FarmTrac Troubles

[taxpayer]

I don't know about all the dealers,I can't speak for them.but I am getting more than a little disgusted with the actions of Textron. Textron has the means and the opportunity to help the dealers in this crisis.and save themselves a great deal of money.if dealers are forced into bankrupcy,most will never recover and Textron,will have lost millions of dollars that could have been recovered,if, they had only worked with the dealers.it will make a fine national media story,and involve very close scrutiny by the media and the public.this kind of attention will probably cause lost revenue for all involved, in terms of lost sales,failure to secure sales agreements,and most importantly, the loss of public trust.this will probably have a severe impact on all in the industry.this can be avoided IF,all parties, namely Textron,Farmtrac,the warranty & retail finance people and the farmtrac dealers will all come together.possibley in tarboro on or about the 23rd or the24th of april,2008.I feel we could reach a workable solution,probably not one that will satisfy anyone completely,but,the realilty is that everyone will take some loss.just how much, will depend greatly on how well we cooperate with each other. I know we dealers probably feel as if we are in a sinking rowboat and the big boys are standing on the deck of a luxury liner,with a life preserver in hand,PEEING in our boat while we bail.it makes one want to just scream out,IF YOU WANT TO HELP, STOP PEEING AND START THROWING. GOD,that felt good to get that off my chest!---always TAXPAYER

 

[case1570]

What is the most ironic to me is that Textron will spend and lose millions to sue dealers when they could spend the money to help solve this mess and be heros. I guess they like being the bad guy. We do need to tell them together that we have had enough. We will not sell these tractors with these discounts! Anyone agree???
Case

 

[SESS]

Your right CASE1570. Companies like that have losses every year that they just right off, plan and simple. But its hard for us dealers to write off a loss of a complete business, our lively hood, our bread and butter, oh yeah and our reputation.

 

[tommybr]

What is the most ironic to me is that Textron will spend and lose millions to sue dealers when they could spend the money to help solve this mess and be heros. I guess they like being the bad guy. We do need to tell them together that we have had enough. We will not sell these tractors with these discounts! Anyone agree???
Case

YES....

 

[TOPAZ]

THIS IS TO ANY DEALER GOING TO MEETING ON 24th`AT COMFORT INN.
HAVE WE GOT AN AGENDA YET? IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE EVERYONE
PUT THEIR THOUGHTS IN WRITTEN FORM AND POST UNDER A THREAD
BEFORE WE LEAVE. IF SOME OF US ARE GOING TO BE THERE EARLIER
POSSIBLY WE COULD HAVE A INFORMAL GATHERING. JUST WEAR YOUR
FARM TRAC CAP. SAD ENDING FOR A COMPANY THAT I HAVE BEEN WITH
FOROVER 30 YEARS. WE NEED A WHITE NITE.

 

[tommybr]

The meeting will be at 7:00 PM April 24, 2008 in the conference room at the Comfort Inn in Tarboro, NC. Mr. Gurkins and Mr. Marrow have agreed to attend. Mr. Gurkins has been asked to provide the dealers with any information he is able to share at this point, understanding that there may be information that he is not at liberty to discuss at this time. Everyone is encouraged to be courteous and respectful. Neither of these gentlemen were responsible for creating the current situation. They were brought in by the court system to help resolve the issues concerning Farmtrac. They have agreed to meet with the dealers affected by the Farmtrac situation. This is intended to be a private meeting between the dealers and Mr. Gurkins and Mr. Marrow.

 

[taxpayer]

What is the most ironic to me is that Textron will spend and lose millions to sue dealers when they could spend the money to help solve this mess and be heros. I guess they like being the bad guy. We do need to tell them together that we have had enough. We will not sell these tractors with these discounts! Anyone agree???
Case

I have to agree with you,these discounts will not offset the public mistrust of the Farmtrac brand,that has been generated by the closing of the company and the events that have occured since.it's hard for anyone outside to always understand the logic behind the thinking of a large corporation.maybe they feel that it's better to deal hard with a,few and take a loss, than to have problems with nonpayment later,after all, they are in a business that demands the maxamizing of profits.However, I would hope that whoever is handleing this Farmtrac fiasco is wise enough to realise,that once the human interest side of this story is picked up by the national news media,there will be a feeding frenzy to uncover every little scrap of misdeeds ever commited by everyone involved. and anyone with half a brain knows that rumors and enuendoes can be as damaging as actual fact,especialy when directed toward large companies.I also understand that,the excutives at Textron who have to make the calls in this matter go home every night,with knowledge that their hefty salary,the pension and stock sharing plans, etc are secure.it is hard for them to relate to the Farmtrac dealers and their families who are agonizing over the possibility of loosing everything.the facts are,if the present course is continued,it will be a great loss to Textron and unbearable hardship to dealer families. Textron nor the dealers created this problem,but we have to deal with it nonetheless.Lets try to do it in a way beneficial to all. -----Taxpayer

 

[Joe G.]

I am a dealer from Mississippi and plan on attending the meeting on the 24th. Thanks to all who have been keeping us dealers up to date.

 

[SESS]

I am a dealer from Mississippi and plan on attending the meeting on the 24th. Thanks to all who have been keeping us dealers up to date.

WELCOME JOE G. You got a bunch of reading to do from this post. Glad to know your going next week. We need all the dealers possible to be there!!

 

[taxpayer]

The meeting will be at 7:00 PM April 24, 2008 in the conference room at the Comfort Inn in Tarboro, NC. Mr. Gurkins and Mr. Marrow have agreed to attend. Mr. Gurkins has been asked to provide the dealers with any information he is able to share at this point, understanding that there may be information that he is not at liberty to discuss at this time. Everyone is encouraged to be courteous and respectful. Neither of these gentlemen were responsible for creating the current situation. They were brought in by the court system to help resolve the issues concerning Farmtrac. They have agreed to meet with the dealers affected by the Farmtrac situation. This is intended to be a private meeting between the dealers and Mr. Gurkins and Mr. Marrow.

you are exactly right,it is very important that the dealers be courtous and respectful, while we may not agree on some of the actions taken so far,these men did not create the sitiuation and resolve to solve the problem we face should be the focus of the meeting, not anger. My wife and I plan to be in tarboro on the evening of the 23rd,I would like to give myself time to look around a bit and possibly meet some dealers and their wives before we meet.----Taxpayer

 

[rascoil]

What is the most ironic to me is that Textron will spend and lose millions to sue dealers when they could spend the money to help solve this mess and be heros. I guess they like being the bad guy. We do need to tell them together that we have had enough. We will not sell these tractors with these discounts! Anyone agree???
Case

That is sad, but for them it is nothing more then a tax right off. They actually make money on it. Sorta makes you wonder who the real criminals are.

 

[agequipt]

Just a quick Answer

who is goning to be there the 24th
We are

 

[TOPAZ]

Just a quick Answer

who is goning to be there the 24th
We are

I WILL BE LANDING IN GREENSBORO,NC THURS.THE 24th.
AT 9:30 AM. IS THERE ANYONE THAT WANTS TO SHARE
THE DRIVE TO TARBORO?

 

[SESS]

Has everyone (dealers, customers, creditors) gotten their Creditor Claims sent to Farmtrac yet? Remember the deadline to file the Creditor Claim is April 25!!

 

[taxpayer]

SESS,when are you leaving for the meeting? I,ll be driving up,leaving on tuesday.should be in tarboro wed afternoon.it's about 11 hundred miles.I want to have time to check on somethings before the meeting.---Taxpayer

 

[SESS]

We are leaving Wed after work. Its about 950 miles for us. We will get there in the early morning of Thurs. We plan to go to the plant Thurs and look around. See you there!

 

[Brentwood Power Equipment]

Anybody going to take a laptop to keep those of us who can't go informed?

 

[blueliner]

Look forward to seeing everyone. Drive safe and see you when you get here.

Some of you may be wearing Farmtrac caps. I'll be sporting a Detroit Red Wings 2002 Stanley Cup championship hat.

Not only is the season for planting, but for playoff hockey!

--blueliner

 

[blueliner]

Brentwood,

I'll have a laptop... Comfort Inn has free wireless internet connectivity.

--blueliner

 

[SESS]

I am taking a laptop also. I plan to take some very detailed notes! Everyone drive/fly safe and see you there!