Layoffs coming at Bourgault

[Guest]

Bourgault Industries basically came out and said machinery cost are getting too high, so we need to lay off 50 employees. They also noted yields were down, and commodity prices are terrible.
They must have got the memo from the dealerships, we won’t be ordering and early Christmas gifts. Who will be next?

what in the world could possibly be going wrong ?
let's see ' $600-$800 k for a dril and cart
2 years later sells for $150 at RB
most grain same price as 50 years ago
should work ???

[seldomseen]

My pathetic rat trap beat up old 5710 grew just as good a crop as any drill around. Not just bourgault. ANY DRILL. Canola isnt as fussy about being placed perfect anymore. Comes up 2" down.

Thought guys were saving so much canola seed with the new drill that it paid for the drill?

[ATTACH]3610[/ATTACH]

Looks like a nice swathing job jazz. I have to laugh when I watch a guy swath the same way they seed and cut the stubble tall then after some wet weather wonder why their crop is hard to pick up and is sprouted.

[farmaholic]

I'm back....

The Bourgault guy at the Regina FPS told me they will stop building them bigger when farmers quit buying them bigger.

I guess they're finding out the sky's not the limit especially in PRICE and size. Some of those things have become behemoth monstrosities, especially the Bourgs with the amount of iron in them.

But don't suffer from too much schadenfreude, everyone made their choices for specific reasons. In some areas of this province you could drop the seed on the surface of the ground and grow better crops than the best drills in poorer areas could produce, and here's a news flash... it isn't always the seeding tool and by and large ten times it's the land you have.

Bigzee made a very good point of variable topography....some people barely know what ****ing hills are. If all you ever have to to is get it an inch deep in rich moist black soil with a slight roll in the topography, you might look like a ****en hero every time. We have some rolling topography where the 13 foot flex frame sections of a Flexicoil were too ****ing wide....either gouging it in over sharp knolls or the boots peaking out in the center of the sections in the draws.

ALSO, people make decisions based on what stage of their career they're in, if anyone wants to finish their career with what's works for them...good for them. If you can't afford even the modest sized new tech drills, who cares...use what works for you. Even if you can afford the new drills and older tech is working for you and you have many years left in your career...do what's best for you and your farm.

But please don't forget the great equalizer...moisture! There's guys deep banding in areas of the province and the last thing I want to do here is open the ground up, seems sometimes even opening the ground up seeding in spring dries things out too much.

And I will not tirelessly defend the Bourg PHD...because I am on the record as stating they are going to be a maintenance nightmare, probably one of the worst!

[hobbyfrmr]

But but but....fields and farms are bigger ....it only makes sense to have 120 foot drills.....

After the 88 foot drill that could seed between last seasons stubble was introduced , I just tuned out 🙂
There is a genuine argument that larger acre farms require larger more efficient machinery. You cant stop progress.

[seldomseen]

I thought this thread would touch a few nerves.
No rich black soil here just heavy sticky clay some fairly flat land but also some really choppy stuff with ditches and hills and clay knolls with water holes.

[jazz]

Seeding through flat heavy clay is no cakewalk. Yes not a lot of hills, but wet spots usually, lots of trash sometimes, loon sh*t soil in places, ruts. But yes usually moisture right there to offset less than perfect placement.

[farmaholic]

Careful what you sneer at...the last thing this Industry needs is more consolidation. It already is too consolidated. I've been around long enough to remember "same brand competition". Now with territorial marketing and HUGE dealerships you better hope we don't lose all our shortline options....and some of the "peripheral" mainstream brands.

But yup you greedy bastards....punch another whole in your belt closer to the buckle side, not the other end, and cinch the ****er up!!!

[bucket]

I think Bourgault was using grain prices to drive their prices up....really not all that smart...why not do what farmers are forced to and become even more efficient at what you do...

Do you need 8 ****ing guys at a farm show that can't answer the simplest ****ing question about a drill or tell you the price....or talk to you unless you have the right uniform on or the banker (80 year old dad) along?????

[hobbyfrmr]

I think Bourgault was using grain prices to drive their prices up....really not all that smart...why not do what farmers are forced to and become even more efficient at what you do...

Do you need 8 ****ing guys at a farm show that can't answer the simplest ****ing question about a drill or tell you the price....or talk to you unless you have the right uniform on or the banker (80 year old dad) along?????

Spot on.

[jazz]

IMHO, this is just part of a larger piece of the pie that has decimated our industry and chased a lot of potential farmers away. By making equipment, seed, inputs more expensive, that just signals to people either drive junk, or stretch out to buy, or get more land.

I dont remember this kind of inflation in iron back when my dad was farming.

[walterm]

IMHO, this is just part of a larger piece of the pie that has decimated our industry and chased a lot of potential farmers away. By making equipment, seed, inputs more expensive, that just signals to people either drive junk, or stretch out to buy, or get more land.

I dont remember this kind of inflation in iron back when my dad was farming.

Ya I remember companies going after market share based on lowering price with new lines. CCIL, WFE to name a couple that kept others in check and affordable to most, so competition bought them out.

[fjlip]

IMHO, this is just part of a larger piece of the pie that has decimated our industry and chased a lot of potential farmers away. By making equipment, seed, inputs more expensive, that just signals to people either drive junk, or stretch out to buy, or get more land.

I dont remember this kind of inflation in iron back when my dad was farming.

I did in 74-78, as an example 4430 JD went up 35% in a year or two, plus waiting list to get one. Even if ordered price went up by delivery. One reason canola went from $2 to $9. Wheat tripled.

[bigzee]

Farmer used to have to pay a million to buy a tractor, drill and sprayer. Now ... we all know what that buys you?

[WiltonRanch]

I think Bourgault has gotten a little big for their britches. Guys laugh at Deere for not having big wide drills and the monstrous carts like the others. Seem to sell enough smaller new ones around here. Part of being in business is providing your customer base with stuff they need or make them think they need something better. The latter makes the big bucks in good times but the former is what gets you through hard times. Everyone hates on Deere and what not but they’ve been in business god knows how many years cause they accommodate most sizes of operations. The Bourgaults of the world build some great equipment but their target market narrows the more they forget about the medium and smaller guys.

[Rareearth]

I don’t think any consolidation or down sizing in any Ag business should be celebrated.
Misery loves company, what’s next?
I’m looking to keep my glass half full.