John Deere has always worked to offer financial solutions to clients, ever since they allowed farmers to purchase their first ploughs on credit. The service has since expanded and formalised, but at its heart, the company still works to empower clients with innovative, tailored solutions that meet their unique needs.
“Until 2013, most countries outside South Africa offered no asset finance for agricultural equipment,” explains Antois van der Westhuizen, managing director at John Deere Financial.
“This changed when John Deere Financial and our alliance partners began expanding in seven African countries. Today, John Deere Financial offers financing in 19 countries outside South Africa.”
Building on this legacy, John Deere Financial is stepping into the future by enabling better access to market-leading finance solutions and an excellent support structure.
Financing needs to make sense for a client’s particular circumstances. Agriculture has a unique cash flow cycle, which is why John Deere Financial offers flexible financing.
“Advances in technology in banking and agriculture give us the opportunity to think differently about agricultural financing,” says Van der Westhuizen.
“We know attractive interest rates alone aren’t a strong enough motivator to finance through John Deere Financial. We need to be an enabler for farmers, not just a financier, providing the best solutions at a good price through a seamless process.”
John Deere Financial enables clients to access the latest technology and make their operations as efficient as possible. Effective mechanisation in agriculture is crucial to driving increased production and food security. Equipment leases allow clients to preserve their capital, adapt to seasonal workloads, and work with the latest technology on offer.
By focusing services, internalising essential processes, and incorporating the latest technology, John Deere Financial can now make financing much faster and more convenient. John Deere clients and dealers can initiate and apply for financing with greater ease and access to a larger spectrum of financing solutions.
The financial application process is streamlined through electronic signatures on contracts and certain security documents, which boosts convenience and turnaround times.
To provide a complete service, finance products and best-in-class interest rates have to be paired with strong relationships.
“John Deere Financial has increased our dedicated sales and support staff to handle larger volumes,” says Van der Westhuizen.
“At John Deere Financial, everyone from our management to our John Deere Finance Specialists and our back-office team, works to give clients the most efficient service.”
Going forward, the John Deere Finance Specialists will focus their attention on guiding clients in their financing decisions. They will become the farmer’s trusted advisors, listening to their needs and developing personalised solutions.
John Deere Financial is one of the largest providers of financial services to agriculture, turf, construction, and forestry customers, supporting the sale of John Deere equipment globally.
“We continue to refine and adapt our service so that we can enable our clients to do what they do best.
“We listen to our customers to reinvent financing experiences, driving world-class support and leading technology, backed by strong relationships,” concludes Van der Westhuizen.
For more info, visit: www.deere.africa.
