If farm equipment dealers need proof that their ranks are steadily shrinking, in terms of owners-principals, they need only to look at the numbers.

In 2009, the first year that Ag Equipment Intelligence and Currie Management Consultants began tracking consolidation trends, 12 North American farm equipment dealership groups operated 15 or more store locations. This number rose to 16 dealer groups in 2010. But with the realignment of some Caterpillar dealerships that carried AGCO’s Challenger…