Lakeridge equipment uxbridge closing

[jimmyj]

Sadly my dealer is folding up shop end of this month. My nearest dealer is now 45 minutes away. Sucks. If anyone knows of a dealer in Ontario they really like that isn't too far from Uxbridge please let me know who and where they are.

 

[Mousefield]

Our local dealer, who had his place outside of Victoria about 2 1/2 hour drive away, moved to Mill Bay about 1 year ago, which is 1 1/2 hour from my place, has also closed.
Think he was in business for 7-8 years.
Guess on the good side the new dealer is about 1 hour drive away. Think the old dealer spent a lot of money on his new location and he may just have run out of money. As a former owner of a business I know how hard it can be to make a go of it. I did OK but sure know of a lot of businesses that just broke even or went broke.
Too many people think all the money going in the till :drool: is profit for the owner.

 

[jimmyj]

Our local dealer, who had his place outside of Victoria about 2 1/2 hour drive away, moved to Mill Bay about 1 year ago, which is 1 1/2 hour from my place, has also closed.
Think he was in business for 7-8 years.
Guess on the good side the new dealer is about 1 hour drive away. Think the old dealer spent a lot of money on his new location and he may just have run out of money. As a former owner of a business I know how hard it can be to make a go of it. I did OK but sure know of a lot of businesses that just broke even or went broke.
Too many people think all the money going in the till :drool: is profit for the owner.

Ha ha. I have 2 businesses, and EVERYBODY gets paid before me LOL...

 

[Hard Knocks]

If you are looking to the east of Uxbridge I would be more than happy to look after your needs. We are Doug's Small Engines in Castleton Ontario www.dougsengines.com and the next dealer to the east. If you are looking west talk to Brad at Markham Mower.

It is very sad to see Lakeridge go. They have got one heck of a loyal customer base and have provided superior service for many years.

Doug

 

[jimmyj]

If you are looking to the east of Uxbridge I would be more than happy to look after your needs. We are Doug's Small Engines in Castleton Ontario Doug's Small Engines, 1941 County Road 22, Castleton, Ontario K0K 1M0 (905) 349-3027 and the next dealer to the east. If you are looking west talk to Brad at Markham Mower.

It is very sad to see Lakeridge go. They have got one heck of a loyal customer base and have provided superior service for many years.

Doug

Thanks Doug. I actually have been at your place a few times.

 

[RoyJackson]

Seems like a lot of Kioti dealers are shutting down...being a Deere owner, I'm just an observer, but it does seem (based upon the TBN threads) more Kioti dealers are closing in comparison to Deere, Kubota or New Holland.
Anyone else notice this, or is my observation wrong?

 

[murphy1244]

Seems like a lot of Kioti dealers are shutting down...being a Deere owner, I'm just an observer, but it does seem (based upon the TBN threads) more Kioti dealers are closing in comparison to Deere, Kubota or New Holland.
Anyone else notice this, or is my observation wrong?

Seems they are weeding the garden. All the deere places by my are owned by the same family, seems to be a deere thing.

 

[jimmyj]

Seems like a lot of Kioti dealers are shutting down...being a Deere owner, I'm just an observer, but it does seem (based upon the TBN threads) more Kioti dealers are closing in comparison to Deere, Kubota or New Holland.
Anyone else notice this, or is my observation wrong?

Yes Roy I see the same thing. It worries me as the owner of Kioti.

 

[RDrancher]

Seems like a lot of Kioti dealers are shutting down...being a Deere owner, I'm just an observer, but it does seem (based upon the TBN threads) more Kioti dealers are closing in comparison to Deere, Kubota or New Holland.
Anyone else notice this, or is my observation wrong?

Around here the only Kioti dealers have been the small tractor repair type shops that have carried a few Bransons and such in the past. The dealer a few minutes down the road from me only has a few units that they purchased from another small dealer. They're willing to sell at cost to get rid of them. I'm not "up" on all of the dealers out there, but to me it looks like Kioti corporate has made some pretty bad decisions when it comes to marketing their line. There's probably a lot more to it...With all of the "big boy" dealers (except Kubota) around here carrying a second line of tractors, why is it that not one of them carries Kioti?

 

[PILOON]

I have observed a few dealership changes in my area.
What I suspect is that Kioti did what the had to to start up. They accepted smaller competent tractor venders at first that could service the product of which many were not necessarily good business types.
Hard to be both a mechanic and also have a MBA degree.
Probably they also had a quota system in place as after all they want to sell tractors.
Then to meet the Toyota Deere challenge they next would want a dealer to have a nice suitable showroom and a reasonable inventory to showcase the line.
Over the years I have always noticed that the best technical types are usually the worst business types as well as often the reverse is also true.
The ideal is a partnership with each having one of those attributes (or a third with all the $$'s to invest)

As to the 'big boys' not carrying Kioti as a second line, it might just be that the 'big boys' see Kioti as such a threat that they are forbidden to do so.
Ever see a Deere dealer also sell Kubota? or the reverse?
Same goes on with car dealerships. You will often see a major brand car dealership also have a minor specialty brand line but never a i.e. Ford/Chevy dealership.

 

[rjwerth]

Seems like a lot of Kioti dealers are shutting down...being a Deere owner, I'm just an observer, but it does seem (based upon the TBN threads) more Kioti dealers are closing in comparison to Deere, Kubota or New Holland.
Anyone else notice this, or is my observation wrong?

Deere has been forcing consolidation....1 owner w/several dealerships. In the last few years, one Deere dealer around me has stopped selling and the other sold out to another Deere "chain."

On the flip side, Kioti has increased the number of dealers. I now have at least 4 within 50 miles of me.

And to answer the other question someone asked: the Deere dealer that stopped selling also sold (and still sells) Kubota.

 

[IndyIan]

Seems like a lot of Kioti dealers are shutting down...being a Deere owner, I'm just an observer, but it does seem (based upon the TBN threads) more Kioti dealers are closing in comparison to Deere, Kubota or New Holland.
Anyone else notice this, or is my observation wrong?

I think if Deere dealers had to survive on just their compact line, they might have a few dealers close as well in this economic climate. There's the odd guy making a buck with CUT, but for most of us its a big tonka toy so the purchase is very optional(says my wife anyways!). Around me, the farms are getting bigger and buying bigger machinery to suit, and alot of it is green. I did look up Daedong's financial situation before I bought and it seemed reasonable in late 2011 atleast.

 

[RDrancher]

I think if Deere dealers had to survive on just their compact line, they might have a few dealers close as well in this economic climate. There's the odd guy making a buck with CUT, but for most of us its a big tonka toy so the purchase is very optional(says my wife anyways!). Around me, the farms are getting bigger and buying bigger machinery to suit, and alot of it is green. I did look up Daedong's financial situation before I bought and it seemed reasonable in late 2011 atleast.

Hey now...I'm not THAT odd!

I hope that the Kioti brand does well for a long, long time. They seem to make a good solid tractor and have a lot to offer.

 

[3930dave]

I'm a little NW of Jimmy. There used to be a Kioti dealer on Woodbine, just north of Bloomington SR. Haven't commuted that route for some time now, so I can't swear he still has the line, or what the present name is.

NH is not immune. Lost Markdale Tractor this year too. They had two good sized locations, the original dated back to the 60's. Tough times.

Rgds, D.

 

[Luremaker]

.... As to the 'big boys' not carrying Kioti as a second line, it might just be that the 'big boys' see Kioti as such a threat that they are forbidden to do so.
Ever see a Deere dealer also sell Kubota? or the reverse?
Same goes on with car dealerships. You will often see a major brand car dealership also have a minor specialty brand line but never a i.e. Ford/Chevy dealership.

The local Kioti dealer was purchased by the larger Kubota dealer 40 miles away. They brought in a bunch of Kubota tractors for the front of the lot and pushed all the Kioti's to the back lot. The also put up a giant Kubota sign so all you see when your drive by are Kubota tractors. I bet many people think they stopped selling Kioti tractors.

 

[Luremaker]

...

NH is not immune. Lost Markdale Tractor this year too. They had two good sized locations, the original dated back to the 60's. Tough times.

Rgds, D.

Markdale Tractor would still be in business if they were not forced by NH to open the second location. Looks like Brindley made out alright.

 

[3930dave]

Markdale Tractor would still be in business if they were not forced by NH to open the second location. Looks like Brindley made out alright.

Go Big, or Stay Home, yeah, I know The Drill.

Don't know the details of what happened at Markdale, but generally I find that there are no shortages of people, governments, or corporations telling me how I should or must be spending my money. Some people have done well with them, but signing on the line for any franchise is highly unlikely to be in my future.

Never been really big on other people using my capital to enhance their profits. Anybody who was pushing me personally on a major investment better have some serious skin in the game themselves.

Corporate bully tactics..... just another part of Tough Times, IMO.

Rgds, D.

 

[IndyIan]

Hey now...I'm not THAT odd!

I hope that the Kioti brand does well for a long, long time. They seem to make a good solid tractor and have a lot to offer.

I just checked out your work thread, and I'm very impressed with the jobs you are doing with your tractor. I'm going to be a regular visitor from now on and hopefully pick up some tips!

 

[pickeringchris]

When I was shopping for my kioti, I narrowed it down between markham mower and Lakeridge. I ended up buying from Brad @ markham. Never would have thought Lakeridge would close. I remember Lakeridge wanted an extra $400 for floating my tractor for warranty service after the first year. Man, I really made the right choice here.

 

[southerniltractor]

I really like my Kioti tractor and the dealer I purchased from; Little Tractor in Metropolis IL. That said, I chose Little Tractor due to his longevity in the business over some smaller shops who are much closer to my home. Prefer to deal with a person who has an established service department and a good reputation of taking care of customers. I wish Kioti would cultivate similar dealers, but it is difficult in this economy. Out here in large tractor country, there are few "alternative" brands offered. All the big boys I really can't afford to buy. I hope my 133 mile trip to my dealer does not bite me in the *** over the years. Time will tell.