RACINE, Wis. — With the click of a mouse, a consortium of Case IH dealerships in central Ohio bought one of the most unique skid steers around and became a major benefactor of the FFA at national, regional and local levels. The final bid of $77,000 won Evolution AG LLC the online auction for “Red Power” – a one-of-a-kind skid steer donated by Case IH to raise funds for the organization. Evolution AG LLC is a recently formed Case IH dealership and is already having an impact with its support of Agricultural Education and the FFA.

In fact, 89 percent of the sale proceeds will go to the National FFA Foundation and 10 percent to the Ohio FFA Foundation. One percent will be awarded to Buckeye Valley FFA, the local chapter selected by Evolution AG LLC, which is the parent of JR Equipment, Inc., Hill Implement Co., and Agri-Trac, all with locations in Ohio.

“We congratulate Evolution AG on its winning bid,” says Kyle Russell, Case IH Senior Director of Marketing. “Case IH has a long history of support for FFA and youth programs, and we are proud to contribute to a program that has done so much to help students Be Ready for future careers in agriculture.”

Doug Loudenslager, one of the owners of Evolution AG LLC is thrilled to bring “Red Power” to Ohio. As a former FFA member and national officer, he knows the tremendous impact the organization has on members, as well as communities. He also served as Chief Operating Officer of the National FFA Organization and National FFA Foundation from 2004 to 2009.

“Evolution AG and Case IH recognize the big job in front of us,” says Loudenslager. “It is widely recognized that we’ll need to double food production in the next 30 years. It’s going to take not only new developments in technology and equipment, we also are going to need talented and motivated young people who are excited about the opportunities offered in the agricultural industry.

Anything we can do to encourage young people, especially at the high school level to get a good educational and leadership development foundation with agricultural education and the FFA, and then go on to post-secondary education, will help us collectively as an industry.”

The online auction kicked off at the 2012 Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, where “Red Power” was on display in the Case IH exhibit. Crowds of show attendees checked out its many special upgrades and high-tech features. Created as a cooperative project between Case IH and its sister company, Case Construction, “Red Power” is a Case model SV250 skid steer, which features 82 gross engine horsepower and a 2,500-pound rated operating capacity (ROC). This special-edition skid steer sports dual chrome exhaust stacks, custom eight-spoke-pattern wheels, tinted cab windows, a custom red leather seat, special LED lighting and other premium features.

The auction was conducted by Purple Wave, a full-service equipment auction firm, from Aug. 28 through Sept. 30. Purple Wave donated its 10 percent buyer’s fee to support FFA as well. “We were honored to be part of this project to benefit the unparalleled programs the FFA delivers,” says Jerrod Westfahl, President and Chief Executive Officer of Purple Wave.

“We truly appreciate this significant contribution from Case IH and Purple Wave to support FFA programs and activities,” says Rob Cooper, National FFA Foundation Executive Director. “Proceeds from the sale of the Case IH ‘Red Power’ skid steer will help our members on the local, state and national level.”

Buckeye Valley FFA Adviser Jamie Gregory is excited to have the additional funds and plans to use them to bolster ongoing programs within the chapter.

Case IH is a global leader in agricultural equipment, committed to collaborating with its customers to develop the most powerful, productive, reliable equipment – designed to meet today’s agricultural challenges. Challenges like feeding an expanding global population on less land, meeting ever-changing government regulations and managing input costs. With headquarters in the United States, Case IH has a network of dealers and distributors that operates in over 160 countries. Case IH provides agricultural equipment systems, flexible financial service offerings and parts and service support for professional farmers and commercial operators through a dedicated network of professional dealers and distributors. Productivity enhancing products include tractors; combines and harvesters; hay and forage equipment; tillage tools; planting and seeding systems; sprayers and applicators; site-specific farming tools and utility vehicles. Case IH is a brand of CNH (NYSE: CNH), a majority-owned subsidiary of Fiat Industrial S.p.A. (FI. MI).

About the National FFA Foundation
The National FFA Foundation builds partnerships with industry, education, government, other foundations and individuals to secure financial resources that fund FFA activities, recognize member achievements, develop student leaders and support the future of agriculture education. Governed by a 19-member board of trustees comprised of educators, business leaders, individual donors and FFA alumni, the foundation is a separately registered nonprofit organization. Approximately 82 percent of all sponsorship funding received by the foundation supports opportunities for FFA members and agricultural education. For more, visit the National FFA Foundation at http://www.FFA.org/donate.

About National FFA Organization
The National FFA Organization is a national youth organization of 557,318 student members as part of 7,498 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. The National FFA Organization operates under a federal charter granted by the 81st United States Congress and it is an integral part of public instruction in agriculture. The U.S. Department of Education provides leadership and helps set direction for FFA as a service to state and local agricultural education programs. For more, visit the National FFA Organization online at www.FFA.org, on Facebook, Twitter and the official National FFA Organization blog.

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