Page 30 October 25, 2013 2013 LOGAN COUNTY FARM OUTLOOK MAGAZINE LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com
Doors measuring 42 by 18 feet and
another one topping out at 50 by 20
feet give Michael confidence that a
lot will fit through those openings.
Technology will marry this side
of the building to the equipment
it is intended to service. Central
Illinois Ag will be the first green
Case dealership. Geothermal will
offer the staff of 90 to 95 full-
time employees the benefit of an
air-conditioned shop. Also, the
showroom will have the capability
to put a tractor on display, and
work bays will have the latest in
electronics. It could be said with
confidence that the first generation
didn’t consider the need for a USB
port in a service bay. And many
of these improvements come from
round-table discussions with their
employees, who, it is obvious,
are indeed a part of the extended
“family.”
During peak seasons, planting
and harvest being the busiest, the
parts department is open seven
days a week. The department
has its own inventory control
manager so your parts are in
stock. Service personnel are on
call 24/7. And their salesmen
possess the knowledge to sell the
equipment and run it, too. There is
a 20-member customer advisory
board that meets on a regular basis.
They keep the company grounded
in what is happening in the field so
that the farmer's equipment needs
are met at the dealership.
Technology is at the forefront
of every piece of equipment.
Very little runs without its own
computer.
For instance, in today’s combine
you will find the farmer with his
iPhone, iPad and a Case IH Pro
700. The latter item is a computer
that controls every function on the
combine, every setting, has auto
guidance and a thumb drive that
records yield and moisture.
Yield information collected at
harvest then crosses over to spring
planting for precise fertilizer
application. The areas of higher
yield will get a lesser amount of
fertilizer, and lower yielding will
get a bit more.
The entire information system is
based on the Global Positioning
System.
In the end, all of this precision
farming data can be transferred to
a spreadsheet as well, so the farmer
can get a look at the big picture.
You can also find Central Illinois
Ag on its
While they have an employee
whose focus is on the social media
of ag communications, don’t ever
think they don’t have time for a
handshake and a conversation.
While technology has taken its
appropriate role, the good old-
fashioned art of face-to-face and
partners in the trenches hasn’t been
lost. Stop in and say hello.
