Association Sponsors

Mississippi Valley Equipment Association - Serving Agricultural, Outdoor Power and Industrial Equipment Retailers

The Mississippi Valley Equipment Association provides equipment dealers with a multitude of products and services designed to enhance the operation of their businesses. The Association is a storehouse of industry information, as near as your telephone or mailbox. Working closely with other organizations such as the North American Equipment Dealers Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, National OPE Dealer Council and other industry organizations association staff can provide answers to specific questions and problems that can help dealers in their day-to-day plans and long range operations.

The Mississippi Valley Equipment Association's focus is identified in the following three areas:

  • Information -- The Mississippi Valley Equipment Association is the best all around business resource for retail equipment dealers.
  • Representation -- Through power in numbers the association is positioned as the voice of the equipment dealer at the local, state and national level.
  • Education -- Members have access to numerous educational opportunities including seminars, workshops and in-house training programs.

Information

Staying informed on important business and industry related issues is critical to the continued success of equipment dealers. If you want to be the best, you have to know what other dealers are up to and how industry trends will affect your business. As a member of the MVEA dealers are supported with the inside information to stay competitive in the industry.

  • Monthly publications from your association, including MV Features, OPE Update and Equipment Dealer magazine, provide you with important information on the OPE industry.
  • The new, revised Official Guides2000 - Outdoor Power Equipment Guide provides accurate values and specifications for used equipment.
  • The association has available special publications such as Questions to Ask Before Acquiring a New Line and other topical information to assist OPE dealers.
  • Statistical reports such as the annual Cost of Doing Business Study and Wage and Benefits Survey let you compare your operation with other dealers.
  • OPE members have access to the MVEA Video Library containing safety information, management/sales training and motivational programs.

Representation

Your voice is multiplied many times as the association represents dealer-members at the state, local and national level.

  • Dealer/Supplier Relations -- The association assists dealers in resolving disputes through intermediary action between individual dealers and their suppliers.
  • Legislative Activity -- Our members voices are heard in the Missouri and Illinois state capitols and in Washington as our representatives monitor legislation and issues of importance to dealers.
  • Anonymous Representation -- When members need regulatory, tax, legal or other information without wanting to reveal the source, the association acts as your representative to find the answers to your questions.
  • National Representation -- Through the North American Equipment Dealers Association you have a strong voice on issues that directly impact your business.

Education

The association provides various educational opportunities and management aids for members to assist in the profitable operation of their dealerships.

  • MVEA Masters Program -- A comprehensive, total dealership managing program focusing on peer to peer training where dealers come together with a professional facilitator and exchange ideas and discuss problems common to the operation of a dealership.
  • Management/Educational Seminars -- The association conducts special management and sales seminars for outdoor power equipment dealers throughout the year. Seminars have included well-known industry experts and nationally known speakers. Typically at no or low cost to members, meetings also cover association services and other topical issues.
  • Management Support -- The association offers many specific publications and training videos including: Modern Accounting Practices For Retail Equipment Dealers; Managing Support For The Power Equipment Retailer; Selling Skills and Customer Relations; Customer Relations For Service Personnel; Customer Focus Selling and the Employee Productivity System for OPE Dealers.
  • Annual Convention -- The association conducts an annual convention which provides dealers a forum to exchange ideas, make social and professional contacts and participate in educational programming.
  • MVEA Scholarship--Children of members and employees of members of MVEA are eligible to apply for the annual scholarship awarded in the spring. The winners are chosen on the basis of scholar aptitude, leadership & extracurricular accomplishments, good character and financial need.

Products and Services

Following are some of the many products and services available to MVEA Outdoor Power Equipment Council Members

Financial Services

  • Textron Financial Corporation is a diversified commercial finance company with over $9 billion in managed receivables and nearly $2 billion in floorplan finance receivables. It has core businesses in four segments: Aircraft Finance, Revolving Credit, Specialty Finance and Structured Capital. Textron Financial's (and its affiliates') other services and products include transaction syndication, equipment appraisal and disposition, portfolio servicing and insurance brokerage. Additional information about the company is available at www.textronfinancial.com/edco.
  • Textron Financial provides new, rollover, trade-in, used and rental inventory financing services for dealers or resellers in the agricultural and outdoor power equipment industries.
  • Endorsed by North American Equipment Dealers Association (NAEDA).

Computer Software

  • IRON Solutions
    • Ag Appraiser -- an electronic version of the official Guides2000 publication helps dealers evaluate trade-in equipment based on Guides2000 data for various regions.
    • AG Quote Pro -- a complete customer profiling program that creates customer quotes, tracks sales calls, prices new machinery, establishes trade-in values, updates inventory, compares financing options and most importantly manages profits.
  • Charter Software Inc. - Business Management Systems
    Charter Software is a MVEA-endorsed provider of Windows-based Business Management Software. Charter Software is continuously developing electronic interfaces with the equipment industry's leading suppliers and manufacturers. Regularly updated EPC/e-commerce interfaces create streamlined integration with industry's leading suppliers, saving dealers hours by alleviating the need to re-key or duplicate their efforts. To find out more about how Charter Software can assist you with meeting your business goals, please contact MVEA Executive Vice President Joe Dykes.

Other Services

  • Long Distance Phone Service saves dealers money with our low negotiated rates
  • RCI Consultants Inc. provides assistance to dealers in complying with EPA, OSHA and other government regulations
  • Group Health and Life Insurance offers excellent group coverage for small businesses at an affordable price
  • Business Forms and Supplies -- our group buying power keeps your costs low
  • Customized Computer Forms -- computer statements, checks and invoices
  • Financial/Estate Planning
  • 401K and Retirement Planning Options
  • Property/Casualty Insurance that is specially designed for the outdoor power equipment dealer
  • Workers Compensation Self-Insurance Program is owned and operated by dealers, keeping costs in line
  • Legal Referral Program assists dealers with legal questions and concerns
  • Accounting/Tax Referral Program assists dealers with accounting and tax questions
  • Physical Damage Insurance

For more information about any of the above services call the Association office at 800-430-6334 or e-mail: mveainfo@mvea.com