northeast dealer · management update and john chapin will show us how to grow our dealer - ships....

DEALERNortheast

JANUARY 2018 c Vol. 20, No. 225

IN THIS ISSUE:3 Observations from the Field4 Annual/Regional Meeting Agenda6, 8 Association News9 Misconceptions10 HBK Wins Changes to House Bill for Dealers12 2018 FedEx and UPS Rate Increases14 Federated Appoints New President

16 E.R.P.L. and F.E.P.N. Can Help YOU17 Equipment Industry News18 The Complex Rules of a Simple Partnership19 Federated Mutual Group Named to 2017 Ward's 50 Top Performers20 Conquering the Biggest Enemy23 Do You DRIVE S.A.F.E.?

ADVERTISER’S:2 Haylor, Freyer & Coon 5 New York Farm Show7 AgDirect / Farm Credit System11 HBK CPAs & Consultants12 Fastline13 Preferred Payments14 Lee Newspapers Inc.14 J.J. Keller 15 PGP Energy21 PartnerShip23 Charter Software24 Federated Insurance

NEDA Salutes our Supporting Advertisers. It is our pleasure to list the names of those advertisers who support NE Dealer each month. We trust their advertisement will be remembered when goods and services are required by you, our dealer members. It is good to do business with companies who are interested in doing business with you and your industry association.

www.ne-equip.com The Newsletter of NoRThEAsT EquipmENT DEALERs AssociATioN, iNc.

Dear NEDA Member:

On behalf of the Northeast Equipment Dealers Association, Inc. Board of Directors and Staff, we want to express our sincere appreciation and gratitude to our Dealers and Associate Members who have placed their trust by renewing your membership for the 2017 / 2018 Fiscal Year. It allows us to remain an industry relevant advocate on your behalf. We are looking to 2018 with a more positive attitude, and believe our dealers and their suppliers are in for an even better year. We hope this translates into a good 2018 for you and your dealership or business. I know most members share the basic belief that more can be accomplished by working together, rather than going at it alone! We have some really good news! I am pleased to advise you, your Board of Directors voted on December 7, 2017 for NEDA to partner with OPOC.us to help members and their employee’s to obtain Health Insurance and Employee Benefits in a Cost-Effective manner. You will receive more details shortly! We look forward to seeing you at our Regional meetings February 5th, 7th or 9th, 2018, where the health program will be formally presented…there will be ample time for questions…don’t miss it and bring some of your employees to the meeting! (Please see page 4 for meeting Agenda, Locations & Registration form.) Please continue to advise me of suggestions or ideas of what we can do to serve you better. When you receive the registration form, please register for one of the three (3) Annual /Regional meeting locations, most convenient to you and your employees attending. With kindest regards,

John Komarisky Ralph F. Gaiss President Executive Vice President/CEO

NEDA Workers’ Compensation Safety Group

Exclusively for New York Members of the Northeast Equipment Dealers Association

DIVIDEND HISTORY

ELIGIBILITY

Over 22.3% Average DividendFor The Last 10 Years!

Policy Year2015-20162014-20152013-20142012-20132011-20122010-20112009-20102008-20092007-20082006-2007

Dividend30.0%20.0%15.0%15.0% 5.0%20.0%25.0%37.5%20.0%35.0%

Members of NEDA Inc. Construction/Industrial Equipment Dealers Material Handling & Lift Truck Dealers Farm Equipment Dealers Outdoor Power Equipment Dealers Rental Equipment Dealers with Repair Facilities

ADVANTAGES Aggressive Advance Discount (up to 20%) Excellent Dividend Potential Claims Management & Loss Control Services Monthly Installments for Qualifying Dealers

To see if you qualify, call Pat Burns at Haylor, Freyer & Coon 315-703-9148 / 800-289-1501 or fax a current declaration page to 315-703-8159 or Call Ralph Gaiss (Executive Director of

NEDA) at 315-457-0314 for more information.You may also visit us at www.haylor.com/NEDA

Eligible NEDA Dealers

Purchasing Workers’Comp

From Safety Group #548

Eligible NEDA Dealers

Purchasing Workers’ Comp

From ALL OTHER SOURCES90

10

®

Northeast Dealer | JANUARY 2018 … 3www.ne-equip.com

The general information provided in this publication is not intended to be nor should it be treated as tax, legal, investment, accounting, or other professional advice. Before making any decision or taking any action, you should consult a qualified professional advisor who has been provided with all pertinent facts relevant to your situation. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authorita-tive information in regard to the subject matter co v ered. It is furnished with the understanding that the Northeast Equipment Dealers Association, Inc., the publisher, is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional service. Changes in the law duly ren-der the information in this publication invalid. Legal or other expert advice should be obtained from a competent professional. Some of the editorial material is copyrighted and may be reproduced only when permission is obtained from the publisher and the association.

Board of DirectorsOfficers

JOhn e. KOMArisKY, PresidentMain & Pinckney Equipment Inc. / Auburn, NY315-253-6269 - FAX 315-253-5110New Holland, Simplicity, Brillion, Bush Hog [email protected]

nATe shATTUcK, 1st Vice President / TreasurerDevon Lane Farm Supply, Inc. / Belchertown, MA413-323-6336 • Fax: 413-323-5080Yanmar, Landini, Monosem, Ferris, Simplicity, Stihl, [email protected]

crAig hOUseKnechT, 2nd Vice President EDA & UEDA/NEDA OPE Council MemberMoffett Turf Equipment (MTE) / West Henrietta, NY585-334-0100 • Fax: [email protected], Mahindra, Ventrac, Smithco, Turfco, Redexim, Golf Lift, Lely, Ryan, RedMax

rOBerT sPOhn, Immediate Past PresidentSharon Springs Garage / Sharon Springs, NY518-284-2346 • Fax: 518-284-2774AGCO, White, Hesston, Gehl, Kubota, Allis, [email protected]

rALPh gAiss, CEO and Executive Vice Pres.800-932-0607, Ext. 222 • Fax: [email protected]

DirecTOrsJOsh AheArn, Past President 2016Ahearn Equipment, Inc. / Spencer, MA508-885-7085 • Fax: 508-885-7261Kubota, Cub Cadet, Stihl, NAPA [email protected]

BriAn cArPenTer, Past President 2009Champlain Valley Equipment / Middlebury, VT802-388-4967 • Fax: 802-388-9656New Holland, Case IH, Kubota, [email protected]

scOTT BAirMountain View Equipment, Inc. / Plattsburgh, NY518-561-3682 • Fax: 518-561-3724John Deere AG/CCE, Claas, Kuhn Knight, Kverneland, Stihl, Husqvarna, Frontier, Servis, [email protected]

BrAD hersheYHoober, Inc. / Mifflintown, PA717-436-6100 • Fax: 717-463-2312Case IH, JCB, [email protected]

eD hines, Past President 2014, 2001Hines Equipment / Cresson, PA814-886-4183 • Fax: 814-886-8872Case IH, Gehl, New Idea, Cub [email protected] scOT L. sTAnTOn, Past President - 2003Stanton Equipment Inc. / East Windsor, CT860-623-8296 • Fax: 860-627-9832John Deere Ag., Knight, Athens, [email protected]

WenDeLL WALLDrOff, Past President - 2002Walldroff Farm Equip., Inc. / Watertown, NY315-788-1115 • Fax: 315-782-4852New Holland, Hesston, Woods, White-New Idea, AGCO, [email protected]

I hope that everyone had a happy and healthy holiday season and, more importantly, that you were all able to enjoy quality time with family and friends! 2018 promises to be an exciting year. Taxes, Health Insurance and Government Regulation (their repeal) all continue to be focus points for Congress and President Trump. Although we have not seen the “final draft”, I think it’s important to recognize and thank EDA & Rex Collins of HBK for their legislative advocacy and testimony. Because of their work, we believe that the interest deduction will be preserved. The impact (value) of that legislative advocacy work (by both EDA and NEDA) on behalf of equipment dealers can be easily ignored. I believe that work (to include

the Farm Bill, 179 deductions, etc.) along with our Industry/Manufacturer Relations, dealer agreement review, etc. easily justifies membership in both associations. Based on recent dealer visits, the outlook for Compact, Outdoor Power Equipment and select Ag Equipment markets sales in 2018 should continue to improve along with the domestic economy (and the stock market). In general, customers are feeling more comfortable about their financial posi-tions. That being said, we continue to see challenges in the Large Ag and Dairy market segments. Managing equipment inventories, both new and used, will demand increased attention, planning, and thought in 2018! Attending one of the association’s regional/annual meetings on Feb. 5, 7 or 9th, 2018 and participating in the discussions, networking with your fellow dealers plus one new member benefit dealers have been asking for many years is finally reality are all unique and valuable member benefits. This year, we’ll be featuring four outstanding presenters: Luc Nutter, Corporate Development Leader and Analyst for OPOC.us, will present our new Board of Directors approved and endorsed Health Care Program (One Point of Care) for Dealers and their Employees. Rex Collins of HBK CPA & Consultants will talk about Internal Theft schemes, Dealership Succession and Valuation, and other “hot topics”, Federated Insurance will have a risk management update and John Chapin will show us how to grow our dealer-ships. I’m excited about the program and want to encourage all our dealers and their key employees to attend and participate! After presentations by Luc and Rex, there will be ample time to ask questions….

YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THE FEBRUARY 2018 ANNUAL/REGIONAL MEETINGS

January is a great time to both review last year’s performance and plan continued on page 6

Observationsfrom the FIELD

Tim WentzField Director /

Legislative Committee Chairman

717.576.6794

4 …”Committed to Building the Best Business Environment for the Northeast Equipment Dealer”

NEDA 2018 Annual Regional Meeting

AGENDA 8:00am Welcome & Introductions NEDA President John Komarisky 8:30am Preferred Payments Credit Card Program – Jason Carroll

PCI compliance and the risk associated with non-compliance

New Healthcare Program – OPOC.us – Luc Nutter The Associations new endorsed healthcare and benefit provider to help members, employees and their families to obtain health insurance options, and recommend a cost effective course of action. Each insured will have a personal care advocate. There will be question and answer immediately after presentation.

9:30am Federated Insurance Risk - Management Update – Daniel Dowdy 9:45am Rex Collins Morning session

• Dealership Succession Planning – that will address a long list of issues • Dealership Theft Schemes - Internal Theft is big business • Hot Topics - What is happening in the industry that will impact you

and your dealership in 2018? Questions will be encouraged.

11:30am John Chapin afternoon session

Doubling your business in the next 12 months will take some work, but it doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might think. You will receive key ideas for doubling business in one year and you will learn:

1. Four keys to doubling business – and only one of these can make a significant impact to building your business effectively and quickly.

2. Ideas that will put you in the top 5% of all dealerships in your industry. 3. How to operate at the highest levels possible. 4. How to discover and eliminate what’s really holding you back. 5. How to get out of your own way, and sell to your potential.

12:00pm Lunch

1:00pm John Chapin session (continued) 3:00pm Wrap Up & Adjourn

Monday - February 5, 2018 Concord, NH Wednesday - February 7, 2018 Liverpool, NY Friday - February 9, 2018 Grantville, PA

NEDA 2018 Annual/Regional MeetingA G E N D A


New York State Fairgrounds Syracuse, NY February 22, 23, 24 Thursday, Friday & Saturday 8:30am To 4pm Daily

OutstandingIndoors

and

• The Spring Planning Show of the Northeast• Over 400 Exhibitors• Latest In Farming Technologies• Robotic Milker• Forestry Workshops• Daily Beef Seminars• Together ... Let’s Build

The Northeast Agricultural Future

Tickets Available From Your Local Northeast Equipment DealerCo-sponsored by American Agriculturist Magazine and The Northeast Equipment Dealers Association

Robert Watson Memorial Toy AuctionLeClar Bros. Auction Service

Friday, February 23,2018 5:00pm • Building 2, Arts & Home Center For More Information

Contact Scott Grigor - 315.457.8205www.newyorkfarmshow.com / [email protected]

33rd ANNUAL


ASSOCIATIONCT ME MA NH NJ NY PA RI VTCT ME MA NH NJ NY PA RI VT

NEDA office will be closed onJan. 1 and Jan. 2. Happy New Year!

CALLING ALL NEDA MEMBERS: It's Time To Update Your Membership Information Annual dues statements have been mailed, which included member information. Please review your member information on NEDA’s website at: www.ne-equip.org and make any necessary corrections. Current contact information is vital to keeping our members apprised of current events, hot-topics and NEDA events. You may send corrections to Dave Close at: [email protected] along with your dues payment if not already paid or log in to the Members Only page of the NEDA’s website at: www.ne-equip.org and update your profile, logo’s, add employees to receive NEDA’s monthly newsletter, etc. with information directly to your file. PLEASE NOTE: While we encourage all members to attend events when able, we know attendance is not always possible and therefore strive to keep members in tune with happenings throughout the industry regardless. NEDA appreciates your support and looks forward to another year of service to members of the agricultural, industrial and OPE equipment community here in the northeast!

Observations continued from page 3

dealership met last year’s goals? Communicating the dealership’s accomplish-ments, as well as any “challenges”, and identifying what worked and what did not to your staff (all of them) are all vital to successfully figuring out “why”. Understanding “why” will better enable you and your staff to adapt to the “changing” reality of retailing equipment and, ultimately, your dealership’s profitability.

When you REAP the benefits of membership,your PROFITS will follow!

Thank you for making AgDirect® one of the fastest growing equipment lenders in the U.S.

Twenty years ago we saw the need for equipment financing that matched the demands of a changing agriculture – financing that truly understood the needs of dealers as well as their customers.

Today, AgDirect® financing serves thousands of dealers – dozens of equipment brands – who appreciate the value, expertise and service we offer.

Thank you for 20 years of growth and success.

Celebrating 20 years of simple, fast and flexible financing.

AgDirect is an equipment financing program offered by participating Farm Credit System Institutions.


ASSOCIATIONCT ME MA NH NJ NY PA RI VTCT ME MA NH NJ NY PA RI VT

REMINDER: Electronic Logging Device (ELD) Rule Went IntoEffect Dec. 18, 2017BULLETIN! 90 DAY DELAY IN EFFECT AT THIS TIME

EDA is your regulatory resource and we’d like to alleviate any confusion about compliance requirements at your dealership.

✔ The ELD rule went into effect Monday, December 18, 2017.✔ The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will not reach a

determination on our exemption application before the deadline. ✔ Until a ruling on the exemption is made, dealers will be required to install

ELDs in their commercial vehicles.✔ For the majority of dealers, there are limited situations when an ELD is

required under the new rule. For many dealers, most, if not all, of their employee driving falls under the agribusiness exemption or short-haul exemption.

✔ EDA will continue to pursue our regulatory exemption from the FMCSA. If these efforts are unsuccessful, we may choose to pursue other options, including but not limited to, seeking a dealer exemption in a forthcoming federal transportation bill that is expected in 2018.

If you have questions, please contact the NEDA office at 800-932-0607.

HR NEWS ALERTSNew Law Raises Certain Employer Health Care Costs in Mass. EMAC Rate Increases andNew Assessment Effective Jan. 1, 2018 A new law in Massachusetts raises the Employer Medical Assistance Contribution Rate and creates a new employer assessment if employees meet certain criteria. Highlights of the law are presented below. Employer Medical Assistance Contribution Rises to $77 Per Employee Effective January 1, 2018, the Employer Medical Assistance Contribution (EMAC) rate is expected to rise from $51 to $77 per employee. Employers with 5 or fewer employees are not required to pay the EMAC contribution.

New Employer Assessment Is $750 for Each Employee Meeting Certain Criteria Effective January 1, 2018, employers with 6 or more employees generally will be required to pay a $750 assessment for each employee who receives health insurance coverage through the Division of Medical Assistance or subsidized insurance through the Massachusetts Health Insurance Connector Authority. The manner in which the assessment is to be paid and the number of days that an individual will be required to receive such subsidized health care coverage to cause the assessment are expected to be addressed by the state Department of Unemployment Assistance in the coming months. ~ Haylor, Freyer & Coon,Inc. | 1-800-289-1501


E-BytesE-BytesAdvertise in NEDA’s Weekly

don’t miss your opportunity!YOU COULD BE CONNECTING WITHPEOPLE ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS. * Building Relationships * Raising Awareness

* Showcasing Products * Making Sales

Looking to get business information out and in front of thousands? Look no further than the NEDA Weekly E-Bytes and monthly newsletter! We will offer ad banner space above the fold in the Weekly Update, providing optimal value to you and your business.

Our dealer members and their key employees sell agriculture, construction, forestry, large property/rural lifestyle and outdoor power equipment and look to NEDA Weekly E-Bytes for the latest equipment industry news, advocacy items, government policy updates and other information they need to drive their business successfully.

NEDA Weekly E-Bytes is electronically sent 52 times a year to dealerships throughout CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI & VT reaching equipment dealer principals and their key employees.

Advertising in NEDA Weekly E-Bytes is simple and effective. Contract schedules can range from one month to annually. A hyperlink will be positioned on your ad enabling dealers to click straight through to your Website.

Questions - call 800-932-0607.

Ad Sizes | Ratesad rates are 4 issues per monthPrices subject to change

150 x 150 pixels1 month ... $175

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MaterialsAd sizes are in pixels

Ads can be static (JPG, PNG)or animated GIFs up to 50kb

Special edition E-Bytesare not included.

NEDA E-Bytes is distributed weekly.

Ad submissions are due by noon Friday prior to publishing date.

Misconceptions That You Are At Fault

NOT SO FAST MY FRIENDS To be at fault, you must be negligent. Neg-ligence is act or omission that is unreasonable under the circumstances. The mere happening of an accident is not proof of negligence. You need to have done something that was unrea-sonable or failed to do something that was rea-sonable under the circumstances. In many states, certain events are just " accidents" over which you had no control and for which you are not at fault. These include:

•asuddenandunexpectedmedicalemer-gency by your driver (heart attack,...);

•asuddenandunexpectedmechanicalfail-ure of the vehicle (tire off, brakes fail,...);

•wirestrike(providedyouvehiclewasnotoversized).

The key"unexpected" medical or mechani-cal events. If you or your driver knew or should have known, that's different. If you failed to maintain your vehicle, you probably have a problem. But if your driver had no indication of the medical condition or your vehicle did not indi-cate a mechanical issue and you had no reason to know, you are usually not negligent and not at fault. Similarly, if the wires are below the height required by that state's regulations, you may not be at fault. We have great caselaw in Pennsylvania-the driver's duty is to observe the road ahead, not what is overhead. If a lower height is not posted or your vehicle is not overheight, it is generally the util-ities' responsibility to keep their wires at the required height. Before you throw in the towel, consider the circumstances. You may not be at fault.

~ MK CONTACT INFORMATIONhttp://www.cdl-law.com/blog/.

Transportation Legal News Blog

TH NK

Northeast EquipmentDealers Association

www.ne-equip.com

st1ASSOCIATION


On November 3, HBK's Rex Collins, CPA, CVA, was asked to join a conference call of the directors of sev-eral regional and national dealer associations. Natalie Higgins of the Equipment Dealers Association (EDA) had secured an opportunity to address the U.S. House of Representatives' Ways and Means Committee as they prepared their proposed tax legislation for a full House vote. The conference call participants asked Collins, who heads up HBK's Dealership Industry Group practice, provides financial counsel to dealers exclusively and is called upon regularly to address dealer conventions and meetings, to present the deal-ers' position before the Committee. While there are several items of impact to deal-ers in the proposed House tax reform bill, the issue of greatest concern was the deductibility of dealers' annual interest expense. A provision in the House bill would have limited the deduction to 30 percent of the dealer's adjusted income, which includes normal taxable income plus depreciation, amortization and interest. "Given the amount dealers typically spend each year on interest, this item was clearly the most dam-aging in the proposal," Collins explained. Collins provided the Committee with two hypo-thetical examples:

For an S Corporation:•Dealerhas$185,000intaxableincome•Has$23,000indepreciation•Paid$480,000ininterest•Thesethreenumberstotal$688,000•Deduct30%=$206,000•Dealer’s taxable income increases $274,000

($480,000-$206,000)•Dealer’staxableincomeisnow$459,000•Dealer’s new tax rate is 25% (assuming all

income qualifies for proposed reduced rate, which is not likely)

•Dealer’s taxes increase to (at least) $115,000from $73,000 under current tax code

For a C Corporation (at current top tax rate):•Dealerhas$185,000intaxableincome

•Has$23,000indepreciation•Paid$480,000ininterest•Thesethreenumberstotal$688,000•Assumingtaxrateof34%•$62,000intaxesundercurrenttaxlaw•$92,000underproposedtaxrateswith interest

deduction limitation "Most impacted are those dealers who have been struggling and those who are growing," Collins said. "Dealers on the low end of the profitability spectrum would be severely compromised; unable to deduct their interest expense, their taxes could exceed their total profits. Dealers looking to grow by acquiring debt would also be severely punished with the loss of the deduction. "The Committee became convinced of the ineq-uity and potential harm to so many American busi-nesses, and they agreed to carve dealers out of the interest expense limitation as proposed in their tax reform bill." There was, however, as one would expect in such negotiations, a trade-off. "In exchange," Collins said, "we will not be allowed to directly expense the cost on fixed assets purchased during the year. However, that does not restrict our ability to take advantage of existing depreciation and Section 179 expensing election. As a matter of fact, the legislation provides for the dou-bling of the current benefits of Section 179." While Collins and the dealer associations won the day, the battle on behalf of dealerships continues, he pointed out."The Senate bill is similar to the original House bill in how it addresses this issue," he said. "There is still work to be done." About the Author -- Rex is a Principal of HBK CPAs & Consultants and directs the firm’s Dealership Group. He has worked extensively in the dealership industry since 1984 as a department manager, a general manager and an owner, as well as providing tax, accounting and operational consulting services exclusively to dealers as an independent CPA. Rex has appeared in NEDA’s various regional programs and contributes to NEDA’s newsletter.

HBK WINS CHANGES TOHOUSE BILL FOR DEALERS

NEDA and EDA are the only associations fighting for Equipment Dealers. EDA works primarily at the Federal level and NEDA at the State/regional level. Both collaborate on work-force develop-ment, manufacturer relations, and other industry related issues. It is easy to discount the value of Association membership and what it means to have a place at the table! While we may not win every fight, the following article is one example of what can happen when YOU have a place at the table! Your voice was heard!

BY REX COLLINS, CPA, CVA


CERTIFIED BUSINESS VALUATIONSHBK, CPA's & ConsultantsRex A. Collins, CPA (IN), CVA PrincipalDirect: (317) [email protected] • www.hbkcpa.com

CREDIT CARD PROGRAMPREFERRED PAYMENTSJason Carroll Senior Account ManagerDirect: 805-557-8043800-935-9309, Ext. 126F. [email protected]

FEDERATED INSURANCE COMPANYProperty & Casualty Insurance (8 states except VT), Health Insurance (PA only)Workers' Comp (All states except NY)Daniel Dowdy at C: 706-318-5051, 800-533-0472, Fax [email protected] • www.federatedinsurance.com

HAYLOR, FREYER & COON, INC.Health Insurance Program Jim McGarvey Supervisor Benefit Consulting 315-703-3239 • [email protected]

Physical Damage Insurance (HF&C, Inc.),Rental / Leasing EquipmentPatrick Burns at 800-289-1501, Ext. [email protected] • www.haylor.com

HAYLOR, FREYER & COON, INC. (continued)Workers' Comp (Return Dividend Program for NY Dealers only)Property & Casualty Insurance for VT Patrick Burns at 800-289-1501, Ext. [email protected] • www.haylor.com

LEGAL ASSISTANCE – FREE LIMITED Dave Shay at 816-421-4460Fax: 816-474-3447 • [email protected]

NEDA ON-LINE CAMPUSDave Close at 800-932-0607 x [email protected]

OSHA WORKPLACE SAFETY COMPLIANCE PROG.Dave Close at 1-800-932-0607 Ext. [email protected]

PARTNERSHIP FREIGHT PROGRAMYellow Freight, UPS Freight, FedEx GroundKeith Korhely at 800-599-2902 x [email protected]

DEKRA INSIGHTCERTIFIED SPCC PLANDave Close at 800-932-0607 x 235Robb Roesch at 800-888-9596 x [email protected]

ASSOCIATION STAFFRalph Gaiss, Executive VP/CEO800-932-0607 x [email protected]

Dave Close, Operations Manager800-932-0607 x [email protected]

Kelli Neider, Administrative Assistant800-932-0607 x [email protected] (Business Forms)

Tim Wentz, Field Director / Legislative Committee ChairmanC: 717-576-6794, H: [email protected]

Scott Grigor, NY Farm Show Manager800-932-0607, Ext. [email protected]

Art Smith, Consultant/Editor, NE Dealer717-258-8476, F: [email protected]

ACCOUNTING SERVICESHBK, CPA's & ConsultantsRex A. Collins, CPA (IN), CVA PrincipalDirect: (317) [email protected] • www.hbkcpa.com

CHARTER SOFTWARE BUSINESS SYSTEMSMelissa Amen303-932-6875 - Ext. [email protected]

For Service / SPoNSoreD ProGrAMS,cAll Your ASSociAtioN

800-932-0607 • 315-457-0314 • Fax: 315-451-3548 • www.ne-equip.com

Here’s the deal … we’re here to help your business grow.When it comes to finding solutions for your business, that’s what we do.

The HBK Dealership Group offers you the expertise and experience of more than 30 years of specialization in the dealership industry. Our team of professionals, led by Rex Collins, has worked with hundreds of dealers from coast-to-coast since 1987 on creative tax planning and operational issues, transaction support, and consulting to increase profitability, government regulatory compliance, valuation and growth opportunities.

Rex Collins, CPA, CVAPRINCIPAL

James Dascenzo, CPAPRINCIPAL

[email protected] [email protected]

317-886-1624 | hbkcpa.com


www.FastlineMediaGroup.com

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So much more than a headline- custom solutions is the Fastline Media Group mission statement. We have evolved over our 40 years in the agrimarketing industry- always focused on developing and delivering custom marketing.

Tell us about your goals and marketing strategies and allow us to leverage the strength of years of targeted agriculture audience relationships to support and enhance your brand and sales goals.

The 2018 FedEx and UPS rate increases are proof that the carriers are getting smarter, hitting shippers where it hurts most. Luckily, you don’t have to navigate the changes alone. PartnerShip®, the company that man-ages the EDA Shipping Program, has evaluated the new rate charts and completed a detailed analysis, so it’s eas-ier for EDA dealers to assess the impact on their shipping costs. NEDA recommends Partnership for your shipping needs. Download the free white paper at PartnerShip.com/RateIncrease! When you enroll in the EDA Shipping Program, you receive exclusive discounts on select FedEx® services – helping to offset the 2018 rate increases. For more infor-mation or to enroll today: visit:PartnerShip.com/EDA or call 800-599-2902. See this below with the new higher prices for FedEx & UPS. --- We are much better for your dollars. With the New Year approaching, it’s time to look at the UPS and FedEx rate increases for 2018 and how they will affect your costs. In September, FedEx announced an average increase of 4.9% on Express and Ground services. UPSjoined the party in October, announcing that they will alsobeincreasingtheirratesbyanaverageof4.9%.ThenewUPSratestookeffectonDecember24,2017,while

FedEx will be instating them a week later on January 1, 2018.

Here are some quick facts:•FedExExpress,FedExGround,andFedExHomeDe-

liveryrateswillincreaseanaverageof4.9%•UPSGround,UPSAir,andinternationalrateswill

increaseanaverageof4.9%•UPSisloweringthedimensionalweightdivisorto

139 for domestic packages less than or equal to one cubic foot in size (1,728 cubic inches)

•Surchargesforlargerpackageswillrisesharply•FedExisaddinga2.5%thirdpartybillingsurcharge

to match UPS •Additional surcharges and increased rates will

during the 2017 holiday season The averages might be the same, but the rates vary. With higher increases for some services and lower in-creases for others, you can’t budget based on your costs increasing4.9%.It’simportanttolookatwhatservicesyou use, your package characteristics, and the locations you’re shipping to. You will need to evaluate the new rate charts, the surcharge increases, and other changes to find your biggest cost offenders.

A Closer Look at the 2018FedEx and UPS Rate Increases


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THE ELOG MANDATE IS HERE!

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Contact Aaron at J. J. Keller & Associatesto Learn morePhone: 800-843-3174 ext. 2577Email: [email protected] J. J. Keller Mobile® app can be downloaded

on drivers’ mobile devices.

Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Android is a trademark of Google Inc. The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective

424509-126

NortheastEquipmentDealersAssociationEstablished 1901

Committed to Building The Best BusinessEnvironment for Northeast Equipment Dealers

Federated Insurance Companies’ Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Fetters announced Wednesday the appointment of Michael G. Kerr to the role of President of the Companies effective December 1, 2017. Kerr will add these responsibili-ties to his current role as Chief Operating Officer. As President, Kerr will assume greater respon-sibility and authority for the operational func-tions that drive the Companies’ financial results. He will continue to be a member of Federated’s Operations Team and will work directly with Life Company operations; Property and Casualty Un-derwriting, Claims, Field Services, Marketing, and Marketing Services and Support; Special Accounts; and Granite Re, Inc. Kerr was then appointed First Vice President and took on the responsibilities of Director of Field Operations – Marketing. He has held several major leadership roles in the Home Office includ-ing chairing the Commercial Health Team and the

Commercial Lines Team. He also held executive leadership responsibilities for Marketing, Adver-tising, Human Resources, Property and Casualty Services, and Office and Physical Services. In April 2010, Mike was appointed Senior Vice President with the title of Director of Insurance Operations. In November 2013, he was appointed Executive Vice President. He has played a major role on Federated’s Operations Team with chair responsibilities for three years. On September 1, 2016, Mike was named Chief Operating Officer. “Mike lives and breathes integrity,” Fetters added, “and adheres to the core principles and values upon which our Company has been built. His role as President will be highly focused on continuing the successful implementation of our Business Plan and Operational Initiatives to assure profitable company results.”

Federated InsuranceAppoints New President


“Powered By Savings”

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NEDA is pleased to announce PGP Energy as a recommended vendor for the benefit of offering savings on members’ utility bills. PGP Energy is one of the leading Alternative Energy Savings Agencies for industrial and commercial businesses.

State deregulation has created savings opportunities via the states’ Choice programs. Businesses now have a Choice in choosing the supplier for their electricity and/or natural gas.

Our PGP Energy representative, Matt Lulley, will provide a no-obligation analysis of your utility bills and present you with alternatives that will save you money. *Savings varies by utility company and not all utility companies offer Choice.

To get started, simply fax or email ALL of the pages from one month’s worth of electricity and natural gas utility bills to the contact listed below.

Contact Matt Lulley: Phone: 631-951-9200 Ext 182

Fax: 631-656-2547 Email: [email protected]


Federated Insurance Names Szymanski

Director of Association Risk

Management Services Federated Insurance is pleased to announce David Szymanski as the Director of Association Risk Management Services effective January 1, 2018. David will lead the ARMS function in addition to his current role as Director of Home Marketing Services. Szymanski brings a wealth of experience to the Director of ARMS position. He joined Federated Insurance in 1989 as a marketing representative in West Virginia. In subsequent years, he served as a district marketing manager, regional marketing manager, and director of home office marketing services. In April 2015, Szymanski was appointed a Vice President of Federated Insurance and most recently, he has served as First Vice President.

E.R.P.L. and F.E.P.N. Can Help Y-O-U

Until the mid-1980s, employment practices liability claims were not a significant exposure. Most insurance policies didn’t even include this exposure because many insurance companies viewed harassment and dis-crimination as intentional acts and therefore not in the public’s best interest to insure. However, since then, the number of employment-related claims has skyrocketed. Do you feel as if you’re navigating through a “perfect storm” in the waters of employment-related practices liability (ERPL)? The challenging economy, fluctuating unemployment rates, and legislation have alerted savvy business owners to the importance of evaluating their employment practices exposure. An ERPL policy provides coverage for a “claim” that is caused by an “insured event.” . A claim is a written demand or notice alleging damages, which is received by a business. An insured event occurs when an employee, former employee, or job applicant alleges harassment, wrongful termination, discrimina-tion, retaliation, or varying degrees of these primary allegations. Federated not only offers one of the finest ERPL policies in the insurance industry, we support our clients with their efforts to establish and maintain a productive, non-discriminatory workplace. To help reach this objective, clients have exclusive access to the Federated Employment Practices Network® (FEPN), powered by Enquiron®.

What is FEPN? Through FEPN, our ERPL clients have access to the following complimentary services:

• Onlineor toll-freedirectaccess to independentemployment law attorneys

• An online employee handbook building tooldesigned to help document employment prac-tices

• Customizable HR risk management resources,including federal- and state-specific forms and posters

• HRExpressupdates,including:− Question and Case of the Month, based on

popular topics− HR alerts− Webinars based on client interest and frequent

claim topics• Unlimitedaccesstoonlinesexualharassmentand

discrimination prevention training for supervi-sors, and harassment prevention training for employees

With help from Federated and FEPN, our ERPL policyholders can develop a risk management program to both help prevent and protect against employment-related claims. Contact your Federated representative if you’re interested in learning more.

~ Courtesy of Federated Insurance Co.

SPECIAL NOTEOSHA Sets Dec 1, 2017 Deadline For Electronic Filing Of Injury Reports As part of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) "Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses" rule, certain employers in high-risk industries, including NEDA members, should have submitted electronically their 2016 injury and illness data from OSHA Form 300A by Dec. 1. This applies to each employer establishment — not necessarily the entire company, but every single location where the company provides services or performs industrial operations — with at least 20 employees and nomorethan249. These establishments must then submit their 2017 300A forms by July 1, 2018, and then annually by March 2 thereafter. Establishments in any industry and with 250 employees or more have the same 300A December reporting obligation but must submit OSHA Forms 300A, 300 and 301 for 2017 incidents by July 1, 2018, and then annually on March 2 starting in 2019. Read more here: https://www.osha.gov/injuryreporting/


EQUIPMENT INDUSTRY NEWS

Replacement Demand for Large Equipment Fuels Deere’s improved outlook for 2018 Despite ongoing low crop prices, Deere & Co. is looking for solid sales growth of its ag equipment in the year ahead. During a conference call with analysts following the release of its earnings report on Nov. 22, Deere management cited farmers needing to replace equipment, evidenced by improving early order sales. “Deere is experiencing strong order activity in both our early order programs for seasonal products and our order book for large tractors, which are supportive of the outlook. Industry retail sales of turf and utility equipment in the U.S. and Canada are projected to be roughly flat in 2018 though Deere expects to outpace the industry.”

~ Courtesy ofAgriculture Equipment Intelligence

Use of all articles in the Equipment Industry News pages are used with permission of Lessiter Media (LM), Ag Equipment Intelligence issue of December 15, 2017, Vol. 23, Issue 12. Use of any of the articles and information contained in Ag Equipment Intelligence, Rural Lifestyle Dealer or any other Lessiter Publication Media Brands requires permission of the publisher.

Replacement Demand spurs sales Growth Large ag equipment sales growth continued in November, although moderated from the highs reported inOctoberto+5%,accordingtothelatest numbers released by the Assn. of Equipment Manufacturers. Row-crop tractor demand increased in both the U.S. and Canada, while 4WD (U.S. down, Canada up)and combine (U.S. up, Canada down) were mixed, says Mircea (Mig) Dobre, analyst with RW Baird. “Inventories dropped sub-stantially across large ag categories in absolute and days sales terms after robust sales growth last month (increasing likelihood of future stocking). November is a below average sales month, but continued growth reflects replacement demand despite still challenged fundamentals,” he says.

~ Courtesy ofAgriculture Equipment Intelligence

Ag Equipment Intelligence/December/2017 7

Large ag equipment sales growth con-tinued in November, although mod-erated from the highs reported in October to +5%, according to the latest numbers released by the Assn. of Equipment Manufacturers.

Row-crop tractor demand increased in both the U.S. and Canada, while 4WD (U.S. down, Canada up) and combine (U.S. up, Canada down) were mixed, says Mircea (Mig) Dobre, analyst with RW Baird. “Inventories dropped substantially across large ag categories in absolute and days-sales terms after robust sales growth last month (increasing likelihood of future stocking). November is a below average sales month, but con-tinued growth reflects replacement demand despite still challenged fun-damentals,” he says.

North American large tractor and combine retail sales increased 5% year-over-year in November after increasing 36% in October and decreasing 10% in September. U.S. sales increased 5% year-over-year (row-crop +3%, 4WD –22%, combines +41%); Canadian sales were also up 5% (row-crop +12%, 4WD +18%, combines -11%).

4WD tractor sales decreased 8.8% year-over-year in November following the 16.2% increase in October. Last three month (L3M) sales increased 14.5% year-over-year after the 25.5% growth in the October L3M period. U.S. dealer inven-tories of 4WD tractors decreased 16.4% year-over-year in October.

Row-crop tractor sales grew 5.4% year-over-year after growing 38% in October; L3M sales increased 13.6%. U.S. row-crop tractor inventories decreased 18.9% year-over-year in October.

Combine sales increased 14.0% in November following 47.0% growth in October. L3M sales increased 22.4% on a year-over-year basis after a 23.3% L3M increase last month. U.S. combine inventories decreased 10.1% year-over-year in October.

Mid-range tractor sales grew 12.5% in November after growing 2.8% last month. Compact tractor sales increased 9.9% year-over-year after an 11.5% increase last month.

Replacement Demand Spurs Sales Growth

NOVEMBER U.S. UNIT RETAIL SALES

Equipment November2017

November 2016

Percent Change

YTD 20 17

YTD 2016

Percent Change

October 2017 Field Inventory

Farm Wheel Tractors-2WD

Under 40 HP 7,078 6,461 9.5 134,221 123,826 8.4 71,581

40-100 HP 3,281 2,963 10.7 51,439 51,367 0.1 30,423

100 HP Plus 680 661 2.9 15,404 16,770 –8.1 7,468

Total-2WD 11,039 10,085 9.5 201,064 191,963 4.7 109,472

Total-4WD 107 137 –21.9 2,144 2,074 3.4 631

Total Tractors 11,146 10,222 9.0 203,208 194,037 4.7 110,103

SP Combines 199 141 41.1 3,638 3,481 4.5 674

NOVEMBER CANADIAN UNIT RETAIL SALES

Equipment November 2017

November 2016

Percent Change

YTD 2017

YTD 2016

Percent Change

October 2017 Field Inventory

Farm Wheel Tractors-2WD

Under 40 HP 1,074 955 12.5 13,041 10,850 20.2 7,392

40-100 HP 828 688 20.3 5,898 5,272 11.9 4,079

100 HP Plus 272 242 12.4 3,474 3,341 4.0 2,086

Total-2WD 2,174 1,885 15.3 22,413 19,463 15.2 13,557

Total-4WD 80 68 17.6 893 736 21.3 231

Total Tractors 2,254 1,953 15.4 23,306 20,199 15.4 13,788

SP Combines 135 152 –11.2 1,988 1,587 25.3 378

— Assn. of Equipment Manufacturers

U.S. UNIT RETAIL SALES OF2-4 WHEEL DRIVE TRACTORS & COMBINES

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

30,000

28,000

26,000

24,000

22,000

20,000

18,000

16,000

14,000

12,000

10,000

8,000

6,000

2017 5 year average

Editorial error in December NE DealerInformationonpage18(titled$47,476)oftheDecembernews-letter was in error. This article was received by us 9 months ago, however, somehow we missed the date and assumed that the article was correct. Various changes, because of administrations in Washington, have shown the information is not correct at this date. The editor asks for your forgiveness and hope it did not inconvenience any member.

DID YOU KNOW?Our body gives enough heat in 30 mins. to boil 1.5 liters of water!!

The Ovum egg is the largest cell and the sperm is the smallest cell!!

Stomach acid (conc. HCL) is strong enough to dissolve razor blades!!

Life isn't fair, but it's still good.


BY BART BASI

THE COMPLEX RULES OF A SIMPLE PARTNERSHIP

These are questions you may be asking yourself if you are one of the many people in this Country that operate your business as a Partnership. The answers to these questions are Yes, No, and Maybe. A simple understanding as to what the IRS wants, comes in a report of some form or another that the IRS approved. Regardless, the fact is you must file taxes every year as a either a partnership or an indi-vidual. If the deadline cannot be met, you can apply for an extension under certain circumstances, which includes being unprepared to immediately pay taxes (however, at that point, the question must arise as to how strong your business is if it’s unprepared for its tax burden). In regards to partnerships, it is your size (amount of partners), which determines the type of report to be filed and whether you will be subject to penalties and interest if you fail to file that report on time.. Whether it be it in the form of personal income (schedule C) or a 1065, the IRS writes the rules, and the IRS punishes those who fail to comply with such rules. However, to help comply with IRS rules, the IRS has provided us with Revenue Procedure84-35. RevenueProcedure84-35,createdbythe IRS in1984,containsareasonablecauseexceptionthata“small partnership” can employ to avoid the tax pen-alties levied for failure to file a partnership return. However, when making use of this Procedure, it is extremely important to understand the factors that qualify an entity as a “small partnership”. Secondly, it’s vital to have a professional that understands the case law which interprets the parameters of how to properly employ the Procedure. Essentially, it’s important to have a professional who can mend the accounting world with the legal field. A new article in a publication titled Federal Tax Weekly was recently released. The article could eas-ily cause confusion and worry to a forward thinking business professional. When articles like this come out, our job, as tax professionals is to interpret them and stay ahead of the changes and updates for all of our clients and lend the necessary expertise and knowledge to not only protect them, but to provide an outlook to maximize all potential value. Here is

a prime example why competent guidance can pro-vide your company value; the Federal Tax Weekly article states “small partnership exemptions from 1065 filing requirements do not exist”; however this is not exactly accurate. An exemption exists under 26 U.S. Code §6698(a), which can be summarized by stating that the manda-tory penalties associated when a partnership fails in a requirement provides that, except for willfulness, if a partnership is required to file a return under Code Sec. 6031, yet fails to file on time including extensions, the partnership is liable to severe penal-ties unless the failure is due to “reasonable cause.” Clearly an exception for “reasonable cause” exists, however the question becomes what is a “reasonable cause”? To answer that question, you must have someone equipped to understand the accounting aspects, corporates structures and legal knowledge to interpret the law and ensure tax preparation perfection. Ask yourself, do you know the ins-and-outs of your corporate structure? Are you equipped to interpret case law that dictates the meaning of IRS statutes? If the answer is no, it’s highly likely a competent tax professional could improve your businesses in a number of ways. However, we cannot stop there. Since we have located the “reasonable cause” exception, we must take the analysis a step further and determine the relief afforded under such exception. To better understand the relief we turn to the Internal Revenue Manual (IRM) Part 20. Part 20 of the IRS Manual contains a set-aside for Penalties and Interest. The Federal Tax Weekly article cites more specifically IRM 20.1.2.3.3.1, which furtherdefinesRev.Proc.84-35.Therewefindthefull definition and more insight, as to the question of relief under “reasonable cause.” IRM 20.1.2.3.3.1 laysoutthefullparametersofRev.Proc.84-35,butalso provides guidance in regard to 6231(a)(1)(B), which “exempts certain small partnerships from the penalties for failure to file, however, yes they are not automatically exempted from having to file. These exemptions are important to be aware of, and they could help you avoid serious penalties.” As you

continued on page 19

Small Partnership exemptions, do you understand them?You have a Partnership, so do you have to file IRS form 1065?


COMPLEX RULEScontinued from page 18

can see, the intricacies of the tax code are buried in various IRS Manuals. However, the importance of utilizing every possible benefit provided by the IRS is a must for our clients. To sum up these definitions and analyses, as a small partnership you can escape some if not most of the penalties as long as you are a small 10 person or less partnership that meets a few other minor requirements. As a small partnership, you can choose to file income taxes through the IRS in either a form 1065, Schedule C, or personal income. However, the proper form to use is determined by how your partnership is/was formed (LLC, LP, etc.). Therefore, while the exemption of penalties associ-ated with a 1065 tax return is not automatic, your size determines the extent of the penalty and if you have a reasonable cause for the waiver. If you have questions, please call us at 618-997-3436orvisitusatwww.taxplanning.com. Roman A. Basi is an expert on closely held enterprises. He is an Attorney, CPA, Real Estate Broker, Title Insurance Agent, and the President of The Center for Financial, Legal & Tax Planning, Inc. -- With Contributions By: Andrew Rohne & Jonathan Howard, Law Clerks of The Center.

~ Center for Financial, Legal and Tax Planning

Federated Mutual Group Named to 2017 Ward’s 50®

Top Performers

If you do not have a certified trainer at your

dealership or have mistakenly let your

certifications lapse ...

NEDA CAN HELP!

NEDA staff provides one forklift safety training

& certification course at your dealership

for all staff personnel authorized to operate

your forklift(s)[must be over 18 years of age or older]

$400.00Plus Expenses for on-site training

Training Materials IncludedPrices Subject to Change

If you would like to schedule aCERTIFICATION/

RECERTIFICATIONCall Kelli or Dave

at the Association, 800-932-0607

TRAINYOUR

TRAINERForklift

OperatorSafety

Training&

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required every three years

Ward Group®, a Cincinnati-based consulting firm specializing in the insurance industry, recently named Federated Mutual to the top 50 U.S. based property and casualty companies. Ward Group annually recognizes 50 companies that have excelled at balancing financial safety, consistency, and performance during the past five years. They conducted separate analyses on nearly 3,000 property and casualty companies and 700 life-health companies within the insur-ance industry. “Low investment returns, rising loss costs, and competitive market conditions continue to impact financial returns for the industry. In selecting the Ward’s 50, we identified companies that pass financial stability requirements and measure their ability to grow while maintaining strong capital positions and underwriting results,” said Jeff Rieder, partner and head of Ward Group. Foundedin1904,FederatedInsuranceisanationalinsuranceandriskmanagementorgani-zation that serves the property, casualty, and life insurance needs of clients in select industries. The organization has more than 500 recommendations from state, regional, and national associations and buying groups and is rated A+ (Superior) by industry analyst A.M. Best® Company.

~ At Federated Insurance, It’s Our Business to Protect Yours.®


BY JOHN CHAPIN

CONQUERING THE BIGGEST ENEMY OF THE SALESPERSON

A salesperson’s most important activity is talk-ing to qualified prospects. The biggest enemy of the salesperson is anything that distracts him or her from working on that most important activity. Here are those distractions along with their solutions.

Seven Distractions that Keep You from Your Most Important Activity

Distraction #1: Cell phone, e-mail, text messages, false emergencies, and other similar items Recently I was helping a call center increase their number of calls. The first thing I did was observe everyone to see how they typically make calls. I watched one individual pick up the phone, start to dial, and then stop because he got a text message. He read it, responded, and then went back the phone, hung it up, and started to redial. For the next half hour I watched as callers got distracted by everything from the above items, to trips to the bathroom and to fill up water bottles and cups of coffee. As a group, they averaged 2 ½ calls in the 30 minute period. Yes, one call every 12 minutes. The key here is single-minded focus. Ideally you are time-blocking as many items as possible, but especially your most important: prospecting calls. If you’re in the office, put together a prospect list and then remove all distractions. Shut off your cell phone and e-mail, clear all paperwork and other items off your desk, and focus. Make notes right on the list and enter notes into the CRM later. If you’re on the road, again, focus on calls. Do not be distracted by the phone or other items in or outside the car that may prevent you from making as many prospecting calls as possible. The group above, once they removed all distractions, was able to average 13 calls in 30 min-utes as opposed to 2 ½.

Distraction #2: Paperwork Paperwork, other than filling out an order with a customer, is for after or before prime prospecting hours. It’s okay to make a quick note, record some-thing on an order form, or write down something you need to work on later, but you are never working on letters, proposals, or doing anything that can be done off-hours.

Distraction #3: Servicing accounts You may occasionally need to service accounts, but this should be done to a minimum and it should onlybedoneforthe20%ofyouraccountsthataregiving you80%of your revenues. I seemany sales-people get adamant about servicing every aspect of every account. While they justify this as taking care of the customer, they are really doing it to avoid the hard work (fear and discomfort) of prospecting.

Distraction #4: Looking for a quicker, faster, easier way to prospect other than picking up the phone or calling in-person All prospecting should be done either in-person or by phone. Skype and other similar methods are also okay. The point is to be talking live, in real time with prospects. E-mail, social media, mailings, and other similar indirect methods that don’t allow you to actually talk to someone, are distractions from effec-tive prospecting and nothing more than another way to avoid the hard work (again, fear and discomfort) of making live calls.

Distraction #5: Talking to prospects who are not qualified Stop pretending that ugly duckling is a swan. You know the truth in your gut. Either get rid of them immediately or give them one last chance to do busi-ness with you.

Distraction #6: Majoring in minor things Minor things include: cleaning your desk, reread-ing the letter you’re about to send out, doing prepa-ration work, and all other “minor” items you should be doing before or after prime time.

Distraction #7: Anything else that gets in the way of calling on qualified prospects This could be a doctor’s visit, a car accident, an earthquake, weather, friends wanting to chat, or any-thing else under the sun. Regardless of what happens during the day, your primary focus needs to remain on hitting your daily number of qualified prospects. Make sure anything you have control over does not interfere with “prime time.” Do not schedule doctor or dentist appointments, the plumber, the electrician, or anything similar during prime hours.

continued on page 22


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GET YOURANTIQUETRACTOR

GUIDETODAY!

Please fax this orderto 315.451.3548,

Attn: Kelli

Prices Subject to Change

Annual Guide on specifications and current auction pricing for

over 70 antique tractor / crawler tractor manufacturers

SPECIAL PRICING FOR DEALERSPlease send me ____ copies of the ANTIQUE TRACTOR GUIDE at the special price of $19.95 plus tax and postage (Regularly $24.95)

Company Name __________________________________________________________

Type of Business _________________________________________________________

Name ____________________________________________________________________

Address __________________________________________________________________

City_____________________________ State_____ Zip ___________________________

Phone___________________________ Email ___________________________________

Bill me Bill my credit card: _____ MasterCard _____ VISA

Card #_________________________________________ Exp. Date ________________

Signature ________________________________________________________________

Please include 3 digit CV Code

NortheastEquipmentDealersAssociationEstablished 1901

Committed to Building The Best BusinessEnvironment for Northeast Equipment Dealers

CONQUERINGcontinued from page 20

Your most important task every day is hit-ting or exceeding your prospecting numbers. Period. It is always the most important thing you do. Your creative brain will either come up with excuses to avoid this hard work or find ways to get it done regardless of what comes up in your day, including car accidents. Use your head and find all ways, both obvious and cre-ative, to prevent distractions and get as many calls in as possible. John Chapin is a sales and motivational speaker and trainer. For his free newsletter, go to: www.complete-selling.com John has over 29 years of sales experience as a number one sales rep and is the author of the 2010 sales book of the year (Axiom Book Awards): Sales Encyclopedia.

This is a complete list of all First Aid Treatments.

Any other treatment would be considered Medical Treatment, and thusOSHA Recordable.

Non-prescription medication Tetanus immunizations Cleaning,flushing,soakingwounds Wound coverings Hotorcoldtherapy Non-rigid supports Temporaryimmobilizationdevices Drillingfingernailsandtoenails Eyepatches Simple removal of foreignbodies fromtheeye Simple removal of splinters Finger guards Massages Drinkingfluids forheatstress


DO YOU “DRIVE S.A.F.E.”? How often do you consider that there are far more serious consequences to unsafe driving than just getting ticketed? In most states, if you killed or injured someone because of distracted driving or playing a role in a road rage incident, you could be criminally charged. If that’s not bad enough, these risky driving behaviors also put your loved ones in harm’s way, whether or not they are even in the vehicle with you. Think about it: What would your loved ones do if your behind-the-wheel conduct resulted in your being seriously injured or killed in a car crash, or you are sent to prison because your actions contributed to another’s injury or death? Bottom line: Poor driving decisions could ruin your freedom and tear your family apart. At some point, everyone has made a poor driving decision: speeding to make up for lost time, reading an incoming text message, driving when too tired, or letting emotions take over when encountering a “crazy” driver. The majority of all auto crashes can be traced back to four driving behaviors: Speed, Attention, Fatigue, and Emotion. Branded “Drive S.A.F.E.,” Federated Insurance’s driver awareness program helps business owners and risk managers call at-tention to these behaviors to help their employee drivers understand the risks each can present, and their resulting conse-quences. Risky driving habits typically develop over time and can be hard to break. Keeping the S.A.F.E. factors in mind may help you overcome the temptation to engage in behind-the-wheel conduct that puts you and others in danger. Before each trip:

• Giveyourselfampletimetogetwhereyou’regoing.Notonlydoesitfeelgoodtobeearlyandnotrushed,youcansignificantly reduce your chances of being involved in a crash.

• Makeacommitmenttopayattentiontothetaskathand,mentallyandphysically.Beonthelookoutforinattentivedrivers and drive defensively.

• Getenoughresttohelpensurepeakmentalawarenesssoyoucanreacttohazardsthatmayrequiresplit-secondmaneuvers.

• Remainincontrolofyouremotionsandactresponsibly.Putspacebetweenyouandmotoristswhoseactionsaren’tsensible.

Drive S.A.F.E. has one goal: to help keep you and your loved ones out of harm’s way. Please make it home safely today! For more information on all of Federated’s risk management programs, contact your local marketing representative today, or visit our website.

If this is what you see…

To learn more about our Drive S.A.F.E. risk management resources, please contact your local marketing representative.

federatedinsurance.com

FOCUS.Poor driving decisions could keep you and your employees from making it home S.A.F.E. today.

PEED

TTENTION

ATIGUE

MOTION

DRIVE

www.federatedinsurance.com/ drivesafe/attention

Federated Mutual Insurance Company and its subsidiaries*17.02 Ed. 12/17 *Not licensed in all states. © 2017 Federated Mutual Insurance Company

Ward’s 50® Top Performer A.M. Best® A+ (Superior) Rating

northeast dealer · management update and john chapin will show us how to grow our dealer - ships....

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