RIVERS
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ersary v i n Celebrating our 107th An
Gazette-Reporter Serving the Rivers, Rapid City and Oak River areas for 106 years
Volume 108, Issue 27
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Finlay’s are Manitoba’s second dealer By Sheila Runions Banner Staff
R
eaders may recall our Oct. 30 front page story announcing Doug and Hali Finlay of Rapid City winning a $500 award. It was given to them to help develop their idea to open an MTZ tractor dealership on their farm, two miles northwest of Rapid City on the north side of Hwy. 24. The new business, Oakview Equipment, officially opened last month and last week they were promoting the brand, and their dealership, at Ag Days. Doug says they built a new farm shop in 2012-13, “with the intentions of possibly, somewhere down the road, branching into something else for a business to complement the farming operation. When an Ag Canada email came in the spring announcing MTZ Tractors had a new North American distributor and was actively looking for dealers, with a dealer inquiry link, I filled out the form to see what was required. [I was] not expecting a very quick answer, or one looking for outrageous expectations, but I ended up with a very favourable call from MTZ Canada vice-president Arie Prilik within a day! A lot of questions were asked by both sides and in June, Hali, Zane and I went to the Farm Progress Show in Regina to see the tractors first-hand, and to meet some other dealers, as well as Arie and support staff from the company. Both sides saw an opportunity for a partnership and the wheels were put in motion setting up Oakview Equipment and establishing the dealership. Here we are, seven months later, with our first tractor in Ag Days!” More than 62,000 MTZ tractors are manufactured annually, which accounts for 10 per cent of the world’s tractors. What started as Belarus (the world’s largest tractor manufacturer) more than 60 years ago in Russia, MTZ machines are now marketed in more than 100 countries around the world. Oakview
Photo by Bernice Finlay
Doug and Hali Finlay, with son Zane, are proud of their first tractor for their new dealership.
Equipment is the second dealer in Manitoba; the first is in Ashern and has a 33-year history with Belarus. There are several different MTZ models, some of which include front wheel assist or four-wheel drive, with prices starting at $45,000 and topping out at $200,000. The company has options currently unavailable in other brand lines, such as down pressure three-point hitches, an engine-installed air compressor and the ability to shut off the hydraulic pump yet still maintain power steering. “The tractors are simple, reliable, tier-three engines with no diesel exhaust fluid, no diesel particle filters, no exhaust re-
generation, no computers and no complicated electronics. They come with a two-year warranty and include options that in other makes, cost between $6,000 and $15,000. We decided on MTZ because of their simplicity and company support. We want a reliable product that is simple enough farmers can service and repair themselves, that is reliable enough to handle operating temperatures and conditions in our climate and that is affordable to all producers.” Oakview Equipment will be administered out of the threeyear-old 2,860 square foot shop, which has a 640 square foot attached office. The 952
model with loader (pictured) was picked up on Friday, Jan. 15 and hauled to Brandon on Monday, Jan. 18 in preparation for a booth display during the Jan. 19-21 Ag Days. The new implement then returned to Rapid City and will remain there until sold. Doug expects to stock two or three machines at a time as well as a number of parts for MTZ and older model Belarus tractors. “We will service all makes and models of ag equipment and our hours will vary, but are generally 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. We can be reached at 204-826-2959 or 204-867-0702.”