Montana Troubles Continue

[Setaromotors]

Interesting that things from Montana tractors say springdale arkansas. I was in springdale last tuesday and drove by the montana tractor area. It is totally empty. The buildings are still there but If I remember correctly even the signs are gone.

Montana's original location was in Springdale, Ar. After the Farmtrac aquisition, they moved the production division to North Carolina, As it was better suited for building backhoes and loaders, but the office stayed in Springdale. They have moved the office within the last month, all of my mailings lately have come from a new address, that is why the old address is vacant.

 

[taxpayer]

I have a friend who is/was a Montana dealer. Just terminated with Montana.He said Montana was not shipping tractors to him that he had ordered and he was having trouble getting parts.I've talked to several dealers who say that Montana is doing many of the same things that Farmtrac did before it's demise.anybody else picking up talk about Montana problems.

Taxpayer

 

[dgl24087]

The Montana dealer closest to me still has several green Montanas (about 10) as well as one red one (rebadged Branson). He has picked up LS and Cub Yanmar. I've only been past there while closed though.

 

[rcowan]

The Montana dealer in Benson AZ is doing great! Lots of Montana green and some red.

I have a friend who is/was a Montana dealer. Just terminated with Montana.He said Montana was not shipping tractors to him that he had ordered and he was having trouble getting parts.I've talked to several dealers who say that Montana is doing many of the same things that Farmtrac did before it's demise.anybody else picking up talk about Montana problems.

Taxpayer

 

[Dallas_Lilly]

The Montana dealer in Benson AZ is doing great! Lots of Montana green and some red.

That is good to hear I think, having allot of tractors on the lot doesnt mean good if the tractors arent selling.

The one in Chino Valley stopped selling as near as I can tell and the one here in Flagstaff is closed all together, it was stealing past customers identity and processing loans. My identity was stolen but luckily, I guess, I was denied the loan.

 

[Jim in ICT]

So that's why my local dealer closed up almost overnight! He must have dumped them to another dealer, or let them go back. Building's for sale now.

 

[pete-mi]

When I drove past my local dealer a couple weeks ago they didnt have any on the lot. I herd later that he had a big sale on them to move them out. I havnt been past since to see if they got any more in. Maybe they know something we dont?

 

[Setaromotors]

The official word that dealers are hearing is that there will be a meeting in April with a possible new supplier, as of now, there is still a supplier agreement with Branson and we can still get red tractors to sell new or transfer in other dealers stock on green LS or blue Farmtrac units. I haven't had any issues with parts, warranty or support. Lots of good people at Montana, trying hard to make it like everybody else.

 

[Reg]

My almost local dealer had no Bransons on his lot last week, all McCormicks.
He said something about Branson wanting to swap out the few that he had for a few others.
I don't remember whether it was to get them OUT of an existing floor plan, INTO a floor plan, or swap units in one plan for units in a different plan.
He was saying this with a wink/nod sort of look on his face that suggested something was amiss, though I might have mis-read that.
Anyway, he returned them ALL.
I don't know how this relates to Montana and the Branson/Montana deal, but I don't think he will be carrying either of them, seems happy enough with the McCormicks and he seems to have a wider range of tractors now than at any time in the last 5 or 6 years.
Plus Husqvarna saws, etc.

 

[taxpayer]

I am a EX-Farmtrac dealer, when farmtrac began to get in trouble, we saw most of the things Montana dealers are experiencing now. Tractor swaping, dealer loading and increases in credit limits without dealer knowledge and units billed before delivery. We have since uncovered evidence of a scheme by Farmtrac and Textron to shift farmtrac's debt to Textron to the dealers. it is an issue that will be decided it lawsuits now underway in Rhode Island.At the time it was happening, FT dealers failed to recoganize it as it really was because, no one had witnessed this type of failure on the part of any tractor distributership in the USA. and of course, we were as proud of our brand as any other dealer is proud of theirs.
I was asked to sign with LS but, have steadfastly refused because, they insist on GE floorplanning and with GE, I would be required to give up all my rights under the law. I had several attorneys read the GE financing agreement, each told me the same thing,DON'T SIGN THIS THING!!!
So I'm back where I started 25 years ago except that we now own our facilities, have good employees and are once again making and keeping our profit and best of all, we are once again our own boss.Lo and Behold! turns out we didn't need them after all.Its Great to be an AMERICAN and not to have an overseas boss telling us what we must do for them.
If I fail, I want it to be because I didn't do what I should have and not because someone in another country or a crooked finance company in this one screwed me.:thumbsup:

Taxpayer