Exhibit space for Q-C farm show sold out

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By Jennifer DeWitt | Saturday, December 29, 2007 |

Promoter Dick Sherman has learned that vendors’ interest in the annual Quad-Cities Farm Equipment Show serves as a good barometer for the health of the farm economy.

And an early sell-out of all the available exhibit space tells the show’s manager that farm equipment manufacturers believe farmers have money to spend.

“This is the earliest the show has ever sold out,” he said. “I wish I had 10,000 more square feet.”

The show, in its 17th year, will be Jan. 20-22 at the QCCA Expo Center in Rock Island.

“With grain prices at near record highs, more and more companies have wanted to exhibit at the Quad-Cities and we are expecting a very large farmer attendance,” said Sherman, who recently wrapped up a similar show in Indianapolis. “When one or two farm shows are good, it means all of them are good. Then the one variable becomes the weather.”

Sherman said more than 200 ag companies and other vendors have signed up to exhibit at the local show, including about 20 new companies. “There is a lot of variety — we have more vendors with crop insurance and more financial companies than we’ve had in the past.”

This year’s vendors also will be exhibiting a lot of high-tech equipment and systems. “What’s happening in the industry is its becoming more and more high-tech — especially as prices have gone up for fertilizers and chemicals,” Sherman said.

Among the new companies is River Valley Turf, Davenport, which is the first John Deere dealer to exhibit at the show in five years.

“We can’t put in the show what you can see down the street,” he said referring to the John Deere Pavilion in Moline.

Also new to the lineup is GVM Corp., which produces self-propelled sprayers. Redball Manufacturing also will be on hand with its new self-propelled sprayer.

The largest display again will be the 3,500-square-foot Case IH display. Other displays include the New Holland display by Kunau Implement, the Agco display by Hatzer and Nordstrom, the Blu-Jet display by Brokaw Supply and Tom Rogers Repair, the Massey Ferguson display by Cedar County Equipment, and the Salford display by Dambman Service.

Other vendors include Vern’s Farm Systems, Yarger Machinery Sales, Hardi Midwest, Sprayer Specialties, FS Grain Systems, Painter Farm Equipment showing Kinze, Friedman Distributing and Stollers.

Show admission and parking are free. The show will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20; 9 to 5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 21, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22.

For more information, go to quadcitiesfarmshow.com.

Jennifer DeWitt can be contacted at (563) 383-2318 or jdewitt@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.