John Deere Parts Department, 1973-1975
Manager: Ing. Jorge Montoto
Secretary: Teresita Belfiori
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| Spare-parts department personnel - Farewell cocktail to Mr.Alan Clewell |
So I was transferred to this department. At first I thought
I would be given a “desk Job”, which, after all these years of traveling to and
fro I would not have been able to withstand.
However Jorge and I had, developed a very good
companionship. He was an excellent person and Teresita was a very good and
efficient secretary as were most of the girls within the Company.
We had long meetings with Jorge to be able to plan out my
future job. So, finally, it was decided that I should visit some dealers and
inspect their Spare-Parts Department. At the same time we once more set our
eyes on the spare-parts plan that had been presented to dealers previous years
and apply it to actual parts sales.
It was a good plan for those years where computers did not
exist. The organization depended on it as it had a list of parts that dealer
should have in stock and of fast demand, those of little demand and those that
had no need have in stock and could depend from JD factory. This was the way to
invest in parts of fast financial turn-over. It also presented a balance sheet
where Dealer could calculate his investment turn-over.
So off I went to visit different dealers to inspect their
parts department. On my return, once again had long meetings with Jorge,
reporting that what I had found that few dealers did apply the plan but not
properly; Another difficulty discovered, was that many dealers applied all
their effort to the sale of tractors and implements and Parts Departments were
not well managed and had a tremendous investment in non-movable parts: what we
called dead investments.
So finally we decided to propose to JD Management the
schooling, in different parts of the country, where not only the dealer would
attend but also the Spare-parts Managers. This was accepted and we started
mapping out the territories where the meetings would take place, taking into
account the geographical importance.
We also filmed a movie comparing the sale of original parts
business. The film was based on the series of “The Untouchables” with Elliot
Ness and Frank Nitti. But instead of “bootlegging” alcohol it was applied to
original JD Spare Parts against the market copies. This film was first
presented at the beginning of the meetings and it became a great success.
Once set, the commercial meetings were held in the following
territories: Tucuman, Mendoza , Rafaela (Prov.of
Sta.Fé), Corrientes , Concordia (Entre Rios), and
in the province of Buenos Aires : the towns of 25 de Mayo, Mar del Plata and Bahía
Blanca . The course lasted three whole days and we also
introduced the idea of self serving promotion stands.
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| Pormotion stand |
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| Click to enlarge |
They were very good meetings and helped to a better contact
with dealers and their parts Managers.
Ending every meeting an exam was taken on how parts should
be ordered.
These meetings became such a success that we decided to,
during 1974, apply them again. However there was an important issue. Only the Spare-Parts Managers were invited
and they all took place in the city of Rosario
(Prov. of Santa Fe). For before the meetings took place all managers were taken
on a long tour visiting John Deere’s factory and its great potential.
It all took several weeks as we had groups of up to 15
people. After excellent lunches work carried on during the afternoon. Evenings
were free.
This was not the only thing we worked up during these two
years: based on what was being offered in JD in the States I contacted a well
known local factory and developed a radio that could withstand rough weather.
When the radio was presented and tried, it was adopted by
the Company, and with all JD730 tractors sold, the radio was applied.
Being the first ones in the market we had arranged with the
manufacturer that we would be exclusive for one year. As soon as the year was
up other tractor factories copied our style.
The presentation of this radio took place in the city of Pergamino (Prov.of
Bs.As.) and about 20 JD730 units with the radio installed were paraded round
town synchronized with the local radio where the news of the parade was being
informed. Neighbors came out to the
streets. Another good hit.
There is always a funny story to these happenings: one
farmer commented to one of our dealers that “on Monday mornings, takes place,
amongst the tractor drivers, a race to get on the tractor with the radio.”
In those days tractors were sold without the cabin. These
were provided by several factories specialized in their manufacture. We had noticed that they had no heating
system for the operator. Normally he kept his feet warm thanks to the warmth of
the motor. So we developed a heater specially adapted to the cabin…which was
also a success.
During the first months of 1975 we decided to have a
competition amongst Dealers Spare-Parts Managers. So they were invited to head
office in Buenos Aires
and an exam was taken on administration of their departments applying our
plan. Most of them were very good… So as
a reward the two Managers with the highest score were presented with a trip for
two people each for a week in San Carlos de Bariloche (Prov. of Rio Negro) all
expenses included.
Private life.
As to our personal life during these years, not only
consisted in traveling to different area of the country but continued, with Antonia,
to attend different dues and parties. By 1975 my sons were of an age of:
Henry17, Charlie 15, Derek 13, Stevie 11 and Brian 9 years
of age and doing not so bad a school and sports.
Our holidays in February were spent by the sea side in the
beaches of Miramar
and Necochea.
However, February 1975 was quite different: we packed our
“Estanciera” with all the necessary items, including tents, and drove towards
Cinco Saltos to visit old friends.
We left home one early morning crossing all the South-West
of the Province of Buenos Aires (route 5 passing through important towns
of Bragado, 9 de Julio, Pehuajo,Trenque Lauquen, etc.) the and spent the night
at an hotel in Santa Rosa (Capital city of the province of La Pampa
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| By the banks of the Rio Negro at Chelforó |
During the afternoon arrived in Cinco Saltos, said hello to
friends and settled at the Lago Pellegrini where Caroline Ackerblad had loaned
us a house on the lake.
We remained there for over a week where we rowed and swam
most days. Evenings were spent visiting friends or the surrounding area.
One occasion, which we often remember with Antonia and the
boys, was: We were invited for dinner at
the Ruca Carel club which was situated amongst the farms. In the dark of night,
near the club, my car lights broke down.
So the only solution I could think of was getting Henry to sit on the
bonnet of the car and with a heavy duty torch, slowly drove till we found the
Clubs light.
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| Watching the filling up of Cerros Colorados dam. |
From Cinco Saltos, after saying goodbye to old friends we
continued our journey towards San
Antonio Oeste
Once there we visited our friends Elisabeth and Osvaldo Baraschi. Who
were kind enough to take us to “Las Grutas” beach where we pitched up our
tents. We had a wonderful dinner at the Baraschi´s home consisting of very fresh
sea food.
At the beach there were hardly any people those days as it
was all quite wild, so we had an excellent time swimming and playing in the
sea.
After a few days we departed towards the capital city of the
province of Rio Negro
We were not far from “La Lobería” where hundreds of seals
and sea elephants lived and could be seen.
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| http://adventuresoflands.wordpress.com/ |
Our last night in the beach ended in disaster. After dinner
and whilst sleeping in out tents we were caught by a very strong storm, rough
winds, thunder and pouring rain flooded the whole area. Many of the tents just
were torn away, amongst them ours. So with Antonia, Henry and Charlie guided
the smaller boys to the car and returned to pick up our completely wet
belongings and threw them at the back of the car. We remained sitting and
watching other people running all over the place and then look for refuge in
their cars.
It was around 4 a.m. and we were all very wet but we slept a
little and when the storm abated we started our way home. We stopped on the
route to Bahia Blanca ,
by then thanks to the warmth of the car we were nearly dry, and had a very good
hot breakfast and we were off on our way.
We returned by route 3, arriving at the town Olavarría by
midday and after a good lunch I decided to drive straight home which we did
after driving around 1000 Kms. Arriving well but tired.
However, once again Argentina was in a political
turmoil, so everything came to a stop. I occasionally went traveling inspecting
dealers Spare-parts offices. But my personal situation, within the Company was
of frustration as I did not see a clear future neither a sufficient income.
The months went by until October and we were invited to a
course at the factory in Rosario
(Sta.Fe) .There we were finally informed of a series of new tractors were
coming into the market.
So away were to go the JD730 and JD445 and instead a very
modern set of tractors: JD2330 (45H.P.), 2530 (61 H.P.), 2730 (75 H.P), 3530
(92 H.P.), 4530 (106H.P.) all with new High-Low transmission.
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| DJ 730 at Santa Fe factory |
The official launching took place during that October, in
the city of Paraná
(Prov.of Entre Rios). All dealers and ranking personnel of John Deere of all
the country were present. It all started during the evening, with a cocktail
party followed by an excellent dinner. After which we were shown into a large
amphitheatre and a very merry musical show, with known songs applied to the new
tractors. We even had the presence of the famous Juan Carlos Calabró who made
us laugh with his charming jokes.
And then entered the scene, one by one, each of the new
models. The uproar and the clapping by all present were spectacular. A night
never to be forgotten.
The following day we all had lunch at a big local club and
slowly we all returned home.
As a token we all received a record with all the played
tunes titled: “JOHN DEERE MEJORO LO MEJOR” which I still keep amongst my records
And the following diploma:
After this show we were all sent to different areas to make
a public presentation on the new models, I was sent to Roque Saenz Peña
(Prov.of Chaco) with the dealer Don Andrés Parra whom we were in excellent
terms.
We had a cocktail party for the local authorities and the
press and then made the announcement which was published the following day in
the local paper.
On my return I had an interview with our Vice-president
to explore what future I could expect within
the Company. I was informed that only if I took up administrating another
territory which would take me to live inland once again I could remain in JD. Of
course, I could not do so due to the boys schooling.
So, after deep thinking, I decided to visit my old friend from the
cattle-buying days, Ronnie Bryant, who was then Manager of the British Chamber
of Commerce and we had a bit of a chat. A few days later I was called in for an
interview with a General Manager of a company commercializing locally made
motors and gen-sets and was seeking for a Sales Manager, as he was returning to England .
The position and salary were quite tempting. So after much thought I accepted
the offer to a new experience and a change of life.
I was very sorry to depart from John Deere: the training,
knowledge and contacts all over the country were so great that it served me for
the rest of my working life in different jobs I had during the years as may be seen in my C.V. that follows:
Even today, there are many of the old dealers of my time
which I drop into their office and I feel most welcome.
