Ag electronics repair business caters to dealers.

Quick turnaround and knowledgeable staff are keys to servicing today's electronics.

Five years ago when four former 15-year Dickey-john employees decided to start Ag Express Electronics repair company, they did it without a single customer. Today they service electronics from more than 3,000 implement dealers as well as seed companies and farmers. Roger Andersen, Steve Schmidt, John Slavens and Tom White founded the company after Churchill Industries bought Dickey-john and closed its regional service centers.

"We started the company with 10 employees and three locations, Grand Island, NE, Des Moines, IA, and Sulphur Springs, IN," Roger Andersen, president, told Implement & Tractor. "Today we have 22 employees plus seasonal help. The key to our success has been knowledgeable service and guaranteed 24-hour turnaround on in-season products. That means we don't go home until everything that came in that day is fixed."

Ag Express receives the majority of its business from the Corn Belt but has serviced units from all 50 states and several foreign countries. The company services planter monitors, tractor and combine instrumentation, chemical controls/monitors, moisture testers, scale boxes and radar guns - in other words, anything with electronic components. All repair items are shipped via UPS to one of their three repair centers with 24-hour turnaround on in-season items guaranteed. All repair work carries a one year parts and service guarantee.

The staff doesn't make house calls, but they will help out over the phone anytime. When dealers call with specific questions, Ag Express technicians help trouble shoot without charge. "A little good will goes a long way in keeping satisfied customers," Andersen said.

The customer base is approximately 80 percent implement dealers and 20 percent farmers. Seed companies counted among their customers include Pioneer, DeKalb and Garst. Ag Express caters to dealers by offering discounts. "A satisfied dealer brings repeat business every year, while a farmer is a one-shot repair," Andersen said.

"The biggest challenge was proving our expertise and developing a level of trust with the manufacturers," he said. "We needed to have access to the manufacturer's technical information in order to repair their products."

To keep that level of trust, Ag Express sticks to service. They sell only replacement parts that aid in the servicing of the products, choosing not to endorse any particular brand or product.

"The manufacturers really appreciate our stand on this issue, as we are the only company in this market that services the different manufacturer's products but doesn't sell the product. With this philosophy, Ag Express is one company that can truly remain unbiased to service ALL customers," Andersen explained. To keep abreast of the latest products and technical developments Ag Express personnel regularly attend training sessions offered by the manufacturers.

Ag Express places its reputation on its knowledgeable service technicians, but those are getting harder to come by, according to Andersen. Technical colleges were once a source of trained technicians, but today's courses emphasize swapping out computer boards instead of repairing the boards themselves.

"We're looking to retired people with electronics experience and military-trained individuals as possible sources of skilled technicians," Andersen said. Ag Express's hiring woes echo problems in other sectors of the ag equipment repair market.

Today most new GPS components are being repaired in-house by the manufacturer, but Andersen expects Ag Express to see more of these repairs in the future. He said the products are becoming more complex and that means more challenges ahead for Ag Express. However, he noted that starting out with no customers five years ago puts most things back in perspective.

For more information: Roger Andersen, Ag Express Electronics, Inc., Des Moines, IA; Ph: 515-289-2746.