In short, if you can make a piece of agriculture equipment that is able to last in Canada, it'll last anywhere in the world. Unlike the auto industry where we're perhaps playing catch-up with other industry leaders, in the ag equipment industry, we are the leaders. I'll just use a quote from one of our members, “As shortline manufacturers, we do what mainline manufacturers can't do; we find a niche and react quickly. Our real advantage is our speed to the solution. We're innovating at the same speed as the computer, telephone technology and media industries.” That's by Paul Degelman, who is one of the owners of Degelman Industries. They do a lot of rollers and ties.
Our members know that as a short-line industry, we really do lead that innovation. They're always adapting to regional needs. In that way, with the speed at which farming is changing—the use of GPS, increasingly, the possibility of autonomous tractors, drones, etc.—it's forcing our members to stay ahead and to continue working with that. The sweet spot for our industry is that we save a farmer time and increase his yields. If we can do that, then we've hit that sweet spot. It's in that way that we're a little more nimble than the mainliners, such as John Deere, AGCO, Case IH, and CNH, and able to employ in small communities.