TO OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS AND FRIENDS:
I don’t know about you, but I’ve read and heard enough about the COVID-19 pandemic in the last few weeks to last a lifetime. Therefore, I promise I will not make this letter another message about the challenges of the pandemic we have all faced! That being said, we have a lot of good things to talk about.
In early January, we moved into our 12,000 square foot shop expansion at our Flagler, Colorado location. It’s a great addition to that facility with an overhead crane, spacious work bays and modern LED lighting. Our Flagler employees have been really excited about the upgrade and the commitment we have made to continue to serve our customers in western Kit Carson, Lincoln, Kiowa and Elbert Counties.
As I write this letter, we are in the process of moving our employees into an entirely new 35,000 square foot facility that has been recently completed in Burlington, Colorado, that has been under construction since last August. This facility was constructed on our existing property in Burlington. Once the move into the new building is complete, we will have the existing structures torn down. In addition to including all the tools and accessories necessary to make the Parts and Service Departments as efficient and safe as possible, we have included a large classroom for meetings and training, ample customer parking and a huge inside display area. A big shout-out to our local Burlington Contractor, SKARCO Construction, who did a great job on both the Burlington and Flagler projects.
Despite the ban on travel for much of this spring, we have not let up on our internal training. We have all gotten very good at conducting virtual meetings and video conferences! Up-skilling our precision ag knowledge across our entire organization has been a top priority this year. We are also excited about becoming an authorized John Deere Forage Pro™ dealer which allows us to sell and service Self-Propelled Forage Harvesters. Our first demo unit has arrived and training for sales, parts and service is ongoing. We are anxiously awaiting the delivery of our first 8RX demo 4-track machines. Visit with your sales professional to get your name on a demo list and give these new tractors a try.
As we begin to travel again, I am anxious for you to meet or new Chief Operating Officer (COO), Keith Krepps. Keith and his wife, Erin, joined us in March after a 22-year career with RDO Equipment, headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota. For the last 16 years, Keith has successfully led RDO’s ag division, which included 35 locations across the western U.S. Keith has lots of experience across a variety of crops and geographies and we are glad to have his expertise on our leadership team and I know he is anxious to get out and start meeting you.
Planting progress across the regions has been going well. I understand we are seriously dry in the Burlington-Cheyenne Wells area and unseasonably cold weather in Nebraska has wreaked havoc with a sugar beet crop that was off to a great start. Let’s hope the weather straightens out from here and that life in general returns to “normal”– whatever that is! It is hard to believe that wheat harvest is right around the corner too. I wish you the best as the growing season progresses.
As always, we can’t thank you enough for your business and understanding during this challenging spring. Like you, we are ready to get back to “normal”. I’ve kept my promise not to mention COVID-19 in this letter, but I’ll conclude with this. Please stay mentally positive and medically negative!
Sincerely,
Owen Palm
President and CEO