Valley Irrigation center pivot dealers across the country are busy helping growers get their operations ready for the upcoming growing season. Some of their preparation includes getting growers more acquainted with Valley’s new ICON smart panels. Valley spoke with dealers Keith Grimm of MWI in Hiawatha, Kan., and Jeremiah Johnson of Central Valley Irrigation in Holdrege, Neb., to see how growers are reacting to the new panels.
Valley: How do you think the new ICON panels are being received by customers?
Keith Grimm: I feel like it’s been a good reception. The technology side of it has been a big boost, and guys are excited about it. I don’t get a lot of traffic in my shop’s show area; most of my stuff is out in the field. But when I go out and meet with customers, everybody knows about the new panels, and they are interested to know more.
Jeremiah Johnson: Yeah, they've been received very well. The panels have been very good sales tools, and we believe that they’ve really piqued customers’ interests—they really like the ease of use. The ICONX, specifically for us, has been a real hit.
What about the new technology are growers most attracted to?
Johnson: The ease of use. I think it really shows that Valley is committed to the grower. Using the new panels is similar to that of a tablet or a smart phone. Bringing that ease of use to them is very appreciated by the customers. It’s something they’ve come to expect with a lot of other things across their farm. They’re happy to see that Valley has come to the plate with something like that as well.
Grimm: In my market, my competitors don’t push technology at all, so these panels give me a real competitive edge. They are another tool in our toolbox. When we go sit down with the grower, and we ask them how important technology is to them and how important technology’s going to be in the future, the panels have given us an additional tool there that says “Look, we’re on the leading edge of center pivot control.”
From your dealership’s perspective, what panel is getting the most attention?
Johnson: The ICONX, unquestionably, is getting the most attention. It’s at a very competitive price point, and it’s been very good for our dealership. The ICONX has been the most talked-about and utilized panel so far. If a person is buying a new pivot from our dealership, the ICON10 is the direction that most have gone with.
Do you think that connectivity is a big reason for the success of the ICON panels?
Grimm: Absolutely, especially with the ICONX. Every panel comes with an ICON Link in it, and so I think that yes, the remote telemetry side is a big deal. Growers aren’t having to go out to the machine to check it, to start it, to stop it, or do whatever they’re doing with it. I think that’s really big and that is going to continue to grow. There is a lot of opportunity there for that connection or that product to expand and bring field connectivity to soil probes and other technologies that are out in the field.
Do you get a lot of questions on the panels you’ve installed?
Grimm: I can’t say I’ve had any questions. The only question I’ve ever really had is, “Why are there so many panels?”
Johnson: No, I don’t get lot of questions. When we installed prototypes last summer, we didn’t give any of the farmers any instructions at all. I told them to call me with questions; otherwise, try to figure them out on their own because the panels are so intuitive. The only comments we’ve gotten were phone calls about how awesome the panels were.
In honor of its recent ICON product launch, Valley is giving away three ICON smart panels. Giveaway registration closes tomorrow, March 31. Enter here.