About Us
Mr. Wilmer Otto
Founder: global responsibilities
Wilmer Otto is a 5th generation businessman in his family in the Central Illinois town of Arcola, Illinois. His father, Milton Otto entered the farm equipment business in 1957, and Wilmer Otto worked in his business during his youth. In 1978 Wilmer had the opportunity to buy the nearby dealership now known as Arthur Farm Pride and has been growing the dealership ever since. The entrance to Ukraine in 2002 was characterized by introducing the first financing under the program of the United States Export Import Bank for refurbished agricultural equipment. Since then the exporting company, Equipment Direct, with its sister companies have made shipments to numerous clients across Eastern Europe and Africa. The shipments have included Case IH, John Deere, Massey Ferguson, and Claas agricultural equipment, long distance hauling semi-tractor trucks, Robinson helicopters, grain dryers, and luxury automobiles all with 5 year financing under the Ex Im Bank program.
Otto also has developed within the United States cable TV systems, real estate developments of apartments, motels, residential subdivisions, farm land holdings, and industrial office warehouse buildings. He is most pleased to be involved in the modernization of Ukraine’s agriculture and businesses.
He is also involved in businesses in Romania and Angola.
Mr. Oleh V. Poletayev
Country Manager: Odessa, Ukraine
Oleh Poletayev has been a country manager for Equipment Direct in various locations of Ukraine and now he is heading the Odessa display yard and a service shop. Prior to this position Oleh was part of D'Artur TransConsult LLC team as a project manager in Kyiv and Sumy. He was consulting foreign investors on issues of recruitment of personnel for foreign agribusinesses in Ukraine. Previously Oleh was a general manager for Euroforum LLC, the company which was a head hunting company in Ukraine prescreening the candidates for the world’s leading cruise companies (“Carnival Cruise Lines”, “Apollo Ship Chandlers” “Norwegian Cruise Line”. Oleh holds a Bachelor's degree in English and German.