During a recent manufacturer’s forum hosted by SEKansas Inc., PrairieLand Partners Service Manager Dayton Sutterby provided a behind-the-scenes look at the company’s Iola facility, highlighting its operations, workforce, and role in supporting agricultural producers across the region.
Don Alexander, president of SEKansas Inc., opened the forum by noting the value of visiting local facilities, adding that each gathering offers a chance to better understand the region’s manufacturing strengths and opportunities.
THE TOUR began in the dealership’s public-facing sales and parts area, where Sutterby noted the importance of collaboration between staff and customers.
Interactive monitors at the counter allow both parties to view equipment diagnostics together, helping bridge knowledge gaps.
“The farmer knows what’s broken a lot of times, but we may not,” Sutterby said. “They can help us kind of navigate through that.”
Behind the scenes, the facility maintains a substantial parts inventory valued at approximately $2 million.
According to staff, the dealership achieves an estimated 85% parts fill rate, with even higher availability for over-the-counter sales. While most parts are accessible immediately or within a couple of days, Sutterby noted that international shipping delays can occasionally impact turnaround times.
The building’s layout is designed for efficiency, noted Sutterby, separating customer areas from service operations. Technicians receive parts through a dedicated back counter system, where a full-time employee fills electronic pick tickets and stages components at designated shelves to minimize downtime.
“There’s never a technician up here in the way of the public, or vice versa,” said Sutterby.
The service shop itself handles most of the repair work, ranging from large agricultural equipment to smaller consumer products such as lawnmowers and utility vehicles. The facility is fully heated and air-conditioned — a good recruitment tool, Sutterby said.
IN TOTAL, 16 technicians operate out of the Iola location, including 14 in-house and two full-time field service technicians who cover a wide geographic area. “They operate kind of like their own business,” Sutterby said.
The scale of equipment serviced at the facility is vast. Combines can cost between $800,000 and $1 million, while fully outfitted service trucks may approach similar values. Routine winter maintenance and reconditioning on major equipment can range from $35,000 to $40,000 annually.
Most equipment serviced is relatively new, generally less than 10 to 12 years old, and moves through the shop within a few weeks.
PrairieLand Partners is part of a larger network following its merger with AgriVision, bringing together more than 30 locations across Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska. Sutterby added that this scale allows for efficient equipment transfers and shared resources across the organization.
To improve service response times, the company has developed its own internal Dealer Technical Assistance Center (DTAC), providing quicker troubleshooting support than traditional manufacturer channels. “We get an answer back in a matter of hours because they’re only servicing these stores,” Sutterby noted.
IN ADDITION, PrairieLand and AgriVision have invested in workforce development by creating their own training program.
