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Much of the work being done in recent years to revolutionize selling and servicing large farm equipment has happened in western Kentucky, and southern Indiana and Illinois. The revolution has been to bring dealers closer to their farmer customers, and for AGCO the model company is AgRevolution, an AGCO-owned, full-line agricultural equipment dealer.
The CEO of AgRevolution, Stacy Anthony, says it all started by asking farmers what they wanted in future dealer-farmer relationships.
“What we heard was, the farmer spoke up and said listen we want to transact business on our farm,” he explained. “All of it, not just some of it, but we want everything we do to be done here at the farm gate, and so we designed a model that was very lean on brick and mortar. It was very heavily dependent upon mobile service and our goal is to basically just reposition the dealership into closer proximity to the farm, making it easier for us to do business with them and them to do business with us.”
AgRevolution’s success the last three years has turned into AGCO’s FarmerCore, a global initiative for the company that allows farmers to transact business at their place of business, not the dealership.
One aspect of that is service, and the difference between AgRevolution and competitors is the amount of service done at the farm.
“Ninety percent of what AgRevolution does is done on the farmer or in the field through the service department. If you take a look at the traditional model, that swings back to around 10 to 20% that is done out in the field versus the majority of their business is done at the dealership structure. So it’s not right versus wrong, it’s just different, and it’s how we chose to approach the industry and solve the solutions for the farmer and answer the call of transacting at the point and place where the farmer wants to his business. Today we believe that’s on the farm.”
Anthony explains they can essentially take the entire dealership to the farm.
“So, whether he wants to order a tractor, buy a part, or have a repair done, it’s all done right there at the place and point where he chooses to do business.”
FarmerCore launches beyond AgRevolution to select North and South American dealers throughout this year.
AgRevolution is a wholly owned subsidiary of AGCO started three years ago this month. They focus on mobile service and now have eight locations in western Kentucky, southern Indiana and southern Illinois. Click this link to visit their website and click here to listen to more about FarmerCore:
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News Release – Duluth, GA, January 30, 2024 – AGCO (NYSE: AGCO), a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural machinery and precision ag technology, today announced the launch of FarmerCore, a transformative global initiative to deliver a next-generation farmer and dealer experience. The launch of the new end-to-end distribution model is a significant milestone in advancing AGCO’s Farmer-First strategy and solidifying its commitment to helping farmers across the globe become more profitable, productive and sustainable.
FarmerCore revolutionizes sales and service using tools that put dealers in closer proximity – onsite and online – to farmers. From product research to in-season uptime, the program develops and integrates digital and physical elements across the purchasing journey and product ownership lifecycle to create a leading on-farm offering.
“AGCO’s strategy remains focused on putting the farmer at the center of everything we do,” said Eric Hansotia, Chairman, President and CEO of AGCO. “The FarmerCore initiative further solidifies our pledge to prioritize farmers, blending physical and digital experiences to build brand loyalty and deepen customer engagement. Ultimately, we’re going to bring our entire business to the farmer through digital tools, service trucks, local parts access and more in partnership with AGCO’s global dealer network.”
FarmerCore is built on three pillars: the on-farm mindset, smart network coverage and digital engagement. The on-farm mindset positions dealers to meet customers’ needs at every stage of the ownership journey. Smart network coverage de-emphasizes the one-size-fits all outlet approach, moving toward a hub-and-spoke model that adds “light” retail outlets, service centers and parts-only locations. Digital engagement gives farmers 24/7 online access to sales and support, including online parts purchasing, dealer digital storefronts, online configurators and more.
Many AGCO dealerships already deploy aspects of the FarmerCore program, including mobile service fleets, alternative format outlets (e.g., parts-only stores) and digital tools to enhance customer support. In fact, the FarmerCore model has proven successful at the regional level through AgRevolution, an AGCO-owned, full-line agricultural equipment dealer serving farmers in Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana.
“We provide farmers with an outstanding on-farm experience that spans the entire ownership journey,” said Stacy Anthony, CEO of AgRevolution. “Our farmer-first mentality, combined with implementing FarmerCore’s assets, enables greater engagement across our region and helps us deliver exceptional customer outcomes and value. I am excited at the unlimited potential this innovative, farmer-first model will deliver to AGCO’s dealer network and farmers around the world.”
With FarmerCore, mobile assets bring buying and servicing to the farm. While dealership locations will continue to anchor farmer support in local communities, mobile and digital channels allow farmers to engage on their terms.
FarmerCore will be implemented in close partnership with AGCO’s global dealer network and will become a leader in ag machinery support, across every aspect of the ownership lifecycle. The program launches globally this year in select North and South America dealer organizations, with continued expansion throughout 2024.