Meridian business is an online marketplace for consigning and appraising machinery
Chris Berry, owner of Berry Machinery, utilizes technology and word of mouth, combined with basic business and sales skills, to move equipment and reach prospective buyers and sellers. He has created an online marketplace where he posts large farm equipment being sold by hundreds of farm owners.
Berry Machinery was founded in the fall of 2011 and remains a one-man business. Berry works hard optimizing his Web site – www.berrymachinery.com – and has taken the necessary steps to be found easily on search engines. He treats the Web site as his store front, spending extensive time updating and optimizing the site. The company is focused on two revenue streams – farm equipment sales and equipment appraisals.
“What I’m doing isn’t necessarily groundbreaking; I’m just moving equipment in a more efficient way,” said Berry. “I’ve had great success in the Northwest and now I’m looking into breaking into international markets and further expanding my business.”
The equipment sales portion of the business focuses on consigning and selling equipment owned by farmers. Usually, most farmers have some equipment that they are no longer using or equipment they’d like to update. Instead of the farmer taking time away from his full-time job, Berry takes the hassle out of selling equipment that the farm no longer needs. Berry will go out to the farm to photograph and inspect the machine where it sits. It takes very little effort on the farmer’s part and Berry simply charges a 5-percent consignment fee. For example, Berry is working to move a composter from Jerome to Australia.
The appraisal portion of the business also is growing. Requests for appraisals come primarily from banks, but he also receives opportunities from private businesses, attorneys and accountants. Most often, banks find it beneficial to have certified equipment appraisals done on a client’s collateral in order to provide financing.
Berry uses electronic marketing to bring visibility to his business, which includes listing equipment on his Web site. He strives to provide as much information to the prospective buyer as possible, which includes plenty of good quality pictures and the price of the equipment. Berry’s long-term strategy is to continue growing the business and adding more employees.
Berry Machinery sells equipment consistently in Idaho, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, and Montana. However, Berry also has sold equipment in the Midwest, Canada, and Australia. Based on his experiences in Canada and Australia, Berry is extremely interested in breaking further into international markets.
“I know from experience that there’s a good source of farm equipment in the Northwest and I see many opportunities to buy and sell in additional countries,” Berry said.
To learn more about Berry Machinery, visit www.berrymachinery.com