Takeuchi honored its North American Dealer of the Year, 360-Degree Dealer Salesperson of the Year and the recipients of its 2024 Dealer 360-Degree Awards at the company’s recent 2025 Dealer Summit in Scottsdale, Ariz. The Dealer 360-Degree Awards recognize Takeuchi dealers across the U.S. and Canada for excellence in sales performance, facilities, training, accounts receivables, marketing/parts and service.
“Takeuchi is proud to have an exceptional dealer network across North America,” said Jeff Stewart, president of Takeuchi-US. “We know that having quality dealers is key to our success, which is why we established our Dealer 360-Degree Awards program. By setting distinct operational standards, we can better ensure a consistent Takeuchi customer experience while also providing clear guidelines for building a strong, successful dealership.”
Cowin Equipment, with locations in Alabama, Georgia and Florida, was recognized as the Takeuchi Dealer of the Year for 2024. They specialize in rental, sales and service of equipment for general contracting, mining/quarrying, utility, industrial and forestry. Cowin promotes a flexible “hybrid” strategy that equally emphasizes equipment sales and rental, combined with a total commitment to product support.
“The team at Cowin Equipment understands how to create long-standing, positive relationships with their customers,” said Shay Klusmeyer, Western division sales manager for Takeuchi-US. “They’ve been in the equipment distribution business for nearly nine decades, and they continue to grow and thrive because of the outstanding effort they put forth every day. We’re very glad to have them as part of the Takeuchi family, and we congratulate them on a job well done.”
Other Takeuchi dealers that successfully met or exceeded the Dealer 360-Degree criteria standards by Dec. 31, 2024, are eligible to be part of a select group of top Takeuchi dealers that will head to Japan later this year for a special visit to Takeuchi’s global headquarters. A full list of them can be found here.
“Our dealers’ dedication and commitment to excellence have helped Takeuchi continue to increase its market share in North America,” said Stewart. “We thank them for their efforts this past year, and we will do everything within our power to help them achieve even greater success in 2025.”
Also at the 2025 Dealer Summit, Takeuchi honored Scott Syler of Parman Tractor and Equipment as the 360-Degree Dealer Salesperson of the Year. This program incentivizes Takeuchi salespeople to develop a well-rounded approach to selling Takeuchi equipment by challenging them to achieve various educational and sales milestones throughout the year. Syler was the top performer out of a field of 42 salespeople who earned Salesperson 360-Degree Award status in 2024.
“Scott has more than 30 years of equipment sales experience, and he puts that expertise to work every day for Parman Tractor and Takeuchi,” said Klusmeyer. “Being named Takeuchi’s top dealer salesperson is no small feat; it requires a ton of focus and hard work. We sincerely thank Scott for his outstanding performance and dedication to the Takeuchi product line.”
PERC celebrates Earth Day with propane highlights
On Earth Day 2025, the Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) highlighted propane and renewable propane as key solutions for cutting emissions and delivering reliable energy amid global sustainability efforts. According to the council, as a safe, clean and readily available energy source that produces 52 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than the electric grid, propane can support both the environment and the communities that depend on energy.
“Too often the energy conversation turns toward a choice between sustainability and reliability; propane proves that you don’t have to choose,” said Tucker Perkins, president and CEO of PERC. “With extreme weather events on the rise, we need solutions that are as resilient as they are clean. Propane is widely available and rising to the challenge of keeping our planet clean and our communities in operation.”
In addition to being a low-carbon energy source, propane is nontoxic. Unlike gasoline, using propane eliminates the risk of spills that harm grass and contaminate soil, offering both environmental and operational benefits for off-road equipment including mowers, generators, light construction equipment and more.
Propane-fueled mowers emit 17 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions, allowing landscape professionals to meet more stringent local air quality regulations, according to PERC.
Renewable propane is also gaining traction as an even cleaner energy option. Made from renewable feedstocks, it can be used in all propane-powered equipment without modifying existing infrastructure, providing possibly another smart solution in the pursuit of zero emissions.
Agri-Fab celebrates 50th anniversary
Agri-Fab is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025, meaning activities and events are planned throughout the year for customers, employees and the community.
Founded in Sullivan, Ill., in 1975, Agri-Fab manufactures lawn and garden products for the direct-to-consumer and commercial landscaping and lawn care markets. Today, Agri-Fab has offices, manufacturing/assembly and distribution locations in Sullivan and Decatur, Ill.
“This company began with a small group of like-minded people trying to build something that would support our local community,” said Ron Harshman, chairman of the board and founding member of Agri-Fab. “Our leadership is committed to the local manufacturing of the best lawn and garden products on the market, and our community stepped up with employees dedicated to delivering quality. The subsequent generations of leadership have carried forward those same ideals, and the company is stronger than any of us could have imagined 50 years ago.”
Over the past several years, Agri-Fab has added a second location in Decatur to expand its assembly and delivery capabilities. Agri-Fab products are distributed across the country through major retail outlets such as Lowe’s, Tractor Supply, Farm and Fleet, Rural King and others.
“The growth that Agri-Fab has seen over the past 50 years is truly remarkable,” said Deacon Patient, president of Agri-Fab. “Our leadership throughout the years has continually developed well-thought-out plans for expanding our product line, manufacturing capabilities and go-to-market strategies. These efforts have provided our company with a solid foundation on which we will continue to grow, along with the ongoing ability to provide good-paying jobs to our employees and support the communities in which we operate.”
Fifty years in business and the expansion of facilities and products are just the start of celebrations. The company’s annual fundraiser to support local food banks and charities continues to grow, providing the local community with support to help those less fortunate. Additionally, Agri-Fab Holding will continue to deliver more benefits to all employees with the construction of a new daycare facility to replace the existing one.
“We look forward to the new facility continuing to enhance our ability to offer unique opportunities in early care and education built on love, trust and respect,” said Mike Cohan, president of AF Holding Co.
Conserva Irrigation and others named to Top Low-Cost Franchises list
Empower Brands, a franchising portfolio consisting of residential and commercial service providers, revealed that its brands Conserva Irrigation, Archadeck Outdoor Living, FRSTeam and Outdoor Lighting Perspectives are four of only 50 franchises selected as Franchise Business Review’s 2025 Top Low-Cost Franchises.
“We are very encouraged by the feedback we received from the franchise owners of these four brands,” said Empower Brands CEO Scott Zide. “Our franchisees not only believe we have a strong team culture, but they also stated that they enjoy being part of their individual brand and are likely to recommend their franchise brand to others. Enabling entrepreneurs with more modest means the opportunity to buy into a franchise system is a goal Empower Brands is proud to have accomplished.”
Franchise Business Review (FBR), a research firm that conducts independent surveys of franchisee satisfaction, provides a ratings of franchises based solely on actual franchisee satisfaction and performance. Franchise Business Review publishes its rankings of top franchises semi-annually in its Guide to Today’s Top Franchises, as well as industry reports throughout the year that highlight research on the top franchises in specific sectors.
More than 12,000 franchisees representing 125 low-cost brands participated in FBR’s franchisee satisfaction survey over 18 months. The brands that were named to the list of the best low-cost franchises to buy had to have high franchisee satisfaction and an investment of under $100,000 at the time their franchisees participated in FBR’s satisfaction survey.
The four Empower Brands franchisees were each surveyed on 33 benchmark questions about their experience and satisfaction regarding critical areas of their franchise systems, including training and support, operations, franchisor/franchisee relations, culture and financial opportunity.
“It’s a common misconception that buying a franchise is too expensive for the average person seeking to start a business. What many people don’t know is that there are very solid franchise opportunities that provide the satisfaction and perks of business ownership but don’t require a huge financial investment,” Franchise Business Review CEO Eric Stites said. “Approximately one-third of the award-winning brands on our list of the Top Low-Cost Franchises have initial investments starting under $75,000. With financing, many can be started for as little as $20,000, with a few options starting under $15,000. More importantly, these 50 franchises have average owner satisfaction 20 percent higher than our industry benchmark, making them all excellent options for anyone considering franchise ownership.”
RoadFlex partners with RTA for expanded fleet management features
RoadFlex, a fuel and expense management platform, has formed a strategic partnership with RTA: The Fleet Success Company, a provider of fleet management information systems (FMIS). This integration will display RoadFlex transaction data within RTA Fleet360, providing fleet managers with enhanced visibility and control over their fuel and expense data.
This partnership aims to help fleets optimize their operations by consolidating critical financial and operational data in one centralized platform. With RoadFlex’s fuel and expense tracking capabilities integrated into RTA, users will gain real-time insights into their fuel spending, transaction history and expense patterns directly within the Fleet360, according to the company.
“We are thrilled to partner with RTA, a top-tier fleet management solution, to bring greater transparency and efficiency to fleet operations,” said Mary Akhavan, director of partnership at RoadFlex. “By integrating our transaction data into RTA’s FMIS, fleet managers can make more informed decisions, reduce fuel shrinkage and streamline expense tracking — all within a system they already trust.”
RTA’s FMIS, Fleet360, is widely used across public sector and enterprise fleets, providing teams with tools to manage budgeting, performance reporting and technician and parts staff workflows. By incorporating RoadFlex data, RTA customers can now have a more holistic view of their financial and operational performance without needing to switch between multiple platforms, according to the company.
“RTA strives to provide our customers with innovative solutions to common fleet problems,” said Kevin Burdick, vice president of sales at RTA. “RoadFlex has built the future of fuel and expense management in our industry and we’re thrilled to work with them.”
