Full Audio: Industry Insight Panel at MT Equipment Dealer Meeting

From ag to construction...banking, accounting, and insurance...we had a GREAT industry panel all around at the Montana Equipment Dealers Association annual meeting in Whitefish last week.

We asked the panelists from a cross section of industry what keeps them up at night. We also asked how they plan on changing operations in the next 18-24 months based on what is happening today. And, we looked at how technology is impacting a variety of industries.

Travis Brown with the LO Cattle Ranch near Sand Springs talked about how ranchers like him are now using RFID technology to track their cattle.

Travis Brown: The data flow has gotten so good. The example that I use is- most of our cows have an RFID tag in them now. So we're getting information back from our customers, which would be feedlots- on what we've got for how well the cattle are gaining, packing plants that are giving us information on how well the cattle are grading, and how they're working in their piece.

Joe Kola, the Market President of Stockman Bank in the Flathead Valley, talked about concerns over industry consolidation and rising interest rates.

Joe Kola: Healthcare consolidation and banking consolidation, the numbers of banks...that's shrinking as more and more kind of mom and pop shops face an increasing technology burden, regulatory burden, staffing burden. And I think eventually you kind of just throw your hand in the air and say uncle.

While other more nationally focused banks consolidate, Kola talked about how Stockman has continued to invest in storefront operations in Montana- where folks can still visit with their banker face to face. He also addressed the strength of Montana's economy compared to the rest of the country.

Here's the full audio from our coverage of the Montana Equipment Dealers' Annual Meeting: