Louisville, Ky.—Equip Exposition returned to Louisville for four busy days in October with its strongest turnout in 42 years. Nearly 30,000 landscapers, dealers and manufacturers moved through more than 1.2 million sq. ft. of sold-out indoor and outdoor exhibit space at the Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC), marking another year of double-digit growth in dealer attendance from all 50 states and 52 countries. Showing that in its fourth year as Equip, the show remains an annual priority for dealers to attend.                    

Common themes showed up in conversations across the floor and in feedback from several power equipment dealers in attendance. Whether they were young business owners or lifelong veterans of the industry, all noted the same two encompassing trends: Equip Expo keeps growing, and the landscape industry is expanding further into alternative power while continuing to optimize equipment.

Joseph Schrock, owner of Schrock’s Repair in Abbeville, SC, has been attending Equip since 2015 and goes every other year to stay current on the latest products and technology. His dealership, established in the Upstate region of South Carolina, carries a mix of mostly residential and some commercial equipment, including Exmark, Cub Cadet and Spartan mowers. The company also carries Stihl’s gas-powered and electric tools to include a full-service shop.                    

 “The floor seemed busy and aisles were tight. It was a great turnout,” Schrock says. This year, Schrock was focused on exploring various dealer management software to see what new programs could help streamline his shop’s operations. “It’s important for us to stay up to date on technology that can help our business run smoother,” he says. “Deliberating in person is always an advantage.”                            

Phillip DeMott, owner of DeMott Enterprises in Perrinton, Mich., has attended Equip for more than 20 years and says the trade show’s growth has been steady and measurable. His company, founded in 1973 and located in the central portion of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, sells Country Clipper zero-turns for residential and commercial usage among various parts and farm tools.

DeMott uses Equip as a yearly checkpoint to see what’s being rolled out and to remain up to date with evolving technology. Newer businesses felt the same energy and agreed. Wesley Riser, owner of Tri County Lawn & Garden in Withee, Wis., attended for the second time since establishing his company three years ago and says the turnout provided a solid read on industry health and creates confidence in where the market is headed. 

“There was plenty of foot traffic throughout the show floor,” Riser says. “We were shopping for new products and ideas, met a lot of great people and had several ideas.” A longtime industry voice also weighed in on how far the show has come in four decades. Buford Parrish, owner of Parrish Implement Co. in Prospect, Ky., has been tied to Equip since the beginning.                                    

 “I helped Warren Sellers get the inaugural show started and have fond memories of this expo and love what it’s grown into,” he says. Parrish previously served as president of the Kentucky Farm & Power Equipment Dealers Assn. and as a director of the national United Equipment Dealers Assn. He started his business in 1958 and has been a tractor dealer, selling Massey Furguson and Kubota, for almost 70 years.