Growing the Next Generation of Precision Leaders

Back by popular demand… Skip Klinefelter is making his first return to the Dealership Minds Summit. In this can’t miss Keynote session, Klinefelter shares what he has learned as a business leader about growing the business and its next generation of leaders.

Skip began adopting precision farming technology 17 years ago on his 3,100-acre farm near Nokomis, Ill. He was quickly frustrated with the lack of technical support offered by local dealers, so he became a precision technology dealer himself.

Now, almost two decades later, Skip is the owner of Ag Technology Solutions Group in Greenville, Ill. and Linco-Precision in El Paso, Ill.

Skip is no stranger to the unique needs of bringing two organizations together and mentoring the next generation of leaders.

In the summer of 2022, Linco-Precision joined forces with Bottom Line Solutions in Morton, Ill., to form one of the largest precision farming sales and service companies in the Midwest. Klinefelter’s company expanded its footprint even further in 2022 with the purchase of Dairy One Cooperative’s precision farming assets in Ithaca, N.Y.

“Creating and then nurturing a progressive, professional culture is important to the success of our business. We had an employee who wasn’t a fit for our environment and that can create a toxic environment,” Klinefelter says. “At the same time, when we catch somebody doing it right, we recognize it.

“If the business is doing well, share that with the employees. And if it’s not, share that with at least your inner team and discuss how you can make it better.”