Articles from Auriga Magasinet No. 3, November 2005
Hardi leads the market in North America
Since the end of the 1970s, Hardi has been selling spraying equipment in North America, and today leads the market, one in which the demand for ever more complex field sprayers is growing all the time.
At the end of the 1970s, Hardi started supplying spraying equipment to supplement a local manufacturer’s range of sprayers. However, it was after the start-up of its own sales company in 1983, when Hardi took over much of this manufacturer’s activities and employees, that Hardi sprayers started arriving in North America in large numbers. Five of the six employees which Hardi took on in connection with the takeover are still employed with Hardi – which says something about the considerable experience the company possesses in North America.
“It is incredibly important to know the market for agricultural machinery well to succeed in this business. This is why we at Hardi believe it is vital to always be training new and competent employees in close collaboration with other Hardi companies around the world. It takes a long time to acquire the necessary expertise, but I believe it has been pivotal for Hardi’s success both in Canada and the USA that we have experienced employees who know the market inside out,” says Hardi Inc.’s President and CEO, Tom Kinzenbaw.
At Hardi’s headquarters in Davenport, Iowa, field sprayers are assembled and tested before
being delivered to agricultural machinery dealers in central and western parts of the USA.
He joined Hardi in 1988, bringing with him far-reaching and practical expertise from agriculture and the agricultural machinery industry as ballast for the managerial job.
“The usual way of entering the market via independent distributors, which was the basis for sales at the beginning, was only a limited success. We have therefore now built up a team of our own salespeople who have the sole task of promoting and selling Hardi’s products through dealers. The 15 salesmen are distributed across the USA and Canada and maintain contact with the 450 dealers selling Hardi products,” explains Tom Kinzenbaw.
Adapted to American conditions
Many factors have a bearing on sales of Hardi’s products.
“Today, spraying equipment is extremely complex. Field sprayers must match both the geographical area and the crops being grown by the farmer. In addition, we expect the equipment to be thoroughly adapted to American conditions. Looked at in this light, our experience and ability to adapt quickly is important – and we are very aware of this. This is why Hardi became a ‘brand’, which makes a difference for the American farmer,” says Tom Kinzenbaw.
He also draws attention to the company’s local market knowledge and the acceptance earned in farming circles as well as the company’s ability to provide the best service as further competition parameters.
“The head office is located in Davenport, Iowa, the centre for maize and soya growing in North America; here we assemble and test sprayers for delivery to all central and western areas in the USA. In London Ontario, Canada, we have similar facilities, and it is from here that products are delivered to the eastern parts of America as well as to Canada. Hardi Inc. currently has 110 employees,” says Kinzenbaw.
In 1999, Hardi opened a smaller unit in California where a local presence is a precondition for success.
“In California, equipment, especially mistblowers, is prepared and supplied for use in vineyards and plantations. It is an important market, and one that continues to grow. Generally, Hardi Inc. has recorded year-on-year growth. We still have plenty of potential with the outstanding products which have won the full confidence of American farmers,” underlines Tom Kinzenbaw.
Marketing Manager Matts Wilson (left) from Hardi visiting agricultural machinery dealer
Kunau Implement. Kunau has sold Hardi’s spraying equipment for many years and still
thinks Hardi is the best.
Keep it simple
Even though Hardi’s products are becoming increasingly complex, it is a priority for Tom Kinzenbaw that the entire sales and marketing philosophy is based on simple and direct communication.
“Collaborating with the individual farmer in the sales process is based on pure common sense, where we try to meet the needs of the farmer and make the business as simple as possible for him. Due to the large geographical distances in North America, it is customary for dealers to stock machines some time before the start of the season so customers are able to inspect and assess them. This is also the case for Hardi, which means that our dealers organise their stocks well in advance of end-users actually needing the products. About 60 per cent of our orders are thus placed with a long-term horizon, and this enables a high degree of continuity in our production,” he says.
Hardi is well known for its innovation and stability, guaranteeing the end-user a good investment when buying Hardi products as the company will be on the market for many years to come.
As specialists, we offer farmers high-quality products that are extremely reliable. Twenty years ago it was normal for large machine pools to handle a farm’s spraying using large self-propelled machines. Today, the farmer has learned to spray – and he wants his own machine so he can spray at just the right time and with a high degree of precision. The arrival of GMO crops boosted our activities as sales of trailer sprayers rose sharply, among other things because more land was devoted to growing primarily maize and soya beans. We therefore expect to sell about 1,000 trailer sprayers next year – and we are looking forward to introducing the new Commander within the next nine months and in so doing keep more ahead of our competitors,” concludes Tom Kinzenbaw.
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