Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1962. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 61-62)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Pennsylvania, 1927. / "Reprint from Water-supply paper 579, published by the United States Geological survey, Government printing office, Washington, D.C." Bibliography: p. 43-44.

Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / Major Professor Not Listed / Self-propelled forage harvesters are used to make feed for livestock. Producers prefer forage made with these machines because they are able to deliver a feed value that enables improved productivity of their animals in terms of milk production for dairy animals and weight gain for beef animals. Self-propelled forage harvesters are able to make a variety of feed from different crops, including whole-plant corn silage, earlage, and haylage, among others. The self-propelled forage harvester is a complex and expensive piece of machinery for a producer to own. The self-propelled forage harvester market in the United States is a growing market, but small when compared to other equipment such as combines. In today’s environment, productivity is crucial to the success of the agricultural producer. Self-propelled forage harvesters are no exception. Growth of the self-propelled forage harvester market is reflected in increased unit sales, total horsepower sold, and average horsepower of the selfpropelled forage harvesters sold in the United States. This study looks at changes in the number and size of self-propelled forage harvesters being purchased and what factors might be driving those changes. This study found that the amount of milk produced, the type of customer purchasing the equipment, and the average price of milk a producer received explained 81.2% of the variation in the number of self-propelled forage harvesters sold from 2000- 2014. Study results also show that the size of dairy operation, the type of customer purchasing the equipment, and the average price of milk explained 88% of the variability in total horsepower of self-propelled forage harvesters sold from 2000-2014. Finally, the size of dairy operation that a typical cow comes from, the type of customer purchasing the equipment, and the average price of corn were able to explain 98% of the variation of average horsepower of self-propelled forage harvesters over that same time period. The model and analysis will be shared with product planners from John Deere as they develop new machine specifications for self-propelled forage harvesters in the future.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1968. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / Allen M. Featherstone / The Agriculture Equipment Manufacturing industry is a $42 billion dollar industry in the United States. The Agricultural Equipment industry is very competitive across all market segments, especially in the less than 100 horsepower category (<100hp). This tractor category consists of 4 sub categories: <20hp, 20-40hp, 40-60hp, and 60-100hp. The <100hp tractor segment accounted for 170,547 of the 207,833 tractors that were sold during the 2014 year. Compared to the over 100 horsepower category (100+hp) that has fewer competitors, the <100hp segment is more competitive with more manufacturers competing for market share. Company XYZ is a full line manufacturer of agricultural equipment, harvesters, and construction equipment. Company XYZ lost some ground in market share due to the increased competition from new entrants into the market place as well as established manufacturers increasing their presence. To be more competitive, Company XYZ is looking at industry best practices to see how they can increase market share. One of these practices is a terms bank. A terms bank allows a dealer to stockpile unused months of terms to be used at a later date on tractors with expired terms. This minimizes financial risk for dealers to stock inventory. The cost to stock inventory is a large expense that dealers must carefully manage. One of the biggest costs of stocking inventory is the interest paid for tractors that have exhausted their interest free terms. A terms bank may lower the amount of interest that a dealer pays. It also lowers the cost to stock inventory and allows the dealership to manage and reduce these costs and risks. Evaluating the factors associated with stocking inventory, especially interest rate, will help manage inventory costs and stocking levels. This thesis uses regression analyses to analyze the costs of stocking units and the effect it has on dealership revenues. A regression analysis will test the hypothesis that lowering the interest portion of the cost of stocking inventory will increase sales. Data were gathered for dealership groups in the Western United States on a monthly basis for the years 2008 – 2014. The results supported the hypothesis that lowering the interest rate at dealerships was positively correlated with revenues. The reduced interest cost lowers the carrying cost of inventory and point to a terms bank being an effective tool for increasing Company XYZ’s market share.

M.S.