[strawboss2]

Found this on Gleaner combine talk show, of an upcoming tractor meeting(Jan. 5 Des Moines,Iowa) regarding the Agco Orange tractors. Sounds like there is still time to express your thoughts to company officials. Here is link: http://www.harvesting.com/combine/gleaner/general_forum/messages/43751.html

 

[946]

For all of you rightly disturbed by the AGCO orange decision, here are a few contacts to write a professional letter to:

Mr. P. George Benson, President
College of Charleston
66 George Street
Charleston SC 29424

George E. Minnich
42 Yarmouth Road
Rowayton CT 06853

Curtis E. Moll
MTD Products INC
5903 Grafton Road
Valley City OH 42280

These are AGCO Board members. If planning to write, for most effectiveness, keep it professional and explain the business case why this will fail. Emotions will get it thrown in the trash. Based on the earlier post, might want to get this letter in ASAP, it can't hurt.

 

[greencountry]

Just what is going on with this. got farm magazine in mail today promoting new products of all brands and there is a lot in there about the orange rt and dt tractors. why would they pay for advertizing if they will be gone in a year or two

 

[orange]

Look who is running the company. Does any more need to be said!

 

[bluchev]

sooo what a dilema do I tell them to keep the orange and silver or do I tell them to can them so I can just go to green anyway

 

[hammerman]

Go to green,their waiting for you,honest.

 

[strawboss2]

Here is link to interesting thoughts on newagtalk: http://talk.newagtalk.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=139616&mid=991058#M991058

Noticed http://www.langdieselinc.com/has 9 new DT-B series tractors to sell. Wonder if there will be a discounted price on the orange tractors, now that Agco is going to red Masseys. Big investment for a tractor that they are doing away with.

 

[strawboss2]

Oops! Here is correct Lang Diesel link: http://www.langdieselinc.com/

 

[lookingglass]

I thought that was funny as well. You just announced you were dropping the brand, yet you send data to a farm magazine for a 2010 tractor preview to promote the brand you are dropping.

They also had some VP of marketing assuring us the Gleaner brand would be around...in fact his words were "at this time we are not dropping the Gleaner". So what does that mean? So does that mean tomorrow or in 3 or in 5 years they may? I recall at the DT tractor intro years ago that some VP got up and spouted the greatness of the DT and how the AGCO brand was the cornerstone tractor brand of the company in North America. Funny how time changes things. I'm glad we dumped the orange tractors years ago.

 

[redline]

I think the top brass is showing how easy it is to go back on their word. I don't trust them when they say Gleaner will be around for a long time. Who will sell them? Massey dealers? They have their own machines to sell. Orange Agco dealers-oh wait, no they all got the ax. Why would they want to stay with Gleaner when there are no companion lines? If their business survives, they will sell the combine that goes with the tractor line they have or procure. As much as I like Gleaners, I think the writing is on the wall. Richenhagen and Bob Crain cannot be trusted. They will blow in our ear and tell us Gleaner is going to stay, only to find out later they were really blowing smoke up our a__

 

[lookingglass]

Not all orange dealers got axed. I don't know of any that did. In fact I have one Massey Dealer and 5 orange dealers within 90 miles and I think all the orange dealers will sell Massey. My local Gleaner dealer who has never sold Massey told me that they will get to sell the Red tractors but not Red combines, which isn't a big deal as there are no Massey combines around anyway.

I agree with you on the silver combines. Its obvious over the past 15 years that all the changes have been relatively minor and it seems all the R&D money is going to the axial machines. I think they will ride it until sales drop so low, then drop it. Might be next year, might be 5 or 10 years down the road.

 

[redline]

The orange customers might be leaving in droves. I think the Gleaner is doomed. They are great machines, we have an R72 and get along great. If there aren't orange tractors to go with it, we will look at other brands. Simple as that. I can't imagine my Agco dealer will switch to MF. They have had chances before, and have had no interest. They have other brands to sell, and the MF line is a real dud here. I can't see that changing, even if the machine is the same under the paint. MF has a negative image in these parts, regardless what other areas have. No one here takes them seriously.
I will find a way to keep my current lineup of orange tractors going until there is nothing left, goodness knows they have taken a severe hit on resale now.

 

[hammerman]

Agcos decision to drop the orange was difficult but needed,in the near future everybody will forget about it because there are more industry shakeups coming.Iwas talking to two large Agco dealerships over the past week and ask them about no more orange tractors and neither was disappointed,they both sold some orange tractors but felt comfortable that they would not loose any customers as they would buy Massey,have a happy new year.

 

[lookingglass]

Talked to my AGCO dealer today. He is completely depressed. Said he tried to sell some of the Massey compacts a couple years ago but the name just prevents the sale. In 5 years I'm afraid AGCo will be a distant memory in the I states.