Honored Indiana Farmer Discusses Tools of Trade

BRIGHTON, IL, April 21, 2011…Jim Kline of Hartford City, IN., knows the value of investing time into all aspects of the family farm, especially the setup and management of an accurate accounting system.

Recently named the Top Producer of the Year for 2011, Kline of Kline Family Farms uses the latest release AgriSolutions(R) AgManager(R) software. As a partnership with four companies in which they farm over 7,500 acres of land, Kline explains that due to the complexity of their business, their previous software program would have required modification to get the managerial information required to move their business forward.

Kline said he and his company controller worked together with an AgriSolutions' Consultant to configure AgManager for their specific operation.

"The process was seamless and did not require us to spend a lot of time setting up a new financial system. We now have the managerial reports that allow us to identify efficiency and trends within profit centers," he said. "And it analyzes asset efficiency trends within our business. We track cash flow, liquidity and overall profitability in a timely and accurate manner."

Kline has systematically grown his farming operation over the last 38 years from renting just 100 acres from his parents when he was in high school to its current size consisting of corn, soybeans and seed wheat acres. He also is one member of a joint farming venture raising eucalyptus in Brazil.

Since fully integrating AgriSolutions' AgManager software system, Kline makes better business decisions through benchmarking comparisons with other operations of similar size and type.

"Before our last managerial analyses with our Consultant, we had planned to invest in an area of our operation that, in retrospect, would not have paid off," he said. "Instead, we decided to change the plan and invest differently, which will likely end up making a significant improvement on our net income over the next several years."

Kline recommends that other producers wanting to improve or grow their operations take advantage of AgManager (either on-farm or out-sourced through AgriSolutions service bureau) and begin working with an AgriSolutions Consultant to meet their specific needs.

AgriSolutions offers a full-line of products and services to farmers supporting today's agricultural operations, including consulting, accounting/business management systems, education, benchmarking comparisons and tax services. Their AgManager accounting software, which was designed specifically for agriculture, has been continuously improved over the past 30 years. Ryan Skirvin, consulting manager, assists producers with pulling information from AgManager and analyzing that information.

"AgManager is an ag-specific accounting product that meets the ever-changing financial management needs of today's agricultural operations," he said. "It's fully customizable and allows owners to manage their profits and operations more efficiently and effectively through use of profit and cost centers and production units."

Other consulting services offered by AgriSolutions include historical performance analysis, business planning and growth, credit sourcing, entity consolidation, project consulting, strategic planning assistance and planning for financial success. Business succession, and estate and retirement planning services also are available.

"Producers also can rely on AgriSolutions for ongoing technical support and participate in educational web-based seminars," Skirvin said. "Financial and management consulting, strategic tax planning and preparation services, and our education services are available regardless what accounting product clients use."

To learn more about AgManager and AgriSolutions financial management services, visit AgriSolutions on the Internet at www.agrisolutions.com, or call (877) 372-3003.

AgriSolutions Inc. provides industry-leading management consulting, accounting software and services, educational programs, and tax planning and preparation, all specifically designed to help agricultural producers be more effective business managers. AgriSolutions is headquartered in Brighton, Illinois, 35 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. For more information please visit www.agrisolutions.com.

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