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They Rent Equipment On The Honor System
Customers of Iowa-based Custom Made Products Company can buy, rent or lease to own rollers and scrapers. The company, which bills itself as the largest U.S. seller of field rollers, has a unique distribution system. While owner Gary Naeve sells rollers and scrapers nationwide, the company also operates 14 honor-based rental and lease yards across Iowa, with one in Nebraska as well.
    “We’ve shipped rollers as far as Florida,” says Naeve. “If you go online and search for rollers, we’re one of the first to pop up. We have 70 listed online and 60 to 70 available to rent.”
    Naeve got into the business of selling rollers after trying one on his own fields. He was so excited about the results that he started demonstrating to neighbors. Soon he was selling rollers near and far.
    The rollers followed a pattern Naeve originally established with earth scrapers. He bought one for his own use initially. After wearing it out doing custom work, he sold it and bought another. Soon it was sold as well, and he was in the scraper sales business.
    “We were the largest seller of scrapers in the U.S. until the farm retail organizations cut us out,” says Naeve. “We still sell scrapers, but not like we once did. With rollers, no one can come close to us in price.”
    Naeve started making mounts for auxiliary tanks to go on other Deere tractors, which he patented. He soon added tanks and mounts for Oliver and IH tractors and 6600 and 7700 Deere combines.
    Ever creative, Naeve developed one of the simplest systems yet for renting out equipment. Each equipment yard has a sign with an 800 number to call. In some cases, farmers call and ask if there is a location near them. A phone call is all that’s needed; no contract, insurance, or paperwork is necessary.
    “We get their contact information, and they go to the lot and get the equipment they want,” says Naeve. “When finished, they call us with how long they used it and how many acres they used it on, and we bill them. I’ve only lost a few pieces of equipment over the years.”
    When people want to buy to own, they simply keep paying a monthly rental until it is paid for.
    “If a rental customer decides they want to buy the equipment, we apply the rental payment against the price,” says Naeve. “When we exhibit at a big farm show, people will come up to me and say, ‘I’ve rented a roller from you for the past 3 years and never met any of you.’”
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Custom Made Products, Co., 1410 10th Ave. N, Humboldt, Iowa 50548 (ph 515-332-1875; cmpco@gncmp.com; www.gncmp.com).


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2023 - Volume #47, Issue #4