You guys really can't read on this page, can youIJ I thought is was just a joke that everyone was telling. :^) If you would pay attention to those farming magazines that we all can't seem to get along without, you would be enlightened to know the facts about the ever changing ag machinery business. There really isn't anything new going on that hasn't been going on for years, it just isn't happening quite as fast as it did in the seventies. We just have some mighty big "global" players involved today. By the way, isn't it about time that an archeological dig starts on the site of the old Oliver plant! Ten thousand years from now, such a plant of that magnitude, in the middle of Nowhere, Iowa, will hopefully have about the same impact as the tomb of King Tut. The old CaseIH Axial-flow plant, now with its windows all borded up and standing like a hulking shell will have to sit and rot until "superfund" takes over, or until Deere buys it for $1 to use as a parking garage for Harvester Works (they sit across the street from each other for those who aren't familiar). It will be interesting to see who survives the next ten years. My take is that CaseIH and New Holland will continue to merge into one, possibly owned by another company. Deere may get bought out by a much larger diversified and agressive company. Claas will continue on its path as a manufacturer of premium grade_value added harvesting products, possibly offering a tractor someday. Buhler will fall victim to excessive development costs associated with the EPA's tier 4 emissions requirements and low volume production, McCormick hinges on its investment groups roots. AGCO, who knows. Its parts division might just have a nervous break down from managing its ever changing list of part numbers for different colors of paint!