XtraBlatt Issue 02-2017

MENSCHEN INTERVIEW
followed. Mostly, new farm machinery dealerships evolved
from the former KFLs (district farm machinery supply organisations).
XtraBlatt: How does the farm machinery trade in Germany
look now? How do private concerns and cooperatives
get on with each other?
Boomgaarden: Well, nowadays I would estimate the market
share of cooperative and private farm machinery trade
at 40:60. Whereby there are other business constellations
such as the Claas establishment of its own subsidiary outlets
over the last years.
XtraBlatt: Since the millennium, exclusivity in farm
equipment trading has developed strongly. What effect
has this had on the numbers of specialist businesses?
Boomgaarden: As said, John Deere established this first.
Nowadays, nearly all the long liners go in this direction, or
at least try to. This has naturally its consequences. In the register
of hand workers there are still 5689 agricultural machinery
workshops, including cooperatives, entered. Only
some 600 firms are now accepted as so-called A-dealers.
XtraBlatt: Does this mean that specialist agricultural
machinery services are disappearing from the countryside?
Boomgaarden: In principle we have to reckon with this, especially
where unprofitable branches are concerned. However,
a reduction in numbers I do not regard a problem for
customers in that nowadays there are already fleets of service
vans underway. The machines have become large and
no longer drive to the workshop for repairs. These take place
on the field, or in the farmyard. While the individual manufacturer
has maybe a white spot here and there on the
map, now in total the network of farm machinery support
throughout Germany is pretty tight.
XtraBlatt: Most of agricultural machinery dealerships
are still family firms, medium sized businesses. How are
they surviving? How are they doing economically?
Boomgaarden: In the present decade, business has been
good - and still is for these enterprises. The main problem
now is the recruiting of employees and the establishment
of a successor for the businesses. Here, politics should support
much more capable young employees along the way
to starting up on their own. For instance, through more
generous credit availability from KfW (Credit Institute for
Reconstruction Assistance) reserves, and tax reductions in
the first years after grounding a company, or taking over
a business.
XtraBlatt: Apropos profitability, can a mid-sized agricultural
machinery trading business survive without a tractor
in its range, in other words in avoiding the exclusivity
of a long liner?
Boomgaarden: I know only a few examples of this. But I
certainly see a future for businesses that specialise in implements
and do not put tractors and combines in the centre
point and even avoid selling large self-propelled machinery.
I see a chance for the specialists. For instance, in cultivation
equipment and drilling, or also for forage harvesting equipment.
Many dealerships bound to tractor manufacturers
feel driven to first of all force the sales of tractors, although
the margins for the implements are substantially more
attractive for the dealer. However, the tractor is often the
door-opener for customers coming into the business. And
anyone who really wants to sell a tractor without an exclusive
binding to a long liner can do business as a B-dealer or
approach new suppliers on the scene. At Agritechnica there
were a number of new manufacturers to be seen that want
to get a foothold in the German market and seek independent
dealers.
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