PERTH: (From left) Damon, Leigh & James.

SOUTH WEST: (From left) Paul with James.

culture May 2020

Pleasetake one!

AFGRIculture May 2020

Celebrating first year as a Deere Construction & Forestry dealerAFGRI Equipment are proud to celebrate our first year as a John Deere Construction and Forestry equipment dealer. AFGRI became the official dealer for John Deere Construction and Forestry equipment in Western Australia on May 1, 2019. AFGRI general manager – construction and forestry James Mckillop said we have been able to achieve some great things over the past 12 months. “I would like to thank all of our customers for their support.” “As a start-up, I’m very pleased with what we have managed to achieve in our first 12 months of operation having put together a great team and being able to utilise our extensive AFGRI branch network across WA,” James said. “One of our best achievements has been the overall higher level of support to customers, with many clients noting the

improvements to parts availability and service support. “This is something that will always be one of the most important things as we grow the business in the coming years. “We have been able to demonstrate to our customers they are not just a number; we want to work with them as part of their business and go the extra mile to support them.” James also discussed being able to expand the awareness of the John Deere Construction and Forestry range available in Australia to customers. “In the last 12 months, we have reached a lot of milestones in supplying equipment and have had very good success in being able to highlight the advantages of the John Deere range to WA customers,” he said. “Having this focus has exposed new customers to a wider range of Deere products in the market.” James said he was excited for what was next to come. “As we look to 2020 and beyond, we will continue to grow the business and have ambitious plans to continue to expand in WA,” he said. “We will also have new products arriving including John Deere articulated dump trucks, mini excavators (1.8T & 3.6T) and large excavators (14T to 40T) which we look forward to seeing in stock very soon.” AFGRI operations director Gollie

Coetzee said it had been a fantastic first year of construction and forestry added to the company portfolio. “We are very proud of what we have managed to achieve in the past 12 months,” Gollie said. “We would like to thank all of our customers for their ongoing support, especially in these challenging times as well our team for their tireless efforts. “The vision of our company is to be the market leader in our respective industries with a strong and reputable brand and I am happy to say, our team are very committed to making this reality and are on the right track to delivering.” For any queries or more information, contact our construction and forestry team on (08) 6274 7777 today.

AFGRI & Deere showcase the importance of Australian farmersJohn Deere have paid tribute to the farmers who keep the world running in efforts to shine a fresh light on the valuable role Australian farmers play in ensuring the country has a reliable supply of safe and nutritious food throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of their tribute, Deere have released a new video highlighting the tireless effort and commitment those in the industry display to ensure the country has enough food. John Deere Australia & New Zealand managing director Peter Wanckel said

Deere would endeavour to celebrate the unwavering hard work of those in agricultural and regional communities. “Despite these being such challenging times, it has been truly heartening to see the effort and dedication farmers put into nourishing the world really recognised by everyday Australians as we work through this pandemic,” Mr Wanckel said. “At John Deere, we are extremely proud to be part of this foundational industry and of the partnerships we share with farmers to help them undertake this important work.

“We want to showcase our appreciation through this short video and by paying tribute to the real people who day in, day out, keep the world running.” To view the ‘ We’re with you every step of the way’ video, visit https://youtu.be/tGz_zKyqyCo today. Customers are also reminded there is a suite of available support from AFGRI Equipment and John Deere available to help assist during these difficult times including John Deere Connected SupportTM and ordering parts online via John Deere Parts.

First parts trainees promoted after completing their traineeship qualification

AFGRIculture May 2020

Deere 9R 4WD tractors thriving amidst tough tests on farm and in claying What’s better than having one John Deere four-wheel drive tractor? Two John Deere four-wheel drive tractors. And Kojaneerup’s Josh Goad puts his two tractors to work. Josh has two John Deere 9520R tractors which work on farm and with his and his wife Shannon’s contract claying business, Kojaneerup Claying, an enterprise that has seen increasing demand over the past two years. Proudly supplied by AFGRI Equipment - Albany, the first of Josh’s John Deere 9520R models is a standard model and has already notched 2400 hours since it started work last year. In 2020, Josh added another 9520R, but this time, a specialised scraper model suited for claying, with his standard model being used for deep ripping. When being used for claying, the claying tractor pulls a 24-tonne capacity scraper with a 4.2 metre cut. Both tractors are equipped with

Congratulations to our first wave of parts trainees on their promotion to parts sales representatives after completing their traineeships with AFGRI Equipment. The graduates received their Certificate III qualification in Automotive Part Sales after fulfilling all course requirements, through Central Regional TAFE and the AFGRI Apprentice Academy. The two-year course focuses on providing trainees with industry knowledge and specialised training, fast-tracking them through all aspects of working at an agricultural dealership. AFGRI group aftermarket manager Ken Paolini said the graduates had done an excellent job over the past two years. “We can not be prouder of their achievement and seeing their development and progress,” Ken said. “It’s important to acknowledge the hard work they have put in to become qualified and we look forward to continuing to support their careers with AFGRI Equipment into the future. “This is another step in their career development with AFGRI and certainly not the end of

13.5 litre PowerTechTM engines reaching up to 520 horsepower. They also feature an e18TM PowerShift transmission with Efficiency ManagerTM. With multiple gear changes to match speed changes, this transmission adds to the tractor’s overall performance, offering smooth shifting at a premium level. The additional automatic mode for Efficiency ManagerTM has been designed to handle tougher conditions and prolong the life of the transmission. Josh said he uses the PowerShift when scraping, and then switches to Efficiency ManagerTM for transport and spreading. “The transmission in both tractors have performed well and we haven’t had any failures yet,” Josh said. Hydraulic flow on the tractors has been increased to 437 litres a minute, allowing for extra capacity to manage larger implements. “(The tractors) handle the rough going really well and it means we can get a little extra speed during operation which is a bonus for increasing productivity,” Josh said. The tractors also utilise Deere’s HydraCushion Suspension system which mitigates power hop and road lope ensuring all power is directed to the ground for the highest level of traction as well as standard Active Seat suspension, using electro-hydraulic technology and air suspension to create a higher comfort ride. Josh also praised the service back-up he received from his local AFGRI

their learning or training opportunities.” The four graduates to complete the course were Pingelly’s Amanda Zanatta, Wagin’s Dillon James, Esperance’s Hayley Roads & Geraldton’s Max Holliday. Dillon said he was very proud to have completed the qualification. “It’s very rewarding,” he said. “It’s a good combination of learning at TAFE with hands-on experience and putting everything into practice at the branches, from product knowledge and working with engines or transmissions to talking to customers and resolving issues. “You learn both at TAFE and at your branch, which really cements everything.” Amanda said the course opens up a lot of opportunities for graduates. “The course gives you a great overview of everything that happens in a dealership and how to find the right solutions for customers,” Amanda said. “Now qualified, I’m looking forward to continuing on with my work and progressing with the company.” Dillon said one of the benefits was learning with peers from around the state. “We are all based in

Equipment branch. AFGRI Albany branch manager Max Kerkmans said the JD 9520R specialised claying tractor was an ideal fit for Josh’s operation. “For Josh’s business, the tractor need to work all year round and work hard,” Max said. “The tractor is well suited demonstrating increased productivity, good reliability and very limited downtime so far. “In operation, the tractor is pushed to the fullest of its capacity but provides good fuel economy and improved comfort for the operator, in particular with the HydraCushion Suspension. “We thank Josh and Shannon for their business and look forward to continuing to support them and their machines moving forward.” A typical operation on farm for Josh is to ameliorate non-wetting and erosion issues via claying, then using an offset disc to mix the clay in followed by a smudge bar to level the surface before deep ripping with inclusion plates. “We’re getting increased cereal yields from what we’ve been doing which justifies buying such tractors,” Josh said. Josh also utilizes John Deere precision ag technology and John Deere Connected SupportTM. “There’s other free-to-air brands on the market but they’re not as accurate as the John Deere system and it gives you better resale value.” For more information on John Deere 9R tractors, contact your local AFGRI branch today.

different areas and dealing with different scenarios every day at our local branch,” he said. “It’s great to be able to build relationships with others in the course and knowledge share or brainstorm with each other to find solutions. “It’s great to keep in touch or give them a call if you you or anyone needs help.” For more information on our parts traineeships and the AFGRI Apprentice Academy, contact Stephen at apprentice@afgri.com.au today.

HANDS-ON: Dillon & Max examining an engine.

READY FOR CLAYING: Kojaneerup’s Josh Goad.

PHOTO CREDIT: Farm Weekly.