Are you looking for agricultural or industrial repair parts?  If the answer is yes, you have come to the right place!  NTPDA Members have years of experience selling used, new, and rebuilt parts.  Click on Parts Search to find the part you are looking for today.  If it doesn't appear, then contact our members by selecting a location under Find a Member/Dealer on the left side of this home page.  All the members from the state or province you choose will appear along with their contact information.

 The first Earth Day was in April 1970. Since then a lot of changes have been made in regards to EPA standards, environmental issues and just cleaning up the earth in general. What did you do yesterday to celebrate Earth Day? I actually didn't do a whole lot - I did repot some plants to put on my patio and I loaded my recycling into my car. I'm not one of the lucky ones who has their recycling picked up in a nice rolling trash can every week. I actually have to separate mine, load it up and drive it to the recycling center. But...I really don't mind...it's me doing my very small part to keep things "green".

Those of you in the salvage business spend every day recycling in one way or the other which is a great business for you and helps your end user get a good part at a good price. We're proud to have an association that supports the used, new and rebuilt tractor industry.

Since it's Friday - I'll wish all of you a good weekend.

Remember that the NTPDA is YOUR Association for used, rebuilt and new agricultural and industrial repair parts.

Until next time. . . 

Remember that the NTPDA is YOUR Association for used, rebuilt, and new agricultural and industrial repair parts.

A big THANKS to all of you who attended, displayed, sponsored, presented and made the trade show a huge success.  Kim and I are thrilled to be a part of such a great Association!  There would be no trade show without your participation and we appreciate each and every one of you.  Good feedback from some of you and we appreciate that as well.  We had over 200 attendees and there was plenty of time to visit the booths and network with your fellow NTPDA members.  We elected the new officers for 2010 and after attending the board meeting on Saturday morning I'm pleased to say that we have a great board this year and I think they will be involved and attentive to the needs of the Association.  Watch your next Bulletin for highlights of the trade show. 

Our next trade show is schedule for January 2011 in Orlando , Florida .  We will start planning that event in the next few weeks.  I've already been asked to put a golf tournament together for the attendees and also get information regarding Disney World.  If any of you have any suggestions, please let me know as soon as possible.  It takes about 18 months from start to finish to put a trade show together.  I look forward to hearing from you.

I hope your year has started off on the right foot and I hope all of you much health and prosperity in the year 2010.

Remember that the NTPDA is YOUR Association for used, rebuilt, and new agricultural and industrial repair parts.

For those of you who didn't see the comment from Jackie Dantzler with All American Crankshaft Co. regarding my latest blog here it is...

Has the summer flown by for all of you as fast as it has for me?  Seems like just a few weeks ago we were enjoying the nice weather in Texas at our conference and trade show.  But, that's been about 8 months ago and we are working fast and furious getting ready for our 26th annual conference and trade show in Nashville.  And I hope you've marked your calendars for January 13-17, 2010.  We've got another great show planned for all of you.  It's a great time for everyone within the association to get together to socialize and network with one another.  So...we hope to see you there!  We have some great speakers lined up along with a returning keynote speaker - Karen McCullough.  In the next issue of the Bulletin we will include the Program at a Glance and information regarding the speakers, the spouse program and our Saturday night planned activities.  You won't want to miss this opportunity to visit with your fellow members involved in the tractor parts industry.  See you there!

Every day we deal with customer service in one way or another.  We are either on the receiving end or the giving end.  I want to talk about the receiving end.  And, I'm wondering what has happened to customer service in many places.  I recently went to a very nice restaurant, sat at the bar, ordered a drink and visited with friends.  Now, if you're sitting at the bar I would expect the bartender/waiter to ask you if you want a refill, water or maybe a menu.  But, on this particular occasion I had to ask for those things and I felt like I was "bothering" the server.  That's not how you're suppose to feel.  I'm not sure what some of these people are doing working in a field where customer service is their number one priority.  Then, on the other hand, I can pull into my local Sonic and order a drink during "Happy Hour" and receive the best customer service available.  The girls are friendly, seem happy to be at their jobs and make you want to come back.  I think that's what customer service is all about.  Making the customer feel like you appreciate their business or simply appreciate that they stopped by even if they didn't purchase anything at that time.  They will remember how they were treated and that will ensure that they return and hopefully purchase something next time.  In your business...how do you think your customer service is rated...just something to think about.

Remember that the NTPDA is YOUR Association for used, rebuilt and new agricultural and industrial repair parts

Until next time...

Is this a great Association or what?  I just think that occasionally I should talk about what an asset it is to be a member of the National Tractor Parts Dealer Association.  Example...last week we got word from Carl Vande Weerd with Worthington Ag Parts that a possible scam was taking place with an unidentified person using an NTPDA member's email as reference to gain access to information and parts from other NTPDA members.  And, as part of our responsibility to all of our members we sent an email out to everyone warning them.  There was feedback from other members thanking Carl and the Association for letting them know. 

As an Association we want to offer our services to our members in whatever capacity we can.  So, we thank Carl for letting us know and thank Kim for getting the email out promptly to all of our members! 

Remember that the NTPDA is YOUR Association for used, rebuilt and new agricultural and industrial repair parts.

Until next time....

I'm not sure how I'm going to relate my thoughts today to the tractor parts industry...but I'll try.  If I don't...then know this is just me talking to you! 

I'm a little behind the times and just purchased my Wii.  If you don't know what it is...it might be better if you leave it that way.  It's an interactive "toy" that you hook up to your TV and you can play games.  Last night I went bowling, played a few rounds of tennis, hit a few golf balls and made at least one homerun!  I was busy!  Then...I had to spoil it by taking the Wii Fitness Test...let's see how old you REALLY are!  Well...if my true age was what Wii Fit said was my age then I would already be laying back enjoying my retirement.  Or maybe I should say I would be retirement age but maybe not enjoying my retirement!  Depends on how much money I had been able to save and how the economy was doing.  But that's another story.

Anyway...maybe we can relate it to our businesses by asking if your company is on track by its "true age".  Are you up to date with technology?  Do you have a website?  Are you blogging on your website (How was that ML?)  Do you have all the tools that allow you to keep up with the times?  I can't answer those questions for you...it's just something to think about. 

Now...I think I'll go turn on my Wii and check my "true age" again and see if I've improved overnight!

Remember that the NTPDA is YOUR Association for used, rebuilt and new agricultural and industrial repair parts.

Until next time...

When your tractor is broken and the OEM parts person has shocked you beyond belief, try an alternative!  Call a used parts dealer. One of the used parts dealers in the National Tractor Parts Dealer Association network probably has what you need to fix your tractor. The best part about a good used tractor part is it will cost about half the cost of a new part. You as a farmer, are in a business where you have very little control over your input costs and you have very little control over what you are paid for your crops. Therefore, a great deal of your profit depends on you being able to buy your inputs at a deal. I see farmers putting in 10,000 gallon fuel tanks to be able to save .30 cents per gallon fuel. I see farmers combining their fertilizer & chemical purchases to buy bulk and buy cheaper. I also see more and more farmers buying used parts to fix their tractor or combine. They have been to the OEM dealer and have been priced $2200 for a bare final drive and bought a used one for $1000. They have been to the OEM dealer and have been priced $375 for a spindle and bought a used one for $175. This is your profit.

Used parts dealers have engines, transmissions, axles, radiators, spindles, wheels, cabs and lots of other parts. It doesn’t matter what kind of tractor you have there is probably one of us selling parts for it.

I don't want this to be a depressing blog, but I read an interesting article on msn.com this morning.  It was listing the 10 saddest cities in the U.S. and honestly some of the cities they named surprised me.  I think you can be happy wherever you live but here are the results:

1.  Portland

2.  St. Louis

3.  New Orleans

4.  Detroit

5.  Cleveland

6.  Jacksonville

7.  Las Vegas

8.  Nashville-Davidson

9.  Cincinnati

10. Atlanta

This information was submitted by BusinessWeek.com and the heavily weighted factors were depression, suicide and jobs.  I guess I mention this because I know this is a tough time for everyone with the economy and more people losing their jobs.  And, I'm hoping that you aren't experiencing too many negatives in your personal or professional lives.  We have a great Association and we want to do whatever we can to help you.  So, we continue to search for member benefits that will save you money.  And, to promote your company so that the end-user knows where to go to find the best new, used and rebuilt tractor parts.

Until next time....

Kim and I attended the National Farm Machinery Show last week in Louisville.  In spite of the economy it seemed to be a great show with record attendance.  We use the time to promote our regular members by passing out a flyer that lists all the regular members and their contact information. I asked one gentleman if he ever needed tractor parts, and he said  "No,  never!" - with a smile.  So, I'm sure that he along with many of the other attendees will use the information we provided them to contact you for a new, used or rebuilt tractor part.  We handed out over 1000 brochures and 1000 calendars so we feel like it was a huge success.  We also have about 18 member companies that display at the show and there are other members that attend the show to look around and see what's new!  It was great seeing you and hope the time you spent in Louisville was worthwhile. 

Remember that the NTPDA is YOUR Association for used, rebuilt and new agricultural and industrial repair parts.

Until next time....

Many of us that are a part of the National Tractor Parts Dealer Association recently returned from our 25th Annual Conference and Trade Show.  As "keeper of the trade show" I think that it went very well and that many of our attendees went away with new thoughts and ideas that will help their businesses.  It was suggested from one of the attendees that at our next trade show we have more speakers that can directly address issues that pertain to our Association, ie., the IRS and the EPA.  The NTPDA office will begin doing research on this in the very near future and always welcome your input. 

I'm not sure how many of our attendees or members read the blog but I do want to thank everyone that attended, displayed and sponsored an event.  Some of you did all of those things and however you contributed to our 25th Annual Conference and Trade Show your attendance and participation is what makes it successful.

As you know, we are always looking for ways to help each of you and I would welcome any feedback or suggestions you might have.

Remember that the NTPDA is YOUR Association for used, rebuilt and new agricultural and industrial repair parts.

Until next time....

Happy November!  Hard to believe it's that time of year....the leaves are changing, the air is cooler and tomorrow is election day!  So, I encourage all of you to take time to get out and vote - if you haven't already.  It is your right and privilege to vote so I encourage all of you to take time out of your busy day tomorrow to exercise this right!

Speaking of busy days....Kim and I are experiencing very busy days....preparing for our 25th Annual Conference and Trade Show in Frisco, TX next January.  We are excited to see many of you and hope some of you are still considering joining us.  The NTPDA staff and board of directors have worked very hard to bring you another great show - so please make plans to attend.

Remember that the NTPDA is YOUR Association for used, rebuilt and new agricultural and industrial repair parts

The NTPDA blog has several purposes.  One of our main purposes is to get more information to more people about the National Tractor Parts Dealer Association.  Our goal is to continue to promote our members and their businesses.  Another reason for the blog is to get information to you our members.  So...with the help of Glen Leaders we wanted to provide this information to you from the U. S. Department of Labor (DOL). 

Some of the statutes and regulations enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) require that notices be provided to employees and/or posted in the workplace. DOL provides free electronic and printed copies of these required posters.

The elaws Poster Advisor can be used to determine which poster(s) employers are required to display at their place(s) of business. Posters, available in English and other languages, may be downloaded and printed directly from the Advisor.

Please note that the elaws Poster Advisor provides information on federal DOL poster requirements only. For state posting requirements, contact your state Department of Labor or the state contact list on Business.gov.

NTPDA . . .your Association for used, rebuilt and new agricultural and industrial repair parts!

Don Turner's manufacturing business actually started out by accident.  In 1977 he started buying older tractors & fixing them up to resell them.  He had trouble finding parts for these tractors and decided he would start building them from the tractors he was selling.  Other people noticed he was building the parts and started asking to buy the parts from him.  He started out by building tractor fenders and now manufactures over 200 parts - all manufactured at Turner Welding & Farm Equipment.  He sells parts for John Deere, Ford, IH-Case, Massey Ferguson and Compact Tractors.  Their newest line of parts are for the Antique Allis Chalmers G which was originally manufactured in Gadsden, Alabama, which is Don and Diane's home town.  If you'd like to visit with Don or Diane give them a call 256-492-4468.  They are located in Hokes Bluff, Alabama! 

The Turner's are great people and we always enjoy seeing them at our conference and trade show.  They have something for everyone because Diane brings her handmade purses and they are very well received!  I especially like my flamingo purse she gave me several years ago - go figure - me and a flamingo purse!

The Turner's are another example of the great folks we have as members of the National Tractor Parts Dealer Association.  Remember that we are the association whose members offer you "Used, Rebuilt and New Agricultural and Industrial Repair Parts". 

Until next time...

It looks like Stamm Equipment, in business for 30 years, owned and operated by John & Betty Stamm...is doing something right. Here is what one satisfied customer commented on- line about Stamm Equipment Company, Wayland, Michigan.  They stated..."Acres of Stuff!  Amazing selection of equipment and parts. Have bought several things there. Always helpful, competent, and reasonably priced."  What more can I say - those are words you want to hear about you and your company.  

Stamm Equipment has a large selection of new and used parts, a full service tire department, a radiator department and machine shop.  They also sell new trailers and used farm machinery.

So...when in a jam...call Stamm...they'll be glad to help you.  And we're glad to have them as long time members of the National Tractor Parts Dealer Association.  Your Association for used, rebuilt and new agricultural and industrial repair parts! 

Hope this finds all of you well...especially those of you who attended the National Farm Machinery Show either as a displayer or an attendee.  Pat Russell informed me that it is 27 (I think) acres of information under one roof!  It's an amazing place...Kim can attest to that!  She came in and helped me out in the booth Friday and Saturday.  She decided to trek over to the West Wing and visit with some of our guys that have booths over there.  When she returned she said she definitely didn't wear the right walking shoes!  She'll bring her comfy shoes next year...for sure! 

The National Tractor Parts Dealer Association attends the farm show to promote our members.  We're not necessarily there to acquire new members but we usually get a few leads while we're there.  We're mainly there to promote our Regular Members who sell used, rebuilt and new agricultural and industrial repair parts.  As an association we feel that we are providing you the tool to promote your company on an equal playing field.  We handed out almost 900 brochures promoting you and 1,000 calendars that promote our website - which in turn promotes you.  We hope that in handing out this information to the end-user that you will see an increase in calls and hits on your website.  We'd love to hear that you saw positive results from our time spent in Louisville.  

Something very bizarre happened in Louisville in regards to our shipment...I'll blog about that later in the week.  I know you can't wait!  

Remember that the National Tractor Parts Dealer Association is your connection to used, rebuilt and new agricultural and industrial repair parts.

Until next time.... 

As stated in information I sent to all of our members last week and in conversations I’ve had with several of you…here is my first Blog promoting our members.  I’ve heard from several of you and I’m keeping your names on my white board.  I’m doing these in order of who contacted me first, second, etc.  I want to be fair to everyone.  So each week I’ll spotlight one of our members.  This is a great way for us to promote our members to the end user as well as get information out to everyone about the National Tractor Parts Dealer Association – your connection to “Used, Rebuilt and New Agricultural and Industrial Repair Parts”.

With the direction and imagination of a strong leadership and an enthusiastic crew, TEC is a vital force in the heavy equipment industry. TEC's main priority is to keep their customers up and running. Their Parts Department is committed to "keeping you moving." And with combined sales experience of over 40 years…they are a great source for your used heavy equipment needs.  In fact, TEC has the largest inventory of used parts for construction machinery in Alabama. Parts from hundreds of dismantled machines have been cleaned, inspected, computerized and stored in their used parts warehouse. In most cases, their used parts cost less than half of the price of a new part. A lot of older machines are running economically today thanks to their huge used parts inventory.

Check out www.tecusedparts.com, where you can now access hundreds of available used parts quickly and easily and feel free to search their parts database for the used part you need.

Until next time…

I'm sure this will find you getting ready for the beginning of the holiday season.  What a way to kick things off with Thanksgiving!  It's always great to get together with our family and friends but it sure puts a kink in our healthy eating and work out plans.  But, stay strong and you can do it.  I'm going to try to just have a bite of everything...but if your house is anything like ours...that's a whole lot of food!  Just remember...moderation is the key...you'll be fine! 

Well...back to business.  I've been spending a little time on the Internet...just reading different articles, gleaning information that will help me run the Association, etc.  The other day I was Googling (that's a word that didn't even exist a few years ago)....and I found this definition of "tractor"....

A tractor is a vehicle specifically designed to provide a high tractive effort at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used in agriculture or construction. Most commonly, the term is used to describe the distinctive farm vehicle: agricultural implements may be towed behind or mounted on the tractor, and the tractor may also provide a source of power if the implement is mechanized. Another common use of the term is for the power unit of a semi-trailer truck. The word tractor is derived from the Latin trahere "to pull".

Also, while on the Internet I found a great website that some of you might want to take a look at when you’re ordering your holiday gift cards for friends, family and business associates.  Take a look at www.tractorama.us.  Tractorama.us was created in the summer of 2006, largely to host photos from the Heart of America Tractor Club's annual tractor cruise. The site is managed by a university instructor who likes to photograph tractors. Most of the tractor gifts on this site are offered by Amazon.com, but the photo tractor gifts and tractor greeting cards are all original, made for Tractorama.us.  We might even get a visit from her during the trade show…I’ll just have to wait and see what her plans are in January.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Until next time…

If you are a member of the NTPDA, then you probably know that one of the perks to being a member of our Association is the member benefits you receive.  It's virtually impossible to find a member benefit that helps every member but hopefully you are able to find several that meet your business needs.  During the past few board meetings we have been talking about offering our website visitors a tool to help them locate new, used and rebuilt parts through our website - and we think we've done that.

Because no one dealer can carry every part for every customer we have made it easier for customers to locate the parts they need.  Customers can click on the "Parts Search" button on our website.  Then they can type in the make, model, or part number and a list of members who have the part will appear.  The customer has the option of either calling or e-mailing members to inquire about the part.

By providing this option on our website the board of directors feels like it will increase exposure to our members and increase the membership for NTPDA by providing another member benefit.

Until next time....

Hope this finds all of you doing well and experienceing some cooler weather.  Looks like I'm heading to a little cooler climate as I travel to Clevland today.  As most of you know, we meet each July for a board meeting and next year we're going to be in Aurora, Ohio.  So, I'm meeting with Ralph & Kathy Seymour and we're going to tour his town of Aurora and make plans for next year!  Mark your calendars to join us next July 17-20, 2008 and become involved in our Summer Conference (new name...same great people) in Aurora with a fun day planned in Cleveland.  Of course more information will be sent to you in the very near future.

We not only try to plan great opportunities for networking for all of our members but we also try to provide tools for you to use in your day to day businesses.  Mr. Michael Libbie at Insight, Advertising, Marketing and Communications asked if I would add a link to our website to promote the radio show he's on - Highway 6 - Rural Lifestyle Radio and of course I said YES!  The radio show is all about living the rural lifestyle.  There are 40 million households that live on 3-100 acres of land which is a huge potential for all of you. 

We are always interested in promoting a cause that can increase the potential for you as a dealer of used, rebuilt and new agricultural and industrial repair parts.  If you know of other opportunites of the National Tractor Parts Dealer Association, please contact me.  I always enjoy hearing from you.

Better get ready for Cleveland and get busy planning another great Summer Conference next July.

Until next time!

What's the old expression..."Another day, another dollar".  Well, let's hope that we're making more than a dollar a day but sometimes it feels like we're never going to make enough money to do all the things we want to do or even have a glimpse of what it would be like to retire and travel the world.  I sometimes wonder if that really happens...I hear about it.  And, I've talked to a few people that are living that lifestyle but they are few and far between.  Maybe because I'm not quite old enough to be hanging with those people...but believe me...each day I'm closer to it.  I guess all this is on my mind because next Saturday will be my 10th anniversary with NTPDA.  It's hard to believe that I've hung in there that long - or that you've put up with me for that long!  But it's been great and I'm glad to have the opportunity to serve all of you and help promote the new, used and rebuilt tractor parts industry (see Michael...I got those words in there, didn't I).

As I head into another 10 years with you...well...maybe not that long...but if I stay that long I'll definitely be at retirement age...I just want to thank all of you for the continued support and friendship you give to me personally and as your executive director. I hope that Kim and I are serving you well and you know that I have all your best interest at heart and look forward to being with you in Kansas City in January.  Though some of you I'll see at the IDA convention in mid-October. 

Looks like fall is just around the corner so hope you have had a great summer and I look forward to seeing you all very soon.

Until next time...

Hope this finds all of my Blog readers doing well.  It was a crazy night last night for me.  We had flash floods and tornado warnings and my flamingo rain gauge reported over 9" of rain!  Of course this meant that the electricity went out several times and didn't come back on until 3:30 a.m.  I had my spot picked out to take cover in...but realized there are so many things that I didn't have.  No flash light, no radio equipped with a battery...all the things I might need to keep me and my little dog, Scout, safe and sound in a "worse case" scenario.

Speaking of being safe....are you safe in your workplace?  Do you have regular safety meetings?  Are there safety issues you have questions about?  If so, you've come to the right place...or you'll be in the right place when you attend our 23rd Annual Conference and Trade Show in Kansas City next January.  Joining us will be Richard Hawk who is the number one speaker and authority on improving workplace safety by making safety fun.  If you want to check him out before January go to www.MakeSafetyFun.com.  Richard will not only talk to us about safety but he will bring us information on stress and how to reduce it in the workplace and at home!

So, for all of you involved in the "used, rebuilt and new agricultural and industrial repair parts" industry you'll want to mark your calendars now for our conference and trade show - January 16-20, 2008! 

Until next time...

I'm not sure how you all feel...but personally for me...TGIF!  I hope everyone's had a productive week.  Kim and I had a good week and got several things accomplished. 

One accomplishment was mailing out our Bulletin...NTPDA's quarterly publication.  I hope you all enjoy this issue as it highlights our 23rd Annual Conference and Trade Show that was held in January in Panama City Beach, FL.  The Bulletin is a way to continue to promote the used tractor parts industry and our members.  Be sure and check out my article, the President's Pen and Greetings from Greasy Girl. Also, let me take this opportunity to thank all of our members that advertise in our Bulletin.  Your continued support is greatly appreciated!

This week we also held our 2nd quarterly board meeting - but this one was a teleconference.  The NTPDA board meets face to face twice a year - at our January meeting and again in the summer.  In fact, we will be holding our Summer Board Meeting in July in Breckenridge, CO.  Be sure and watch your mail next week for information regarding this and remember everyone is invited to join us!

One of the topics we discussed was to research the possibility of presenting a "webinar" to all of our members.  This would be an on-line training that would touch on topics of interest to our members.  Why don't you help us out?  Give us a call or drop us an e-mail and let us know what subjects you are interested in.  This would be another way to offer a member benefit to all of you and a way to bring educational opportunities to you and your employees without having to travel and take time away from work!

I hope you have a great weekend.

Until next time...

According to Webster's New World Dictionary a member is defined as: a distinct part of a whole; a person belonging to some group, society, etc.  That describes our members but we are that and much more. We're not only business associates, we're also friends.  Some of our members have been with us since the inception of the Association and have been friends since then and some even before.  Membership is defined as: the state of being a member.  And it seems like it's pretty easy to obtain membership within the Association.  You must meet the criteria as set out in the By-laws and pay your dues.  Not too difficult.  After you've become a member you might decide to get involved on a different level.  You might get elected to the board of directors, you might offer a service to our members, and you might even conduct a training session at our conference and trade show.  We appreciate all of our members...no matter their level of involvement.

We would not be an association without all of you being involved collectively.  Thank you for all you do for YOUR Association.  We're always looking to increase our membership so if you know of a company that might be interested in joining please let us know.  We would be glad to give them a call and see if we can answer any questions they might have and get a packet of information out to them.

And speaking of members and the friends we have within the Association you might want to give Steve Chandler, C & L Tractor Parts, a call and wish him a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  He says he's "32 and holding!"  Whatever!

Happy Birthday Steve!

Until next time...   

In my past Blogs I've talked about a number of different subjects. I introduced myself and Kim and I've told you a little bit about some of our members and what they do.  But, I haven't told you a whole lot about the Association in general.  So, I think I'll take a few minutes of your time and do that.

The National Tractor Parts Dealer Association (NTPDA) is an international association with members across the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia.  These members serve the agricultural and industrial industries for the purpose of buying and selling repair parts and related equipment via direct communication among the membership.

We are governed by 12 members who serve as the Board of Directors and a staff of two.  Our board of directors are very well qualified and they continually seek to provide NTPDA members with the best service for their dollar value. 

We have a criteria for membership.  Check out our Membership Qualification page to see if you qualify as a member and read testimonials from existing members.  If you do qualify as a member, please consider this my personal invitation to join and become part of a growing membership with existing programs that are in place and working.

We welcome your thoughts and comments.  Or if you want to visit with us please give us a call or send us an email.

Until next time....

Eight FFA students in Commerce, Texas entered three projects in the Agriculture Mechanics Contest in February at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. Each project was unique and competed in one of two divisions - Tractor Restoration and Electrical Shop Project.

We appreciate it when NTPDA members support their Association.  But when it branches out to include the community and to support education it's an added bonus.  Thanks to Broke F Farm Supply for mentoring and offering their knowledge and expertise to students at Commerce High School and furnishing the parts and tractors for the projects.

Billy Fowler, Commerce Agriculture Science Teacher and son of Billy and Karen Fowler of Broke F Farm Supply, stated, "I am very proud of these guys for staying with their projects and having the desire and drive to start and finish a major task."

Three students competed in the 1945 and older Tractor Restoration Division with a 1939 Ford 9N and received a 3rd place ribbon. Two additional students competed in the 1946-1960 Tractor Restoration Division with a 1956 Ferguson F-40. They received a 2nd place award.

Overall the contest graded the teams on tractor ascetics, mechanical power train repair, sheet metal work and documentation of the restoration.

In addition to ribbons and trophies the Ag class was awarded approximately $1,200 worth of tools and prizes including a Lincoln Mig Welder.

This is just another way that members contribute to the used tractor parts industry - by being an asset to their Association as well as to their community. Thanks Billy, Karen and B.G. Fowler for helping to make this all come together.

The niece of a friend of mine recently got married. It was out in the country and I wondered if I would ever find the place. I followed the directions (which is not an easy task for me) and continued to drive down this country road. I made left turns and right turns...jogged here and there and finally rounded the corner and saw a big white tent so I knew I was in the right place. The wedding took place in her backyard and I was surprised to see how she decorated for her wedding. Just take a look at the picture. I guess I tell you all of this so that we can see how tractors affect our lives in ways that we probably would never think to look.  Apparently, it is so important in their lives that they wanted it to be a part of their special day. As members of the Association we continue to take care of all of the people that need tractor parts and related equipment to keep their farms and businesses running.  And when you buy from an NTPDA member you can be assured of the highest quality standards...a product of their membership. 

For membership information or to simply ask us a question please give us a call or drop us an email.

Until next time....

It seems that I use that phrase a lot when I'm talking on the phone.  I didn't realize how much I said it until one of our members called my attention to it. And...she's right...and when I'm talking to her I'm very aware that I say it but it's now become sort of a joke between us. She says whenever she hears someone say..."You know what?" she thinks about me. I take it as a compliment that she thinks about me and then I realize how nice it is to have her for a friend. And it's a friendship that's developed over the years as me being Executive Director of NTPDA and "she" is Terri Stevens, NTPDA Board Secretary and a great friend. She and her husband, Russ (here they are at our summer board meeting in Corpus Christi) are always fun to be around and are both an asset to the Association. Terri is also the owner/operator of The Tractor Barn in Brookline, MO. Yep, a woman owner/operator...not that common in this field but she is very knowledgeable and is always out there trying to improve her business and be the best she can be. I guess that's all any of us can do...try to be the best we can be. Whether that's selling used tractor parts, going to training to improve our skills or taking care of our ourselves and our families. I think that's what is so great about this Association...the friendships that we've developed over the years. And those friendships continue to develop and we look forward to the time we can spend together.

Be sure and check out the website periodically for information regarding upcoming network opportunities. And if you're interested in becoming a member send us an email or give us a call. We're always glad to hear from you.

In a previous Blog, I mentioned the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville. We were there a few weeks ago promoting our member dealers and also visiting with several of our members that attend and display at this show.   We also talked to farmers.aka."end users" about the value in buying used tractor parts or replacement tractor parts from our member dealers. It was a long week but very beneficial to our Association as well as our members.  We thoroughly enjoy meeting new people and supporting our members that attend the show.

Every January the National Tractor Parts Dealer Association holds their annual conference and trade show. This past January it was held in Panama City Beach at the Bay Point Marriott. It was well attended and according to the surveys we received everyone had a great time. We are a very social group and we always enjoy networking with one another and talking about used tractor parts, replacement parts and how to promote our member dealers!  We function in a very relaxed atmosphere and a lot of business is conducted during the trade show and even "after hours".  Everyone has a chance to catch up with business associates and friends that they don't get to see on a regular basis. Our show is considered a "closed show" so you must be a member dealer or a potential member dealer to attend. If you think you might be interested in membership information just give us a call!

One of the surveys the NTPDA received was from Jerry Schaefer, Schaefer Enterprises. Jerry (THE Rock Star) stated, "The purpose of the NTPDA convention is to provide value to its attendees. I think the speakers, trade show and member interaction accomplished this." Thanks, Jerry...we like to hear good things about what we do! Sharon, his "better-half" stated, "The Panama City Beach convention had it all - information, training, trade show and good healthy humor. Great times was had by all of our group."

Keep those good thoughts and messages coming in. We strive to meet the needs of all of our association members. We would love to hear from any of you so feel free to give us a call or send us an email!

Good morning…it’s a special day today…my first blog on the National Tractor Parts Dealer Association website.  We’re based in Gainesville, Texas – 60 miles north of Dallas and just a few miles from the Oklahoma border.  My name is Phyllis and I’ve been the Executive Director of NTPDA for about nine years.  Also, working in the office is Kim, Administrative Assistant, and someone I could not get along without.  We make a great team!  It’s nice to meet all of you and hope you’ll visit often!

So…you may be wondering what we do and why?  That was a question that was posed to me yesterday when UPS delivered my freight from the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville.  The UPS guy asked what kind of show had I been to….”a fashion show?”….I guess I was looking exceptionally good that day!…and I told him no…I had been to a farm show where I was promoting our member dealers.  He was still curious so I told him that our member dealers sell used tractor parts, replacement tractor parts, combine/agricultural parts and heavy equipment to farmer, builders, acreage owners, hobby farmers, construction companies and people who restore antique farm equipment!  He was impressed…I think he went out and bought a tractor! 

We hope that you are impressed and you will continue to check out our website and our blog on a regular basis.  Thanks for reading and we’ll visit again very soon.  If Kim or I can help answer a question or point you in the right direction….call us or drop us an e-mail at ntpda@ntpda.com.