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A Feasibility Model For Farm Supply Firm Mergers, Donald R. Schwartz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

South Dakota is currently witnessing a revolutionary change in its elevator-farm supply industry. Technology applied in all phases of the industry -- production, processing, and distribution -- has had an impact upon the structure of the industry. Some of the changes taking place within the industry have been fostered by changes in other sectors of the economy. Employment opportunities and increasing wage rates have provided many marginal firm operators more favorable alternatives outside the elevator-farm supply business. Simultaneously, economic growth has encouraged new investments in larger grain handling and farm supply firms, thus hastening the adoption of technological developments. These …