you know what we have going on in parts and service for the next few months. To begin with, we are now in our spring planting hours at all locations. Please call your location for those hours. One special note that I do want to mention is that we will be open on Sunday mornings in Columbus Ag (10am-noon) and Janesville Ag (9am-noon) for parts only through planting season. Also, these two locations will also be getting Sunday morning parts deliveries from John Deere from now through May 28th. So if you need a part ordered on a Saturday and would like it Sunday, let your parts salesperson know you want it Sunday, they can have Columbus or Janesville order it for you and you can pick it up Sunday morning at that location.
you with an estimate on any repairs needed. Call today to schedule your inspection. Then for the month of June, we will be offering our after-season planter and drill parts and service specials. This is a good time to let us perform a thorough inspection on your planter before you put it away for the year. For only $20 per row, we will do a full inspection of the planter and then will contact you with an estimate on any repairs needed. We will also be offering 10% discount on all in-stock planter parts used in the repairs of the planters plus our Off-Season labor discount. Call today to schedule your after-season planter inspection. Finally, don’t forget Dad on Father’s Day in June. We are offering a 5% discount on all Stihl string trimmers. We also have several other items that Dad would love for his shop: • Pressure Washers • Chain Saws • Compressorator • Air Tools • Cordless Drills • So Much More!
During the month of May in Parts, we are offering a special discount on our Polyurea Grease, buy a 30 pack of TY6341 grease and receive 10% on the price. This is the grease that Stop in the store today to see what we have or view online at we recommend for most applications. Also, don’t forget www.greentoys4u.com. about Mom! We are now offering a Mother’s Day Special of 10% off on Garden and Weather items, including thermometers, flags, windsocks, garden planters, gloves, and bird feeders. Check it out in the store or online at www.greentoys4u. com During the month of May in Service, we are offering our annual Hay Tool Inspection specials on mower conditioners, square balers and round balers. Each inspection is only $125. We will do a full inspection on each unit and then will contact
Pictured John Deere 6140M Tractor with 459 Baler
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Featured Equipment
See the complete Lineup of Equipment at
Dean Pierce & Mike Berkevich, Ag Sales Managers
JD3975 Intelliguard Chopper, KP (W) $42,500
JD7950 4WD SPFH, 40 Knife, KP, 2 Speed, HID Lighting Kit (J) $319,000
JD7400 4WD SPFH, 48 Knife, KP, Auto JD7450 4WD SPFH, 40 Knife, KP, Auto JD7950 4WD SPFH, 40 Knife, Auto Lube, 2 Speed (P) $165,000 Lube, 3 Speed, (JK) $230,000 Lube, 2 Speed, Spout Ext(J) $299,000
JD328 w/ 40 Injector, Good Condition, Hyd Tongue (JK) $9,500
JD567 Round, Mega Wide Pickup, JD568 Round Baler, Net Wrap, Mega Net Wrap, Gauge Wheel (JK) $25,000 Wide Plus Pickup, Hyd Lift(C) $31,000
NH BR7060 4x5 Silage Baler, Net & Twine, Endless Belts (P) $26,000
JD4995 w/ 995 Impeller Conditioner, Always Shedded (JK) $70,000
Www.midstateequipment.com
JD467 Round Baler w/ Twine, 540 JD468 Silage Special, Net Wrap, PTO, New Belts & Chains (W) $18,900 Pushbar, Great Condition (C) $29,900
CASE IH RBX563 5x6 Bales, Wide Pickup, Net Wrap (J) $23,000
JD835 MoCo 11'9" Urethane Rolls, 2 JD946 Impeller MoCo, 13.5' Cut, 2 Pt Pt Hookup, Like New (P) $25,000 Hitch, Hydraulic Tilt (J) $22,000
JD4995 16' Impeller Conditioner, Nice Shape! (P) $75,000
Miller Pro 1150 Rake, Hydraulic Drive Kuhn GA6622 Hay Rake, 21' Working
6 & Lift, 11 Arm, Tadem Axle (C) $7,900 Width, 11 Arms per Rotor (P) $21,000
CASE IH RB454 Silage Baler, Net & Twine, Endless Belts (S) $36,000
JD946 Roll Conditioner, 2 Pt Hitch, Hydraulic Tilt, Shedded (J) $24,500
CASE IH DCX131 13' Roll Conditioner, 2 Pt, Hyd Tilt (P) $10,900
KUHN 883 & 313 Triple Mower w/ Impeller Conditioner (C) $39,900
1998 JD9300 4WD, 24 Speed, Bareback, 4 SCVs, (J) $96,000
2009 JD9530 4WD, PowerShift, BB, Dlx Comfort, Diff Lock (C) $229,000
MID-STATE EQUIPMENT RENTAL DIVISION Kurt Orcutt, Corporate Rental Manager Greetings from Rental Headquarters! Our goal is to offer you quality rental equipment at a competitive price, allowing you to accomplish jobs both large and small as efficiently as possible.
projects include lawn aeration and thatching, rolling and overseeding. For window cleaning and taking down Christmas lights, don’t forget about our easy to use towable lifts. Check out the complete rental fleet on our website.
REN
TM
E!
Mid-State started to offer residential, industrial and agricultural equipment to our rental customers in the late 90’s. Since then we have grown from our original rental counter in Watertown, WI to six rental counters in Columbus, Jackson, Janesville, Prairie Du Sac, Salem and Watertown. Since the beginning of the rental department we have offered Bobcat and John Deere skid steers and excavators. Along with the base units, we also offer a full line of attachments including hydraulic breakers, trenchers, tillers, grapples, buckets, power rake, brooms and many more. For the smaller jobs around the home, Mid-State Rentals has a full lineup of equipment needed to accomplish lawn work and more. We offer walk behind trenchers, bed edgers, aerators and thatchers. For those higher up tasks we also have lifts starting at 19 feet, and reaching up to a working height of 66 feet. For your upcoming Spring & Summer projects, contact us for any equipment needs. Common spring
New for 2013
FEATURED RENTAL ITEM Jeremy Condon, Janesville Rental
Conquer Outdoor Projects with the Ditch Witch SK650 Walk Behind Skid Loader─ • • • • •
31.2 Horsepower 4 mph forward and reverse 650 lbs lift capacity Tracks make unit easier on lawns than its full size counterparts Fits in tight spaces
Multiple attachments make this little workhorse very versatile! • 44" Dirt Bucket • Pallet Forks • Landscape/Harley Rake (prepares seedbed for re-seeding) • Vibratory plow (buries cable underground) • Trencher • Concrete breaker
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PARTNERS Mid-State Equipment 4323 E US Hwy 14 Janesville, WI 53546
(Getting Started, Continued)
Our next big hurdle was getting John Deere Company to give us a dealership contract. They were very interested in having a dealer in Columbus, but were concerned that we did not have enough capital. The only way we could get them to approve was for Linda and I to sell our home in Wausau, and take 100% of the proceeds and put it into the business. Also, Bob Groh and family had to sell personal assets and put the funds into the business, plus an unlimited personal guarantee. On May 4, 1974 we signed our incorporation papers for Mid-State Power & Equipment, Inc. I resigned from John Deere Company in May 1974, and moved to Columbus on June 1,1974 to a small rental home. The next five months were spent building the dealership. Bob Groh had been a homebuilder, and was very talented in building and design. His father Norm Groh, Bob, and I set out to do a lot of the construction. We built all the parts bins, offices, and did all of the finish work in the dealership. Working seven days a week, Linda would help by doing painting and finish work while Bryan helped Mom, and Chris played in the office area in a playpen. Machinery started to arrive before the building was complete. The first machine sold was a 415 rotary hoe to Breezy Prairie Farms in Columbus. Our first combine sold was a model 6600 to Tom Waterworth. By October 1974 we had our building done. We had purchased used tools from other dealerships and a used delivery truck. We had four employees – one parts man, two mechanics and a part-time bookkeeper. Bob and I did all the selling and all pickup and delivery of machinery. Mid-State had a grand opening celebration in November of 1974. During the time we were working to develop the business, the United States had fallen into a deep recession. There was a shortage of gas with long lines at the pump. Both the Vice President (Spiro Agnew) and President (Richard Nixon) were forced out of office and our country was being run by the Speaker of the House (Gerald Ford.) In 1974 John Deere introduced some exciting new equipment: the 7000 corn planter, the 8430 and 8630 four wheel drive tractors, and the 1710 mulch tiller. They also presented major improvements to combines, with rotary screens on the models.
Watch for the next edition of Partners...to be continued!
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Current Events May 12 Mother’s Day May 17 Syttende Mai Festival in Stoughton May 24 ChocolateFest in Burlington May 27 Memorial Day June 1 June is Dairy Month June 16 Father’s Day June 21 First Day of Summer
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First Delivery Truck─ Purchased in 1974 from Fred Steckelberg from River Valley Equipment in Prairie du Sac, WI