Day 4.. MF Super DNA roadshow and demo tour in Poland.

We roll into another of Korbanek’s impressive Agrocentres, this time franchised to a charming couple who are clearly actively promoting Massey Ferguson and modern technology to the farmers in this region in the North of Poland.

The field selected for the demonstration is directly in front of the Agrocentre and it rolls away into the distance in a downwards direction. Absolutely perfect for this kind of event.

As we head for the large marquee for the opening presentations, it is lightly raining and we discover that it is already jam packed full of eager farmers, waiting for the event to begin. After attentively listening to the opening speeches, they stampede towards the demo tractors to try them out for themselves!

There is already here a basis of a customer base for Massey Ferguson. I talk to one gentleman who has an MF 8220, purchased 9 years ago and having completed over 4000 hours on his farm. Having established that he is happy with his purchase, I ask what he likes most about the tractor… a simple reply “performance HIGH, fuel consumption LOW” presented with accompanying gestures and hand signals!

The farmers pack into the marquee to watch the product show

There are over 1 million farmers in Poland but many are farming in a small way. The number of full time “professional” farmers is reckoned to be around 100, 000 and from this number; less than half will be in the market for a “western type” tractor. Nevertheless, that means that around 10, 000 “western type” tractors are sold here every year and as such, all the well known machinery brands are here in one way or another.

Fuel economy seems to be a general requirement of most farmers here and I am pleased to see that both our Tractors and Combines have already achieved this reputation wherever we go, after that the farmers do want to have the latest technology and of course they like to have a brand that is well recognised with a good reputation.

The drive to the next location takes us from north to south, only around 200 miles but a good six hours. Again, we see road constructions everywhere. We have fun spotting other dealerships and debating whether some of the perfectly straight crops we see planted have used satellite guidance or not.

When we arrive at the Hotel, a group of salesmen are waiting for us. We did a big training job here in April, so they are already well known to us and it is good to see their enthusiasm is unabated.

Mr. and Mrs. Korbanek have travelled with us all week and they are highly respected wherever they go. They always give us an update on the region that we are arriving into and explain to us the structure of the farms and any special requirements of the farmers here, but the mission is always clear…  full speed ahead with developing the business. They have a very good CRM system so have a very close relationship with their customers which they are naturally keen to nurture and maintain.

From observations so far, they are being successful…

Have you seen our group at all on the Poland SUPER DNA tour?