June 17, 2002

'Sell-abration’ showtime: Part Three
An August ice show debuts multi-cylinder design

Dealers were up bright and early on Tuesday, August 30, anxious to see what had been anticipated for so long.

Many dealers walked from nearby hotels while others were shuttled on buses to the Dallas Memorial Auditorium.

Just as the day began to warm up, the doors opened at 9 a.m. and it was finally "showtime" for Deere.

As the crowd was seated comfortably in the air-conditioned auditorium, the hottest Dixieland band west of New Orleans (led by trumpeter Al Hirt) entertained guests with regional favorites like "Oklahoma," "The Eyes of Texas," "California Here I Come," and "Iowa."

On the arena floor below, an ice rink served as the venue for a well-choreographed Hollywood Ice Revue led by Mike Kirby, skating partner of movie star Sonja Henie.

Next up, a 10-minute film of Deere history shown on five specially designed movie screens suspended from the ceiling in a circle, giving every one in the auditorium an excellent view.

Deere hired a Chicago company to build the lightweight magnesium screens, which were shipped in sections and took a week to install. What’s more, five identical films had to be projected in perfect synchronization!

Televised "live" on the large movie screen, President/CEO William Hewitt welcomed everyone in person. Then the shroud of secrecy was lifted in a 10-minute film debuting the "New Generation of Power" tractor line of four multi-cylinder models.

The rest of the show included remarks from VP and Marketing Manager C.R. Carlson, another ice review focusing on the tractor’s finer points, a movie about the R&D process, and a closing segment of the ice show with the theme "great days are coming."

After a box lunch of fried chicken, 92 buses shuttled the masses to the dirt-floored Livestock Coliseum at the Texas State Fairgrounds.

In true fanfare style, the presentation debuted each ag and industrial model individually to a rousing round of applause and growing excitement accented by a "Cowgirl-type" precision drill team similar to the Kilgore Rangerettes.

At last the crowd could see the new tractors up close, kick the tires and bounce on the seats.

Dealers had 3.5 hours to wander around the largest exhibit of farm and industrial equipment ever displayed by a single manufacturer!

At a value of $2 million, the display included 136 new models and 223 implements — almost the entire ag and industrial line made by Deere.

Deere even co-opted with the State Fair to cover the $14,000 cost of re-paving the 15-acre parking lot.

A banner overlooked the huge display with a strong statement: "John Deere design, dependability and dealers make the difference."

After a social hour and Texas-style BBQ feast, the well-fed and –watered group went into the Cotton Bowl for the grand finale of fireworks.

Special designs featuring the John Deere logo, tractor outlines, and the New Generation of Power slogan exploded against the big Texas sky.

They were shuttled back to their hotels where they likely stayed awake a few more hours chatting with others about the features of the new models and what they meant to their business and Deere’s industry position.

Big-time BBQ
A Texas-sized feast for 6,500

After spending several hours out on the parking lot studying the new tractors and equipment, guests had worked up a Texas-sized thirst.

A real "saloon" as part of a recreated Western town helped quench parched patrons with the aid of at least 150 bartenders.

While relaxing and cooling off, guests could walk through the frontier town that also included a livery stable, Wells Fargo office, bank, "Boothill Monument Co." and a replica of Deere’s blacksmith shop.

Painted portraits of historical figures including Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp and Johnny Ringo lined the pioneer street.

By this time, most of the 6,500 had grown hungry from smelling the tantalizing open-pit barbecue cooked by Walter Jetton, the king of BBQ and close cooking confidant of next U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson. (Jetton would even write a cookbook of LBJ’s favorite recipes just five years later.)

To satisfy the appetites of 6,500 guests, the caterer served 5,000 pounds of beef, 1,800 pounds of ribs, 4,200 chickens, 300 gallons of ranch beans, 2,500 pounds of potato salad, 6,000 ears of corn, 1,500 pounds of Texas coleslaw, 15,000 sourdough biscuits, 7,500 apple turnovers, 300 pounds of butter, 10 barrels of iced tea and 200 gallons of hot coffee.

Diamonds are a Deere’s best friend

While the 6,500 guests ate a boxed lunch of fried chicken in a room below the auditorium, Hewitt and other VIPs arrived at the ritzy Neiman-Marcus store in downtown Dallas for a spectacular media event held at high noon.

In the front window near the famed jewelry counter stood a 20-foot-high gift-wrapped box.

With great ceremony, store founder Stanley Marcus unwrapped the mysterious package to reveal a diamond-studded 3010 Diesel tractor complete with a smiling Texas cowgirl in a shiny gold jumpsuit standing at the steering wheel.

Upon closer inspection, a diamond tiara hung around the upright exhaust pipe and smaller diamonds were taped to the "JOHN DEERE" lettering on the tractor’s decal.