Southern Equipment Dealers Association
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Serving Farm, Industrial, Irrigation, Outdoor power, and Turf Dealers











                                       

 

Association Benefits and Services

Auctio - A new program to provide dealers with a confidential, cost-efficient medium to market their unsold inventory and realize the full profit potential and fair market value of equipment. Using state-of-the-art, real-time bidding technology that only requires a television or Internet connection and a touch-tone telephone, qualified bidders and buyers may participate in live auctions without people or machines leaving the dealership.

Toolchex - Toolchex offers a reimbursement program for technicians who are required to purchase tools or equipment as a condition of employment. Technicians who choose to participate in this program will be able to get reimbursed for tools, equipment and other business expenses. According to Toolchex, a typical technician enrolled in the Toolchex program will increase net take home pay and the dealer principal will realize a substantial savings in payroll taxes.

Partner Ship - The Freight Program is now made up of two dynamic services to help dealers reduce shipping expenses. Parcel Freight uses the services of FedEx to provide outstanding discounts on FedEx ground and air parcel shipments. Motor Freight uses the services of Yellow Freight to provide outstanding discounts on heavy freight shipments. The Freight Program provides a shipping preference forms for dealers. The form may be downloaded and sent to suppliers to designate your shipping preferences. Discounts are extended to affiliated dealers.

Legal Counsel - is retained and available to the dealer member. The Affiliate Associations and NAEDA have an arrangement with the law firm Seigfried, Bingham, Levy, Selzer and Gee of Kansas City, MO to provide limited free counsel. The firm's team of attorneys has provided assistance to dealers for more than 20 years. The association also maintains additional contact with various legal authorities in specific fields.

Longview Advantage - offers the vShepherd tracking device. The device, using GPS, cellular and Intern mapping technology, is designed specifically for the equipment industry to help dealers secure their equipment and prevent theft from their dealerships or from their customers.

Distance Learning Programs - allow the dealership's staff to participate in training programs without the expenses associated with travel, by combining the power of the telephone conference call and the Internet. Various educational E-courses (6 hours) & E-seminars (1 hour) will be offered periodically by NAEDA and the affiliate associations.

Dealer-Manufacturer Relations - The association, manufacturers, distributors, and suppliers maintain excellent rapport and can usually resolve any adverse situation that may arise. However, in the event there is a dispute between a dealer, manufacturer, distributor or supplier, Southern maintains an Industry Relations Committee to assess the situation and in case of a problem of class action proportion, the matter may be referred to the NAEDA industry Relations Committee and Board for appropriate action.

Legislative Representation and Monitoring is maintained in Washington, D.C. by our NAEDA Legislative Director and in Alabama, Florida and Georgia by Southern's Executive Director and staff. The association also subscribes to various legislative services which provide outlines of proposed legislation. Legislation affecting dealer operations may be evaluated and - when necessary - appropriate action is taken. The dealer's voice is multiplied many times when all members join together on common issues affecting the industry.

Equipment Trade-In Guides: IRON Solutions, LLC provides equipment value guides in various formats including: the Official Guide, Real-Time Guides on the internet and CD's (Ag Appraiser). Outdoor power equipment guides are also available through your Association. Since 1937, the Equipment Dealers Association has provided and continuously improved trade-in guides to meet the industry's needs. Dealers, sales people, manufacturers, lending institutions, appraisers and tax assessors look to the Association to provide a source of Information including price, auction sales values, horsepower/size class, model number etc.

Textron Financial Corporation (EDCO) provides wholesale inventory financing for new, used and rental equipment for Farm, Industrial, Construction and Outdoor Power Equipment dealer members. Textron Financial Corporation is a diversified commercial finance company with $9 billion in managed receivables and they have been serving the inventory needs of small and mid-sized companies for nearly forty years.

Retail Financing Program - NFL is a competitive alternative to the dealers standard financing package. The program offers "no recourse" to the dealer and additional profit (as much as 3% origination fees) on retail installment and lease contracts originating at the dealership.

Property/Casualty group insurance is marketed and sold to dealers by the Federated Mutual Insurance Company as endorsed by Southern. Federated serves more than 300 trade associations. Federated's expertise in the equipment industry plus a field staff of over fifty in our region make them highly qualified to serve our needs.

Workers Compensation laws are different in Alabama, Florida and Georgia and, therefore, Southern may endorse different agents and underwriters for each state.

Equipment Physical Damage Insurance provides coverage for equipment that is subject to a loan or lease. This program protects the lien holder and the customer while generating a profit for the dealer member. Also available with this program is Credit Life and Disability Insurance - all marketed by Equipment Insurance International and underwritten by companies rated A+ by A.M. Best Company.

Bankcard Program benefits include (1) low, all inclusive discount rate and no other fees, (2) customer Utilization of any valid VISA or Mastercard, (3) fast, accurate electronic processing and gives you your money on the 2nd bank business day, (4) 24 hour toll-free support, (5) no checking account required (6) reduces the dealers account receivables, (7) debit and check verification.

Farm Plan is a revolving credit system designed to benefit the dealer by: (1) improving cash flow (2) reducing credit risks, and (3) offering credit to customers without collection responsibilities and utilizing centralized billing assistance.

20 Group's are established in cooperation with NAEDA the affiliate association (Southern) and participating dealers. Individual groups of 20 dealers are formed usually with dealers of the same franchise but located in different sections of the U.S. and Canada. The program's goals offer the dealers a forum for professional and peer analysis, discussion and review of financial, marketing, personal and general dealership operating data.

NAEDA OPE Dealer Council is the governing body of NAEDA Outdoor Power Equipment Activities and is in its seventh full year of operation. The Council mission statement is "To create a forum that will allow the OPE dealer members to have direct input to the NAEDA Board of Directors for the purpose of communicating the member service needs of those dealers."

Cost of Doing Business Surveys are conducted among Southern members. This information is compiled in detail but easy to read and use for comparison to your own operation.

Dealers Choice is Southern's official bi-monthly publication. This professionally printed paper provides the member useful industry news and information.

Equipment Dealer Magazine is the industry's merchandising and management publication which comes from NAEDA to all equipment dealer-members each month in a "how to do it" magazine which keeps you abreast of latest developments in the industry and shows how successful dealers are handling problems similar to yours.

Convention Program/Yearbook contains convention information and also serves as a reference book for the following year with a complete list of dealer member names, addresses, major lines, telephone numbers, fax and email, etc. as well as associate members, advertisers and other association and industry supporters.

Business Forms and Supplies provide a wide variety of complete record keeping forms designed for dealers at prices usually much below a local supplier. Computer forms are available for ALL MAKES of Computer equipment. Special use forms (ie Rental Agreements, Inventory Cards, Work Orders, Time Tickets, Appraisal Forms, Salesman Activity Forms, etc.) are also available. The association provides a variety of custom tailored supplies.

Conferences and Conventions provide members with an opportunity for: idea enhances, social contacts, motivational programs, management seminars and speakers, manufacturer/supplier contacts, and other benefits. The Southern Convention is usually held in January or February and a Summer Conference in July. NAEDA's Convention attracts dealers from all over North America.

Area Meetings are scheduled as needed throughout the region to enable attendees to travel short distances for up-to-the-minute information to comply with governmental rules and regulation, ways and means to improve business and customer service, or new benefits available to the member through Southern.

Storehouse of Information is as near as your telephone, Fax or mailbox. Your association office can furnish you with answers to specific questions available from no other source, which can help you in your day-to-day and long-range operations.

Who should belong to the Southern Association and Why? Farm, Industrial, Outdoor Power, Turf, Irrigation and related dealers whose business is located in Alabama, Florida or Georgia should be a member and supporter of their trade association. The Southern Association is dedicated to representing and serving the dealer and dealership. As a member, the dealers should feel a sense of belonging and pride in investing their resources in improving their career, business and industry. For more specific information contact your Southern Association Office.