By John Howell Sr.
Southern Applications Management (SAM) celebrated Wednesday with a ribbon-cutting to mark completion of remodeling and development of the 20,000 square foot building at Highway 6 East and Bethlehem Road into the ET Ag Center.

SAM’s flagship is the large, red, high-clearance, self-propelled Apache Sprayer that incorporates GPS and cab-computer technology to allow producers to apply precise quantities of essential farm chemicals at incrementally specific field areas with clockwork timing.

“Sprayers are our bread and butter,” said SAM President Paul Nielsen said. And with their sale comes a plethora of ancillary products, including Blu-Jet tillage and application equipment, Duo Lift trailer products, Force Unltd.’s – Agforce fertilizer spreaders, plus spray tips, hoses and hydraulics components.

“We know we have to educate our customers,” Nielsen said, “to be comfortable with and fully utilize the technologically that they purchase to help them be more efficient and profitable. SAM has built a classroom into the building that also houses a showroom with many interactive displays.
The Batesville SAM location will be a training center for both SAM employees and customers, Nielsen said, serving west Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, west Alabama, and of course, Mississippi.

Equipment Technologies President Matt Hays said the Batesville location offers ideal access to all farmers and custom applicators in the Mid-South.

Hays said that as the education process moves forward and allows farmers to become familiar with SAM’s representatives, much of the consulting work and parts and equipment purchases can be conducted by phone or online, curbing downtime in the field.

The SAM facility is located at 21129 Highway 6 East, Batesville and they can also be reached at 662-578-4684 or viewed online at www.spraywithsam.com.