Farm406

• 39 FARM 406 F 406 CONSULTANTS Who Sell a Product Text by by Suzanne Waring T he folks at Triangle Ag-Services in Fort Benton, Montana, don't think of themselves as owners of a consulting firm. They think of themselves as business people who sell Trimble, Intelligent Ag, Next Instruments, RainWise, AgLeader Technology, and OPI-Integris products. Their service of providing assistance to those who telephone with questions, who need someone in the field to solve prob- lems, and who request training on agricultural precision products illustrates that they are also fantastic at sharing their expertise on the products they sell, and that is exactly the definition for one type of consultant. DeImna and Mark Heiken and their son, Brent Heiken, at Triangle Ag have focused on precision agricultural products since the 1990s. "We've been part of ad- vances in farming techniques that have dra- matically changed how crops are grown and how growers have survived while farming more acres, with higher yields, and fewer workers," said DeImna, who is president of the company housed in a modern sage green building found on the very northeast end of Fort Benton. The Heikens know their products. "We learn the ins and outs of products before we are willing to represent them," said DeImna. "We are then able to troubleshoot any problems, usually by stepping the farmer through a protocol on the telephone. That way the farmer is soon on his way with the equipment programmed the way he wants it." Farmers' needs come first when the company selects new products. "As we have added monitors, sensors and other technology, we have wanted to continue to improve the farmer's life and his bottom line," said Mark Heiken. "We also provide loaners and sell used equipment that we have tested." The Heikens believe in customer service. "We know our customers and remem- ber the precision equipment they have purchased from us, and we can be depended on to return telephone calls," said Brent. "When you call us, you'll get a real person answering your questions." Now they're extending that support to users who haven't purchased their equip- ment from Triangle Ag. Individuals can request a consultation by the hour, sign up for a year and call with questions anytime, or attend one of the scheduled training sessions. Every year, an open house with lunch provided is held to show the latest advanc- es in precision products. Customers come from across Montana to do business with Triangle Ag-Services. Check out Triangle Ag-Services' website at http://www.triangleag.com or call DeImna, Mark, or Brent at 406-622-3887. "I have purchased a lot of precision equip- ment from Triangle Ag-Services because they are careful with the products they pro- mote. I have found that they often know the equipment better than the company representatives. I contact them through email or I call them, and they get right back to me. Their customer service is excel- lent," said Lance Wickum from Shelby. 317 Central Hay! Have you subscribed for your copy of A G R I C U L T U R E F O R R E A L L I F E FARM 406 G e t Ro lli ng ... Subsc r ib e T oday ! ON L Y $ 35 / ye a r 406-452-1177 317 Central Avenue | Great Falls, MT

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