Post by ericr on Jan 12, 2021 23:58:32 GMT
When I was a pup growing up in central MN, there was a John Deere ag dealer (Hillig Equipment) in a town of 2500 folks 12 miles from us that sold Ski Doo and John Deere snowmobiles. I recall dad getting his Nordic worked on there once.
At some point in the 70's Ski Doo was dropped. I know they sold Deere to the end of the sled business for them. I bought parts for my 1941 John Deere B there. When I moved away in '85 to seek my fortune etc they were still Deere ag.
At some point in the last 30 years Deere dropped them as an Ag dealer as they have done with many small ones. The place is still there selling used cars and has a huge consignment lot where they hold quarterly farm and construction machinery auctions.
While visiting this summer, I pulled in to check out some of the old iron, some of it horse drawn as we have a large Amish and Mennonite community in the area.
An older gent rolled up on a golf cart and asked if I needed help finding anything, I struck up a conversation and told him how I won bug zapper in a raffle they had when I was 14 years old. I was ordering undersized con rod bearings for my B tractor and dropped my name in the box. When I came in they swapped me a snowmobile jacket, a Trailfire coat with the colors of the machine. I still have it to this day but my mature physique can not wear a Medium any more.
I asked him how long he sold Ski Doo. He said since the mid 60's and that in 1971 he sold 171 machines. But then he went on to tell me he couldn't recall the year, but in the mid 70's he and Ski Doo had a falling out.
His story was thus- at one time his Minnesota distributor, Halvorson Equipment, had given him a discount on parts and machines after the first of the year, and he always made a big order.
I imagine that most buyers buy the new sleds in the fall and early winter, and nobody wants to carry inventory over to the next year.
He told me when he went to place his after new year's order, Steve Ave (who I know was a major early 'doo racer) was somehow managing dealers, and told Mr. Hillig "No, we aren't doing that anymore" Mr Hillig told them they could give him his 15 percent or what ever like always or they could buy back all his inventory and he was done with the dealership. Steve Ave said "We don't have to do this" Mr. Hillig said "Yes you do!"
Apparently, it was part of his dealer contract fine print that Halvorsen do that- after some back and forth with lawyers, he said he hauled a 27 foot enclosed trailer back to Duluth to Halvorson and at the end of it all they had to write him a check for $54,000 to buy back his parts inventory.
Is this true, or partly? I'll never know. The guy seemed pretty sharp and pretty detailed about the deal! Does anyone know Steve Ave to ask? I know the Goose bought out a bunch of old inventory from Halvorsen at some time.
Is there any truth to this? Who knows! The older gent seemed very sharp with the story.
At some point in the 70's Ski Doo was dropped. I know they sold Deere to the end of the sled business for them. I bought parts for my 1941 John Deere B there. When I moved away in '85 to seek my fortune etc they were still Deere ag.
At some point in the last 30 years Deere dropped them as an Ag dealer as they have done with many small ones. The place is still there selling used cars and has a huge consignment lot where they hold quarterly farm and construction machinery auctions.
While visiting this summer, I pulled in to check out some of the old iron, some of it horse drawn as we have a large Amish and Mennonite community in the area.
An older gent rolled up on a golf cart and asked if I needed help finding anything, I struck up a conversation and told him how I won bug zapper in a raffle they had when I was 14 years old. I was ordering undersized con rod bearings for my B tractor and dropped my name in the box. When I came in they swapped me a snowmobile jacket, a Trailfire coat with the colors of the machine. I still have it to this day but my mature physique can not wear a Medium any more.
I asked him how long he sold Ski Doo. He said since the mid 60's and that in 1971 he sold 171 machines. But then he went on to tell me he couldn't recall the year, but in the mid 70's he and Ski Doo had a falling out.
His story was thus- at one time his Minnesota distributor, Halvorson Equipment, had given him a discount on parts and machines after the first of the year, and he always made a big order.
I imagine that most buyers buy the new sleds in the fall and early winter, and nobody wants to carry inventory over to the next year.
He told me when he went to place his after new year's order, Steve Ave (who I know was a major early 'doo racer) was somehow managing dealers, and told Mr. Hillig "No, we aren't doing that anymore" Mr Hillig told them they could give him his 15 percent or what ever like always or they could buy back all his inventory and he was done with the dealership. Steve Ave said "We don't have to do this" Mr. Hillig said "Yes you do!"
Apparently, it was part of his dealer contract fine print that Halvorsen do that- after some back and forth with lawyers, he said he hauled a 27 foot enclosed trailer back to Duluth to Halvorson and at the end of it all they had to write him a check for $54,000 to buy back his parts inventory.
Is this true, or partly? I'll never know. The guy seemed pretty sharp and pretty detailed about the deal! Does anyone know Steve Ave to ask? I know the Goose bought out a bunch of old inventory from Halvorsen at some time.
Is there any truth to this? Who knows! The older gent seemed very sharp with the story.