Business Ethics In The Tractor Industry

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

the rub; who defines whats best for the environment? I think it's pretty easy to conclude that some people (and businesses) just want to virtue signal. Common sense and reason should be up front when it comes to protecting the environment. When bureaucracy and political agendas intervene on behalf of say an outside environmental lobbyist instead of local management then we have a problem with a more honest and open resolve. Smaller companies often are the ones who get swallowed up with environmental lunacy.

Agreed. There has been more irresponsibility with the way the EPA has mandated these changes then the way energy companies have polluted the environment. Biggest example of this is the final tier IV emissions requirements that get talked about on here all the time. I can honestly say as being someone who has an old school tractor that the DPF filters on these new tractors have really improved the operating experience. Those old school tractors put off a lot of fumes and smoke and can choke you up and smoke you out at times. None of that is good for your health and is even carcinogenic. But where I take issue is how the EPA shoved all that down everyone's throats without giving the companies time to work out all the bugs and perfect the technology first. The way it was gone about was completely wrong.

 

[oosik]

Forty plus years ago we moved down to the property here and built our home. With a mile long gravel driveway, winter snows, a garden - etc. It was obvious I needed a tractor. I checked with our neighbors and they, almost to the man, recommended one dealership.

This dealership was owned by an old farming family - and still is. They have their own set of ethics and bow to no corporate standards. I have stayed with this dealership for over forty years and, never once regretted the decision.

We should all be so fortunate in our dealings.

 

[Hay Dude]

It would be more interesting to see a thread titled “Business Ethics in the USED Tractor Industry”

 

[deezler]

I admire any of you small business owners that feel you have ethical obligations, but what are you even really arguing about? It's completely obvious that all large corporations exist purely for, and are only motivated by, maximizing profit and shareholder returns.

In my view it is OUR job as citizens/consumers, to hold them accountable and vote with our dollars. This can help align ethical obligations with their financial motivations. If a company purposely trashes the environment to increase profit, they won't get a single cent from me.

Of course I believe in a well regulated business environment too, but our government is basically just a corporate-ocracy now, steered principally by corporate lobbying and campaign donations.

 

[rScotty]

Sometimes we get so tied up in the current controversy that we forget how we got here.

If the energy companies had been ethical in the way that they treated the land, the people, and the environment, then the EPA and all their burdensome regulations wouldn't have been necessary.

As it is, the EPA is always playing catch-up to what the big companies are doing and promoting. So the EPA can't ever win; at best all they can do is try to repair the damage. That is a losing game and an unpopular one.

But the EPA didn't cause the problem. The problem was originally a lack of ethics in the energy industry.

rScotty

 

[JWR]

This thread is old enough I cannot recall if I mentioned this before: Intellectual Property applied to agriculture and farm equipment. A few years back the super innovative product called Lane Shark came out -- a FEL mounted hydraulic powered cutter. I won't bother stating the breakthroughs and innovations of this tool (though I gladly will if someone is interested.) The point here is that a larger deeper pockets company came along and did a knockoff copy of the Lane Shark and began selling it nationwide. I have no idea the result patent haggles and what the outcome was (or if it is ongoing.) My point is I call this extremely unethical regardless of how things ended.

 

[RustyA]

Forty plus years ago we moved down to the property here and built our home. With a mile long gravel driveway, winter snows, a garden - etc. It was obvious I needed a tractor. I checked with our neighbors and they, almost to the man, recommended one dealership.

This dealership was owned by an old farming family - and still is. They have their own set of ethics and bow to no corporate standards. I have stayed with this dealership for over forty years and, never once regretted the decision.

We should all be so fortunate in our dealings.

Another good example that it's not always about greed and money to be in business. Pride in serving your customers fairly will pay off every time. The money will follow if you do it right, plus you can sleep at night.

 

[FriendwithTractor]

I work for a rather large heavy truck dealer.

I just got done fixing something for the New Sales Director, while I was in his office, he was reaming a salesman out on the phone. I asked what the issue was.
We're currently going through the ringer with some injector problems with our branded engines, so Cummins and Cat powerplants are more requested. Issue is they're currently selling trucks that aren't made yet, so the injector issue might get fixed before the trucks are delivered.

Salesman was trying to pitch five trucks with the injector problems to get the customer out the door. Director caught wind of that and knew the customer had a shop tooled for Cummins engines and most of their fleet was Cummins. There was some very hostile communication coming down the line from the Director to the Salesman for that one. Director ended up going to the branch to take over the sale and inform them that they could have the five trucks Q4 with the engine that currently has the injector problems, OR they could wait and get what they wanted with the Cummins engines by Q2 next year.

To quote the director: "Problem is, we tell these guys sell, sell, sell but they don't think Long-Term."

 

[IndyJay]

I work for a rather large heavy truck dealer.

I just got done fixing something for the New Sales Director, while I was in his office, he was reaming a salesman out on the phone. I asked what the issue was.
We're currently going through the ringer with some injector problems with our branded engines, so Cummins and Cat powerplants are more requested. Issue is they're currently selling trucks that aren't made yet, so the injector issue might get fixed before the trucks are delivered.

Salesman was trying to pitch five trucks with the injector problems to get the customer out the door. Director caught wind of that and knew the customer had a shop tooled for Cummins engines and most of their fleet was Cummins. There was some very hostile communication coming down the line from the Director to the Salesman for that one. Director ended up going to the branch to take over the sale and inform them that they could have the five trucks Q4 with the engine that currently has the injector problems, OR they could wait and get what they wanted with the Cummins engines by Q2 next year.

To quote the director: "Problem is, we tell these guys sell, sell, sell but they don't think Long-Term."

Customer Service is one of the most important aspects of "selling". You want the customers coming back year after year.

 

[sd455dan]

Forty plus years ago we moved down to the property here and built our home. With a mile long gravel driveway, winter snows, a garden - etc. It was obvious I needed a tractor. I checked with our neighbors and they, almost to the man, recommended one dealership.

This dealership was owned by an old farming family - and still is. They have their own set of ethics and bow to no corporate standards. I have stayed with this dealership for over forty years and, never once regretted the decision.

We should all be so fortunate in our dealings.

Can't help but ask Oosik Is that Adams tractor in Spokane?

I Do know they have been in business there since 1929

inquiring minds