Drive Green

I just received this picture of one of our winners in the Drive Green and Win promotion from the Southeast region of the country.

Pictured at the Lasseter Eq Group, Unadilla, GA location, manager Steve Hughes (left) presenting the prize to winner Kenneth Dixon (right).

Kenneth wins a John Deere AC2-CG35H-P Compresserator with electric start valued at more than $2,500 (USD). Dixon registered for the prize at a Drive Green Utility Tractor Show event that took place in Tifton, GA earlier this year.

I just got a photo of our compresserator winner from the Dallas Branch of John Deere in the Drive Green and Win Promotion.

Pictured is Karen Rottman, the winner of a new John Deere AC2-CG35H-P Compresserator with electric start valued at more than $2,500 (USD).

Rottman registered for the prize at a Drive Green Utility Tractor Show event that took place in Ft. Worth Texas earlier this year.

She’s being presented her prize by Brad Horn, Sales Mgr., Fish & Still Equipment Company, Inc. In Marshall, TX.

We’ll try to get photos of all our winners and post them here for you when we can.

One of the reasons why the Drive Green Utility Tractor Show is so important to our dealers is the traffic it brings out to the event says Richard Miller, TriGreen Equipment, manager for commercial and consumer equipment. He says that in a typical dealer store it’s not easy to get a couple hundred people out and the show provides a great opportunity to attract more people to see what they’ve got to offer.

I interviewed Richard when we were in Murfreesboro, TN. He says they had people with everything from 1 acre up to hundreds of acres of land. He was surprised to see how many people came out who had never been up close and personal with a tractor.

You can listen to my interview with Richard here: Interview with Richard Miller

Or you can watch the interview here:

Your DriveGreenTractors.com blogger was on the road in Washington, DC this week working on a project but now he’s back in action.

I just received in these photos in my in box from our event in Shelbyville, KY. It’s always nice to have photos sent in that we can share with you.

Limestone Farm Lawn Worksite sponsored the event that took place at the Shelby County Fairgrounds.

They had beautiful weather and had a good customer turn out in the heart of horse country between Louisville and Lexington, KY.

There was a great deal of interest in small ag tractors and implements, specifically machines that meet the needs of equine enthusiasts including John Deere and Frontier hay tools and attachments.

If any of you dealers have photos of an event at your facility that I wasn’t able to attend please let me know and I can give you the contact information of who to send them to so we can add them to our growing library.

The latest winners in the Drive Green and Win promotion are from the Southeast region of the country.

From Georgia, Kenneth Dixon of Macon wins John Deere AC2-CG35H-P Compresseratorwith electric start valued at more than $2,500 (USD). Dixon registered for the prize at a Drive Green Utility Tractor Show event that took place in Tifton, GA earlier this year.

In Tennessee, Freddie Cagle of Athens is the lucky winner of a 1-year, 100-hour lease on a new John Deere 5055E Utility Tractor with a 553 Loader – a prize valued at nearly than $12,000. Cagle registered for the prize at a Drive Green Utility Tractor Show event that took place in at Ritchie Tractor Co., in Athens, TN.

Congrats to both!

I’d like to announce the first two of our winning Deere fans who attended recent Drive Green events. They got lucky in our Drive Green and Win promotion.

Kenny Adams, Claremore, OK, is the winner of a 1-year, 100-hour lease on a new John Deere 5055E Utility Tractor with a 553 Loader – a prize valued at almost $12,000 (USD). Adams registered for the prize at a Drive Green Utility Tractor Show event that took place in February at P&K Equipment, a local John Deere dealer in Owasso, OK.

Karen Rottman, is the winner of a new John Deere AC2-CG35H-P Compresserator with electric start valued at more than $2,500 (USD). Rottman registered for the prize at a Drive Green Utility Tractor Show event that took place in Ft. Worth Texas earlier this year.

Thanks Wright Implement for sending in photos from the show stop in Hardinsburg, KY.

The event took place at the Breckenridge County Fairgrounds. The turnout was excellent. Local media were on hand to report from the event. In addition to the ride and drive, there was information available from a local antique tractor club. Plus, customers were able to test drive several new John Deere Utility Tractors, and John Deere Gator™ Utility Vehicles. Numerous John Deere and Frontier hay tools were also on display.

You can see the other photos here: Hardinsburg Photo Album

Welcome to Atlantic Tractor in Oxford, PA. I’m on location on a partly cloudy morning.

Our set up here is beautiful. We’ve got a big ride and drive area set up right in front of the dealership. Photos are already uploading and I’ll point you to our event photo album as soon as I can.

I’ll be doing interviews again today for posting over the coming days. I think we’ll have some really interesting ones to offer so please stay tuned.

Although I did not attend the events sponsored by Carmichael Equipment in Bidwell, OH (pictured), Huntington, WV and Wurtland, KY we got pictures.

They had a great customer turnout and ride and drive. The emphasis was on Frontier attachments and products which were appealing to their customer markets surrounding the Ohio River (equine, part-time farmers, livestock and hay producers).

You can find a few photos from these event in this album: Carmichael Equipment Drive Green Stops.

Our Danville, KY show stop at the Boyle County Fairgrounds was hosted by Alec Russell, Greenline Implement.

Here’s Alec next to our display of new utility tractors.

Alec says that the Danville area has mostly tobacco, cattle and hay farms and is on the southern fringe of the Kentucky Bluegrass horse farm region. I like his anecdote that “we eat more corn than is grown around here.”

He says that because many of the area farms would have multiple operators of their equipment, these new utility tractors would be a great choice since they don’t have as many controls to deal with like much larger tractors. He also says these new 5D and 6D and 5E tractors provide him a product for his customers that makes him more competitive with a price range he’s never been able to offer before.

You can listen to my interview with Alec here: danville-russell.mp3

Danville, KY Photo Album

The sun has risen on the Drive Green Utility Tractor Show in Danville, KY. I’ve got very limited internet access today so it’ll probably be this evening or tomorrow before I get to post more pictures and interviews.

Greenline Implement has put out the word in the countryside that the show will go on here at the Boyle County Fairgrounds today so we’re expecting a crowd.

We’ve not only got an arena with tractors in it for people to ride and drive but a lot of additional area to drive a new Gator around in as well.

I’ve already been doing interviews here this morning and things are starting to pick up so I’m going back to work and will post more at my next opportunity.

See you then.

One of the pieces of equipment that was getting a lot of attention at the indoors display at the Dixie Deer Classic was the Frontier FP1204 by Plotmaster. For hunters who want to create a food plot with ease here’s what they say about it.

The Plotmaster™, by Plotmaster Systems, Ltd. with its patented design is the complete package for your plot planting needs. The Frontier FP1204 (4-ft model) will reach places you’ve only dreamed of planting plots. It’s easy and simple with the Plotmaster™.

I spoke with Keith Lane, Quality Equipment, about the unit they had on display which was hooked up to a camo Gator. He says it’s ideal for a garden or a food plot to attract deer.

You can listen to my interview with Keith here: drive-green-raleigh-plotmaster.mp3

Dixie Deer Classic Photo Album

I didn’t get to attend the James River Equipment event in Concord, NC but I did receive a couple photos to share and some information to share with you.

Nearly 150 people attended the show at the Cabarrus County Event Center. The indoor facility provided plenty of room to hold the tractors on the Drive Green truck and the equipment that JRE provided. And there was a lot of equipment including a John Deere 6115D Tractor with 358 Baler, a 6430 Tractor with 530 Mo-Co, a 5425 Tractor, a 5203 Tractor, and new 5D and 5E Series Tractors. In addition there was commercial mowing equipment, John Deere Gators™, riding lawn equipment, and workshop products also on display.

After sitting down for lunch, customers were presented with information on the full lineup of new John Deere utility tractors. Following the presentations, several names were drawn for the various door prizes.

The event wrapped up with a ride and drive session where customers went outside to test drive all of the equipment on display.

When I was in Ft. Worth recently at the Stock Show I met a group of local dealers who were there to see the show and then the rodeo.

We’ve got Ron LaRue, Blake Sanders and Buddy Steen from Premier Ag & Lawn. Ron says his children have shown in the arena and he thinks the show is a good thing and something he’s always wanted to see. They said that having an opportunity to let their customers see this equipment up close and personal is going to be really helpful. Since Buddy is a sales guy he’s happy to have this support from John Deere and he’s looking forward to a great 2009.

You can listen my interview with them here: dg-ft-worth-larue.mp3

It wasn’t hard picking a photo to use out the set I got from the SunSouth, Dothan, AL event. These kids sure seemed to be having fun.

Hundreds of people flocked to the extravaganza. Activities included six demonstration stations, an arena show, and lunch. In addition to the new 3E, 5E, 5D, 5M, and 6D tractors, an assortment of John Deere utility vehicles, Z Trak mowers, and riding lawn equipment were displayed.

DeWayne Williams, store manager, coordinated the planning, promotion, and execution of the dynamic event. Registered guests were presented a gift bag from the dealership. Door prizes were awarded every 15 minutes. Guests were treated to catered, but on-site grilled, extraordinary home-style ribs and all the fixings

Demonstration stations were set up for men, women, and children. Dealership personnel and John Deere personnel helped with the demonstrations. Tim Cagle, Frontier Field Product Specialist, worked with the Plot Master demonstrations. Andrea Rekeweg, Sales Promotion Coordinator, facilitated the XUV and toy Gator demo track. Kent Dold, TCSM, orchestrated the attach-ability stations. Allen Edwards and Dick Gohlke presented the arena show. The features and benefits of all the new tractor models were broadcast to customers as they ate lunch. Individuals were then able to visit displays for one on one presentations.

You can photos from the event here: SunSouth Photo Album

It sounds like our Kenedy, TX show stop was a good one.

The event was hosted by South Texas Implement and I just received a whole set of photos to share with you.

In case you didn’t know it, when you click on a photo in these albums there’s a choice to view “All Sizes” that will show up on top of the photo. Click on that and it will give you a variety of sizes that you can look at and save.

You can find them here: South Texas Implement Photo Album

At the Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, Saginaw Implement Co. set up a whole store inside the trade show building. You could find everything from toys to tractors including toy tractors.

One of the friendly faces you find there belongs to Monty Hambrick. He’s the 4th generation working at the dealership. He says they sell everything from chain saws to combines. He says business has been good at their booth and I’d echo that. Every time I stopped by they had a crowd and it looked like serious business being done.

You can listen my interview with Monty here: dg-ft-worth-hambrick.mp3

Or watch the interview here:

Day one of our show stop at the Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is complete and it was a good one. If you come out tomorrow you’ll find us in a couple different locations. To start with, our outdoor display is just inside the main entrance.

Local dealer, Saginwaw Implement Co., Inc. also has a large display inside the trade show building as you can see here. Then tomorrow afternoon we’ll be moving to the Watt Arena for our big show which starts at 6pm and ends prior to the evening rodeo.

So, we’ve got a full day of Drive Green planned for tomorrow. See you then.

Here’s where you can find event photos: Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Photo Album

One of the dealerships involved with the Houston Farm and Ranch Show stop was Brookside Equipment Sales, Inc. One of the representatives from the company attending the show was Brant North, pictured on the right.

John says that the show provides a great opportunity for him to brush up on his knowledge of the equipment personally as well as interact with his customers. He also likes to share ideas with other dealers. He’s always enjoyed selling John Deere equipment. He’s looking forward to getting these new tractors in his hands so he can “sell a few.”

You can listen to my interview with John here: drive-green-houston-north.mp3

Or watch the interview here:

We had a lot of representatives from the Houston area John Deere dealers come out today to the Houston Farm and Ranch Club.

Two of them were Darrell Taylor, D.E.R. Equipment Co. (l) and Lloyd Shoppa, Shoppa’s Farm Supply. They really appreciated the opportunity to get a short course on these new tractors because that will help them when they talk to their customers.

You can listen to my interview with them here: drive-green-houston-taylor-shoppa.mp3

Or watch the interview here:

During the “Dallas Branch” leg of the Drive Green Utility Tractor Show we’ve got a new truck driver. We’ll be catching up with Ron Lang again though.

Our new driver is Mark Roose. I caught him on a break this afternoon during set up for tomorrow’s Houston Farm and Ranch Club event. Mark had a mostly uneventful drive down from Iowa and talks about his role in the Show.

You can listen to my interview with Mark here: drive-green-driver-1-20-09.mp3

Don’t forget to visit our event photos: Houston Farm and Ranch Club photo album.

Coming out to a Drive Green Utility Tractor Show stop can be a lot of fun. Why? Because you get to enter a great contest for one thing. You meet lots of interesting people for another.

But maybe the most fun is riding and driving some of the newest utility tractors and vehicles on the market. Let’s look at the Gator again. This time it’s from GreenSouth Equipment in Gainesville, FL.

I rode with Jonathan Spence who explains the features on the new vehicles that you’ll find.

You can listen to my ride and interview with Jonathan here: drive-green-gainesville-gator.mp3

Or watch us in action here:

The second stop for the Drive Green Utility Tractor Show was in Gainesville, FL at GreenSouth Equipment. I met manager Sam Coyle right away and learned a little bit about what the company is trying to do locally. For one thing, Sam says they want the community to know that they have a full lineup of tractors that will work for everyone including those who farm for a living.

You can listen to my interview with Sam here: jd-gainesville-coyle.mp3

Or you can watch my interview with Sam here:

We saw that the love of green tractors is very generational today when Charles Hollingsworth came out to the show stop at GreenSouth Equipment with his great grandson.

He says that he was waiting on the boy’s Daddy to show up and take care of him so he could spend some time looking at the new equipment. One of the things he likes best about them is how “comfortable” they are.

You can listen to my interview with him here: jd-gainesville-grandpa.mp3

The Drive Green Utility Tractor Show rolls on to Gainesville, FL at another GreenSouth Equipment location and the action is underway. Boy do I hope the weather stays like this throughout all the stops in the schedule.

I’m taking a break to use some internet access in the company office and get some pictures uploaded for you which you can find in the GreenSouth Equipment – Gainesville photo album.

There’s a lot of test driving and discussion going on and I recorded the presentations about the tractors that are part of the show which got us started out here. I’ll be posting them in coming days.

One of the features of the Drive Green Utility Tractor Show is the opportunity to test drive a new tractor or utility vehicle. That’s what a lot of people did at GreenSouth Equipment at the kickoff event.

Here’s our first tractor tester, Jeremy Mathis, getting a look at the new John Deere 5065E. I spoke with Jeremy after his drive and he says it was his first chance to drive a tractor this size. He liked the features he saw and says that he and a relative are looking for a utility tractor to use with land development projects they’re working on.

You can listen to my interview with Jeremy here: jd-middleburg-mathis.mp3

I also caught Jeremy in action so you can see what it’s like to come out to a Drive Green event when it comes to your area.

And don’t forget to check out our first day’s photo album.

The Manager of GreenSouth Equipment here in Middleburg, FL is Jonathan Watts. He’s got a pretty display set up for people who are in the market for a new utility vehicle or tractor. I spoke to him as we got started today to see what’s going on at this kickoff event.

It’s hard to believe but we’re on the eve of the kickoff event in the Drive Green Utility Tractor Show. It’s going to be held at GreenSouth Equipment, Inc.’s Middleburg, FL location.

I’ll be on the site in the morning and looking for stories to bring you right here. I think the weather is going to be fine. Here’s what the Weather Channel is saying right now: “A mainly sunny sky. High 64F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.”

See you there!