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2014 Business Outlook Report [machines] and what they may be required to do," he said. "In a nutshell, [however], Tier-4 is just going to cost us all a lot of money." South Florida Kubota Dealer. Todd Bachman, from Florida Coast Equipment based in Boynton Beach, says South Florida is hot, and he's not talking about the temperature. It's not export hot either – it's building hot. And housing inventory is now among the lowest in the country compared to three years ago when the state was one of the worst housing markets. From his vantage point, Tier-4 Final is working in his favor, slowing down some of his competition – "we are literally getting some business just because some people can't deliver," he said. In Fort Pierce, Bachman's company serves the agriculture market – vegetables and citrus – and it's on fire. "They're making money hand over fist and they're trying to figure out how to get production up," he said. "The only way to do it is to spray, and the only way to spray is to buy tractors." Because of the ag market, Bachman's No. 1 legislative concern is getting immigration done right. It takes 800,000 immigrant workers to get crops out of the field, he says. "If the Immigration Bill goes wrong, we will have a serious problem. His farmer customers will also be hurt if changes are made to minimum wage. Florida pays very high wages, so that's not the issue – "The grocery store chain is going to have to pay a little bit more ...and they're just going to want to squeeze on the other side, on the farmer's side," Bachman said. A niche company that knows "you can't out-Cat Cat or out-Deere Deere," Bachman has found holes where he can excel and made a good living. And he doesn't try to compete for rental business against all the nationals in South Florida, either – "it's the Super Bowl of equipment down here," he says. So he takes a different approach with rental and aims for the RPO market. "My angle is, if you don't want to just pitch your money down the road at a rental, I'll charge you a little bit more than the rental company will, but I'll give you 80 percent toward your purchase." Like other dealers we spoke to, Bachman is deeply dissatisfied with the current administration, its policies, and also a spreading sentiment of entitlement in the country where people can wriggle away from financial obligations and get the proverbial free lunch. But someone's always got to pay. And while Florida grows a lot, it hasn't figured out yet how to grow money. (continued on next page) Ground Engaging one Scoop at a Time s See U h ot at Bo #739 woodsequipment.com 800-848-3447 Please visit us in CONDEX Booth 739. January 2014 | Construction Equipment Distribution | www.cedmag.com | 43