FarmTrac Troubles
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redneckford
Platinum Member
BlueLiner----How's the Book coming ----Bet JD CREDIT or CNH CAPITAL would spring for the back cover ad!!! What about all those FarmTrac dealers that went out of business in the previous year? 2006-2007 No interest----never come due----free Freight---Good Sales volumes---High (Large) Profits??? NO PAYMENT FOR WARRANTY CLAIMS OR SALES BONUSES Less than zero fininacing---- what did those dealers know and when did they know it . Could it be inside trading at its finest???Other suppliers with a game plan, Dealers ready to switch tractor lines at a moments notice???Key personel repositioned to run the game plan???? WHAT DID THEY KNOW AND WHEN DID "THEY" KNOW IT???? Let us see who is un-running other companys that are importing LG tractors and SAME tractors.Have they ever worked for Long/FarmTrac/Textron???? Isn't it amazing how things work out when you know the information before everyone else does!! Hold the press I am still praying for a miracle!!! A happy workable solution for all those honest faithful dealers that played by the rules. Would't it make a great last chapter?
redneckford
Platinum Member
Dang everyone must be gone to Branson for the weekend. How's the weather up there?????that is in Missiouri isn't it
RNFord,
Thanks to you and all of those who've been supportive in my effort bring the FNA situation to light.
You've peppered me with overdue, burning questions...
I'll do my best to address them.
I've made about 15-20 hours worth of efforts to call and write other media outlets, hoping to expand the scope of coverage. A couple nibbles at best. In negotiations with a farm magazine. Will release more on it when the deal is approved or denied.
With the Southerner "mini-series" released, I will retry a few outlets.
I agree with whomever suggested Lou Dobbs. I *like* his style and my father has been a HUGE honk of his for about a decade now. I'm 100 percent confident that if Mr. Dobbs would talk to me for 10 minutes, he'd be given a heapin' helpin' of resources (of many kinds) to have a killer article!!
So Louie, if you're reading ... e-mail me at bob_benedetti@hotmail.com
Let's do this thing!
I think the outcomes dealers could hope for are:
- justice being served onto the crooks who perpetrated this/these scam(s) (aw shucks... like corn on the Cobb),
- legislation being created to prevent future financial implosions from foreign factions (Perrot's "giant sucking sound" that Tommy B. referred to in an earlier post)
- redeeming modest value of remaining FNA units, reducing amt of losses incurred and escaping somewhat intact.
I'm aware that's not a cheerful prognosis ... but a gut-level one.
One that I hope I'm completely wrong about.
Either way, you'll continue to see my name on the byline, covering it ... to the bitter end.
--b
Thanks to you and all of those who've been supportive in my effort bring the FNA situation to light.
You've peppered me with overdue, burning questions...
I'll do my best to address them.
No need. There's already a motherlode of hardhitting stuff here to address ... and I'm already motivated to make the public aware of it.redneckford said:
It is even larger for those who are exclusively Farmtrac sellers.redneckford said:
It has been waylaid by relocation. I'm up to my eyeballs in boxes full of "stuff" and putting humpty-dumpty's residence back together again.redneckford said:
Heh! That is some epic smack, indeed!redneckford said:
Yes Sir, you pose a hopper full of questions that need to be answered. I've tried to address some of the larger ones in the Southerner articles, but limited space required the ruthless editing knife.redneckford said:
I've made about 15-20 hours worth of efforts to call and write other media outlets, hoping to expand the scope of coverage. A couple nibbles at best. In negotiations with a farm magazine. Will release more on it when the deal is approved or denied.
With the Southerner "mini-series" released, I will retry a few outlets.
I agree with whomever suggested Lou Dobbs. I *like* his style and my father has been a HUGE honk of his for about a decade now. I'm 100 percent confident that if Mr. Dobbs would talk to me for 10 minutes, he'd be given a heapin' helpin' of resources (of many kinds) to have a killer article!!
So Louie, if you're reading ... e-mail me at bob_benedetti@hotmail.com
Let's do this thing!
And how about when two groups know it and work together to scam a third?redneckford said:
Gulp... RNFord, if your statement is taken literally, then I believe it'd take the Barry Bonds equivalent of a blast into McCovey Cove for this to turn out right for many dealers.redneckford said:
I think the outcomes dealers could hope for are:
- justice being served onto the crooks who perpetrated this/these scam(s) (aw shucks... like corn on the Cobb),
- legislation being created to prevent future financial implosions from foreign factions (Perrot's "giant sucking sound" that Tommy B. referred to in an earlier post)
- redeeming modest value of remaining FNA units, reducing amt of losses incurred and escaping somewhat intact.
I'm aware that's not a cheerful prognosis ... but a gut-level one.
One that I hope I'm completely wrong about.
Either way, you'll continue to see my name on the byline, covering it ... to the bitter end.
--b
blueliner said:
I think one more measure of success for the dealers would be to see parts service and warranty availibility for their customers. Friday there was an 8 and one half hour meeting among about a dozen dealers, Textron Financial , NAEDA and the Mid America Equipment Association to work out those details. It won't be easy but we have not given up. It would be so easy to just throw up our hands and give up --tell our long time customers, "Just do it on your own"--but we aren't made that way. Some of the dealers came as much as a thousand miles at their own expense to try to do what is right. Others may do what is least costly not us. So don't give up yet.
Dealers good, O'Reilly bad.... I hope that clears it up for you. I believe all the talking heads will be too busy trying to decipher Hillary's body language, at least until November.taxpayer said:
John
longtrman said:
Longtrman,
Smart points you bring up.
Far as parts, anyone talk to Sushil Kaul?
I did in mid-June and he's trying to be the middleman to broker a parts deal. IMHO, working with Kaul seems equivalent to a backalley transaction with a guy wearing a long trenchcoat.
Then again... desperate measures for desperate times?
***
Yes, dealers have tremendous "cred": they hold customers in high esteem and will do *tons* to gain/retain their favor.
100 percent understandable.
***
Like I've said numerous times... I hope people prove my cynical nature to be wrong (about how this it to end).
--b
As I have said before on this post, this problem was brought about by poor management in Tarboro. There are those who believe it was also dishonesty. I believe it is possibly a "blend"...... I don't know. But it was not a problem with the product. These were and still are good tractors. All of the dealers know good and well what we were promised. We had no reason to believe anything was wrong in Tarboro. We had no access to knowledge of Farmtrac's financial condition. But we all know who did and kept lending them money anyway. No names mentioned of course...........there are many creditors of Farmtrac. Draw your own conclusions.
The dealers and customers are the innocent victims in this SCAM. Both dealers and customers were completely blindsided by this whole thing. My hope is that justice will prevail.
The dealers and customers are the innocent victims in this SCAM. Both dealers and customers were completely blindsided by this whole thing. My hope is that justice will prevail.
Tommy,
You make some interesting points. Let's take a look at them:
"It's like eggs and ham. Sure, the chicken makes contribution, but the pig ... now he makes a commitment."
Consider me a flat-snout ... and it is to the ground, grinding for clues.
More importantly, a fact is: the public needed to know the truth -- and still does. Some would say that's Zionistic, others like English scientist Thomas Huxley would see it as "... in the long run, it [the truth] is only common sense clarified."
Therefore, allow me to clarify a few things...
The truth is that a multitude of actions created the presently existing dynamic ... and that there's plenty of blame to go around.
a) Poor management decisions by FNA management in Tarboro.
b) Absence of *ethical* business actions FNA management in Tarboro.
c) Sloppy/lackadaisical 'fiscal health evaluations' of FNA by suppliers and creditors.
d) Bumbling decisions by the aforementioned parties to extend credit lines to a company that according to court documents had continued to be an irresponsible creditor.
e) A conspiracy[1] patchwork with FNA leaders to frantically create legal leverage and find a more favorable debtor.
f) Absence of *ethical* business actions by some TMs participation in scam(s).
I'm sure there's more... but that's a good start.
For item E, please review the footnote.
[1] CONSPIRACY; defn.
1. the act of conspiring.
2. an evil, unlawful, treacherous, or surreptitious plan formulated in secret by two or more persons; plot.
3. a combination of persons for a secret, unlawful, or evil purpose: He joined the conspiracy to overthrow the government.
4. Law. an agreement by two or more persons to commit a crime, fraud, or other wrongful act.
5. any concurrence in action; combination in bringing about a given result.
An applicable definition? Ya betcha!
Matter of fact, many of the dealers mourned losing the chance to offer comprehensive FNA sales and support due to the company's lack of solvency. Many truly like the product.
But there must be enough to keep the oversized legal vultures from swooping down, or they'd otherwise have already picked apart the retailers' remains? Or is the corporate machine flexing its bullying muscles, slowly and systematically plowing them under? With the meek and weak to quickly surrender or perish?
It may be just another biz account to some corp suits, but it is a livelihood and "my good name" to dealers, and a support center for customers. For many reasons, its easy to root for dealer success.
Justice in its purest sense is very different than the type only aristocrats can afford.
The statue of the blindfolded person holding the scales of justice may have been more accurately depicted if it had included wads of bundled bills bulging from its pockets.
--b
You make some interesting points. Let's take a look at them:
I'll probably catch heat for responding ... but, oh well ... 12 articles later ... it's a bit late for impunity? The late Fred Shero talked of contribution vs commitment with the classic "chicken vs pig" breakfast example.tommybr said:
"It's like eggs and ham. Sure, the chicken makes contribution, but the pig ... now he makes a commitment."
Consider me a flat-snout ... and it is to the ground, grinding for clues.
More importantly, a fact is: the public needed to know the truth -- and still does. Some would say that's Zionistic, others like English scientist Thomas Huxley would see it as "... in the long run, it [the truth] is only common sense clarified."
Therefore, allow me to clarify a few things...
The truth is that a multitude of actions created the presently existing dynamic ... and that there's plenty of blame to go around.
a) Poor management decisions by FNA management in Tarboro.
b) Absence of *ethical* business actions FNA management in Tarboro.
c) Sloppy/lackadaisical 'fiscal health evaluations' of FNA by suppliers and creditors.
d) Bumbling decisions by the aforementioned parties to extend credit lines to a company that according to court documents had continued to be an irresponsible creditor.
e) A conspiracy[1] patchwork with FNA leaders to frantically create legal leverage and find a more favorable debtor.
f) Absence of *ethical* business actions by some TMs participation in scam(s).
I'm sure there's more... but that's a good start.
For item E, please review the footnote.
[1] CONSPIRACY; defn.
1. the act of conspiring.
2. an evil, unlawful, treacherous, or surreptitious plan formulated in secret by two or more persons; plot.
3. a combination of persons for a secret, unlawful, or evil purpose: He joined the conspiracy to overthrow the government.
4. Law. an agreement by two or more persons to commit a crime, fraud, or other wrongful act.
5. any concurrence in action; combination in bringing about a given result.
An applicable definition? Ya betcha!
Never disputed.tommybr said:
Matter of fact, many of the dealers mourned losing the chance to offer comprehensive FNA sales and support due to the company's lack of solvency. Many truly like the product.
Unfortunately, it takes integrity by both (or more) parties to hold up word-of-mouth agreements. When new parties and less scrupulous persons enter the picture, those arrangements quickly dissolve.tommybr said:
But there must be enough to keep the oversized legal vultures from swooping down, or they'd otherwise have already picked apart the retailers' remains? Or is the corporate machine flexing its bullying muscles, slowly and systematically plowing them under? With the meek and weak to quickly surrender or perish?
It may be just another biz account to some corp suits, but it is a livelihood and "my good name" to dealers, and a support center for customers. For many reasons, its easy to root for dealer success.
That would be an ideal case scenario.tommybr said:
Justice in its purest sense is very different than the type only aristocrats can afford.
The statue of the blindfolded person holding the scales of justice may have been more accurately depicted if it had included wads of bundled bills bulging from its pockets.
--b
True words Blueliner,as I see it, the dealers have but 2 choices at this point, fight or surrender their livelyhoods to the moneyboys.we got off to a good start in this war, but it was soon forgotten that a war is a series of many battles, fought on many fronts, if one does not produce the desired results, you fight on another.there other things dealers can do to strengthen their position, but somehow have come to believe it can be settled by peace talks>ain't gone happen< only works if you have a bigger stick.there are questions that must be answered, questions that the customers and general public have NO knowledge of at this point. AC needs to be identified and his role be made public,the pressure in tarboro is another point, the IRS should be pointed in the direction of those who profited off this scam and all the evidence gathered up to this point needs to be reviewed by the FBI, let them make the determination if a crime was commited and by whom. for me this is not the end of this fight, it is only the beginning.-------Taxpayer
