ECA’s President/CEO Roy Kern is especially excited to announce the hiring of his son Rod who represents the fourth generation of the Kern family.

“Rod will follow a similar path to my own by joining ECA at the ground level and learning all aspects of our operation from the ground up,”

he says.

“That experience will prepare him to eventually guide ECA in its second century of business.”

Rod Kern joins the ECA BAUER Service Team as an Applications Engineering Manager. While completing his Civil Engineering Degree from Penn State, he worked at ECA as a Mechanic’s Assistant and then took on several internships. After graduation, Rod went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and Geotechnical Engineering from Cornell University. Once he completed those degrees, Rod began working for Moretrench (Keller North America) as a Staff Engineer. During his four years at Moretrench, Rod worked on a variety of large construction projects and was eventually promoted to Assistant Project Manager. His field and customer experience, combined with his education, allow him to find effective solutions to geotechnical problems for ECA’s customers.

As BAUER and KLEMM Service Engineer, Gus Delfarno expands ECA’s BAUER Service Team capabilities. The “Swiss Army Knife” of technicians, Gus began his career 10 years ago as a shop mechanic at Hayward Baker (Keller North America). From the shop, he moved on to become a field mechanic learning how to service, assemble, repair, troubleshoot, and operate all equipment owned by Hayward Baker. His curiosity and passion for learning how to work on and operate various types of equipment make him a versatile and highly useful addition to ECA’s BAUER Service Team.

Greg Barta joins ECA as Mid-Atlantic Account Manager. Greg started out in the United States Coast Guard and has since spent his time in various sales roles for Caterpillar equipment dealerships around the country. He enjoys staying up to date with the latest technological advances in the field and behind the scenes so he can offer the most accurate and productive support.

Matt Nastala has been named Philadelphia Service Manager. While Matt excels at customer communication, he really shines when it comes to system improvement and safety implementation. Matt previously worked for a Caterpillar dealer so his experience with heavy equipment makes him adept at recognizing issues, gathering data, and recommending a course of action.

Stephen Funaiock has been named Pittsburgh Service Manager. He started out in paving materials and quickly moved on to the service supervisor before being promoted to Shop Manager for Cleveland Brothers. He later worked at American Contractors Equipment Company as manager of both the parts and service departments. Stephen’s reputation as an organized, dedicated, and detail-oriented team player will serve him well in this role.

Rex Christensen joins ECA as Midwest Account Manager. He is a seasoned professional known for developing and maintaining strong client relationships. Rex’s vast knowledge of equipment, especially in the mining industry, allows him to offer unmatched field service and technical support. Experience with training, safety, and project coordination made him an obvious choice for this new position.

“While there is no question the Coronavirus Pandemic has presented new challenges in the short term, ECA has always operated with a long-term outlook,”

says Vice President – Sales and Marketing Jeff Harmston.

“The hiring of talented employees represents our view that it’s important to constantly invest in our ability to serve the industry regardless of economic conditions.”

ECA has been a leading supplier of foundation construction equipment in the Eastern United States and Eastern Canada for more than a century. We are the exclusive distributor for BAUER Drilling Rigs, KLEMM Anchor and Micropile Drilling Rigs, RTG Piling Rigs, and BAUER MAT Slurry Handling Systems. We also distribute HPSI Vibratory Pile Hammers, WORD International Drill Attachments, Dawson Construction Products, ALLU Ground Improvement Equipment, Pile Master Air Hammers, DIGGA Dangle Drills, Olin Concrete Pumps, and KB International synthetic polymer slurry. ECA offers sales, rentals, service, and parts from nine facilities throughout the Eastern U.S. and Eastern Canadian Provinces. Visit ecanet.com for the latest information on our ever-improving specialty foundation equipment solutions.

The post ECA expands team to support long-term growth vision appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

Their first Hustler was purchased some 23 years ago on Russell’s family farm and the time has come for an update. We’re glad we could help with choosing another Hustler bale feeder that fits the operation and ticks all the boxes for Russell and his right hand Gary. Especially the accurate self-loading system of the Hustler Chainless TX205 has been an attractive feature for Russell.

Russell and Gary welcome us in Moa Creek, where they feed 1500-2000 bales between their family farm and a lease block. Their first Hustler bale feeder is still in operation after 23 years of service and according to Russell, “there only was the odd hick-up, mostly due to human error.” So they were happy to choose another Hustler bale processor when increasing the size of their operation, this time the latest generation Chainless TX205.

Gary likes the fact that the Chainless TX205 is easy to use and there aren’t many moving parts on the bale unroller – so not a lot to go wrong.  Low maintenance and robust materials are part of the reason, why their first Hustler lasted over 20 years.

“The loading system is more accurate” Russell notes. “It takes the guess-work out of setting up a bale correctly on the bed.” The integrated tynes mean that Russell is able to set up the bale correctly and consistent each time, straight away. Which is a lot more accurate than letting the bale slide from a rail or the forks of the tractor. Rather than having to stop and correct the way the bale is sitting or unrolling while on the job, the Hustler self-loading system makes sure the bale is sitting perfectly in the chamber each time.

Not only does this save time and makes a difference to Russell, but it is also safer than any other bale loading system. The bale can be unwrapped above the feed cradle, reducing waste. The operator decides to not load the bale? No problem, as the loading sequence can be reversed just as easily.

Source: Hustler Equipment

The post [Job story] Moa Creek adds a second Hustler Chainless bale feeder appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

Would it be surprising to find out this summery city is actually the winter vegetable capital of the world – and that agriculture is its number one industry? The city is Yuma, Arizona; one that most associate with being a dusty, desert landscape is rich and vibrant with agricultural variety and is home to one of the places growers can find RDO Equipment Co. and John Deere tractors.

If it’s hard to believe Yuma is a bountiful agricultural community, just look at Jon Dinsmore’s Instagram account (@thefarmerjon). Yuma is the place where this fourth-generation farmer learned about planting, harvesting, caring for the crops that are now his livelihood.

The Challenge: Year-Round Agriculture Requires Well-Rounded Machines

With 1,200 acres of farmland in Yuma’s diverse and year-round farming area, Dinsmore Farms grows a variety of crops throughout the year.

“We grow a large mix of lettuces and cilantro during ‘produce months’ then alfalfa, Sudan grass, and Durum wheat in the spring and summer,”

Jon said. Along with producing a large variety of crops comes the challenge of finding equipment that can handle the different practices each requires.

“It’s tough to see large tractors parked on the sidelines,”

he explained.

“If they’re not suitable for the crop we’re growing at that time, we can’t use them.”

Jon was always interested in a tractor that could handle a variety of Dinsmore Farms’ practices, particularly its various tillage needs, so it could be productive and working most of the year vs. sitting idle.

The challenge was finding a tractor that could work with the different implements, to go from tilling one season to listing up beds during produce season. If the right equipment was deployed, Jon estimated that it could get them,

“an additional two to three months of work out of the one tractor.”

Smoothing A Rocky Past

As Jon set out to find the right tractor, he had to confront some of his own preconceived opinions. The farm had historically owned and operated a certain brand of equipment, a decision that traces back years before he was ever involved in the business.

“A main reason our farm ran the color and brand we did for so many years is because we were always told John Deere was too expensive,”

Jon said. But he wanted to explore all of his options and set out to find a dealer that could help him get to the bottom of this family folklore and educate him on his options with Deere.

It was then that Jon confronted his second preconceived opinion: dealer reputation. More than two decades ago, the Deere dealer in Yuma wasn’t a great partner to Dinsmore Farms. Jon explained,

“The service aspect just wasn’t there, both my grandfather and father didn’t have positive experiences.”

It’s easy to see how this type of family tradition gets passed down. But Jon says, throughout the years, he noticed the new Deere dealer that entered Yuma in the 1990s, RDO Equipment Co., was different. The way it does business, partners with customers, even its presence in the community have all helped erase the memories of the previous dealership for Jon. That, plus the genuine approach of the team members themselves gave him ample reasons to overcome his long-held convictions. He decided he needed to give RDO the chance to earn business.

About five years ago, Brant Palmer, Precision Product Specialist, Joe Twomey, Regional Sales Manager, and Bobby Walker, Account Manager, began working with Jon, trying to build a relationship and offer solutions they believed would further Dinsmore Farms’ success and solve their unique challenges.

“They gave us opportunities to demo smaller tractors to see if John Deere machines would be a good fit for us,”

Jon said.

“We really liked how the Deere tractors ran, they’re strong machines with more power than what we’d been running.”

That initial experience gave Jon the motivation he needed. As a result of the strong personal relationship plus a new conviction in the power of Deere, Dinsmore Farms converted to three Deere machines for hay work, then made a bigger move two years ago with Deere’s 8345 tillage tractors.

Green equipment would continue to find its way into the Dinsmore Farms’ fleet with another opportunity to address one of Jon’s biggest problems, the earlier-mentioned need for a more productive, robust tractor.

The Solution: Machines

In the spring of 2020, Dinsmore Farms’ Account Manager, Bobby had been talking about Deere’s new 8RX tractor and that it might be the versatile workhorse Jon was looking for, one that could handle multiple tillage practices and give the farm the extra two to three months of productivity it needed.

Coincidentally, Jon had been doing his homework on this tractor. All the online reviews he saw were good. He also follows Precision Product Specialist, Brant on Twitter and enjoyed all the photos and experiences in the valley he was sharing of the tractor.

“Plus,”

he said with a laugh,

“it looked like a cool tractor. It kind of draws out the little kid in you when you see it.”

As they had done in the past, the RDO team arranged for Jon to demo the tractor. Jon was interested to see how the tractor would handle the farm’s various implements, how much impact it had on the field, and how it integrated technology and data management.

The Results Are In

When it came to Jon’s goal of less field impact, the 8RX performed as he’d hoped, saying,

“With the 8RX, I was really surprised it could turn as sharp without leaving as much of a trace. Our experience with two-track tractors was they’d leave a mound of dirt after pivoting at the end of each row.”

In addition to fields looking more aesthetically appealing, the performance cut down on added clean-up work of the mounds.

Jon was pleased with the tractor’s performance, both in terms of having the power to handle implements, as well as the added bonus of comfort.

“It’s a good, stable tractor in the field,”

he said.

“It really grabs the ground and distributes that power.”

Jon continued, pointing out the 8RX could handle a variety of implements, while being fuel-efficient and providing a smooth, comfortable ride.

The technology aspect also impressed him, saying,

“We had no GPS issues. When trying to get an A/B line, the tractor didn’t waver off point, which is a big deal, because with other systems, we’ve experienced down moments when they drop the satellite signal.”

Jon further commented on this key aspect, noting the ease of data sharing from the machines to their devices.

“I can pull up everything right on my phone, be able to monitor hours, keep track of where the machine is, watch all the data easily. RDO also has access so Brant can send us breakdowns and make it easier to understand the usage reports. It takes the pressure off us because, we all know that when work gets busy, you can get complacent. But the reports make it easy to understand the data and get us to best usage.”

Speaking of usage, the real benefit xperienced from the 8RX demo was the one that he’d hoped for and directly affected the bottom line.

“Using the 8RX, we realized we can downsize from running two competitive-brand tractors because it does everything we need,” he said. Jon also recalled his earlier comment, his father’s and grandfather’s previous concern with Deere equipment being too expensive.

“There’s a lot of available technology that gives us more opportunities. That’s on top of the savings that come from getting more production out of a single machine. Overall, it saves us money.”

While not a drawback of the machine, Jon acknowledged one adjustment they’ll have to make with the 8RX is monitoring hours and maintenance due to the tractor running more hours than they’re used to.

“With two tractors we’d normally share the workload, so with the increased hours per machine, we’re cautious not to over use it.”

The demo period went so well that Jon decided to move ahead with a purchase of the 8RX tractor. He’s eager to have it as a permanent fixture in the fleet so he can keep doing what he loves – farming.

The Future of Farming

Jon’s long family farming history is certainly a point of pride but he’s glad he further investigated the family’s folklore on Deere and the local dealer. In selecting his Deere equipment, Jon is starting new family traditions and using those machines to power them forward.

“It wasn’t until I got a little older I really started to grasp and understand what a blessing of an opportunity it was to grow up on the farm,”

he said.

“I always wanted to follow my grandpa and dad, and now I get to provide that same opportunity for my kids.”

Jon says that, even if they don’t share his same passion and follow in the family’s farming footsteps, the lessons learned on the farm will serve them well, no matter the path they take.

“I don’t know if any of them have it in their heart but I hope they find whatever it is that lights the fire like farming does for me,”

he said.

SIDEBAR – Making Farming Social

With more than 5,000 followers and dozens of photos and videos shared every month, Jon has done something many farmers haven’t – in fact, something many Instagram users haven’t: created an engaged fan base that gets a behind-the-scenes look at the hard work and beauty that is farming. And for Jon, the value of social media has nothing to do with how many likes and comments he gets.

“I love to connect with other farmers on Instagram, from everywhere,”

he said.

“It’s especially fun when people tell me my photos remind them of their farm where they grew up, even if they’re not still in the business.”

As a professional farmer, part of the Dinsmore Farms family, Jon also appreciates the business aspect that comes with the connections he has built, opportunities to share ideas and best practices, and see new equipment.

“There’s real business that happens on social media,”

he added.

In addition to Instagram, Jon is also on Twitter (@thefarmerjon).

Source: RDO Equipment Co.

The post RDO Equipment Co. and John Deere Tractors Team Up for a Yuma Farmer appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

With the help of a Hustler Chainless mounted bale unroller he can still easily feed his cattle from the comfort of his tractor seat, without having to jump in and out of the cab frequently or pulling a rope to disconnect the feeder.

“There are only two flat spots on this farm: the bed and the table”

Bob jokes. Rolling hill country can be hard to navigate, especially in winter. The Hustler Chainless bale unrollers are compact, light and safe for hilly terrain, which will guarantee operation wherever your tractor goes.

The couple from Ponderosa Ranch bought their first Hustler 15 years ago and have recently decided to equip a second tractor with a Hustler Chainless bale feeder, as their property has become more spread out.

“A good and strong product”

Bob especially appreciates the ease of use of the machine, the compact size, which makes it easy to get through gates and the easy loading process with integrated tynes. The Hustler Chainless mounted bale unroller is perfect for a one-man-operation and for Bob it means that at 77, he can still feed all of his cattle from the comfort of his tractor seat.  About Hustler Equipment, Bob says:

“From a company point of view they’re easy to work with”.

Another strong feature of our Chainless bale unrollers is the patented auto-connection system Snaplox, which makes loading and connecting the bale feeder easy.

12 Advantages of the Snaplox Hand-Free Connection System:

1. No need to pull on a rope, whilst simultaneously juggling the 3 point linkage lift height and reverser
2. No more strain or twisting of your back
3. No hydraulics
4. No need to pull on a hydraulic lever to disconnect
5. No need to remember to reset a hydraulic lever to enable it to lock again
6. No wasted time plugging in extra hydraulic remotes
7. No need to wait for hydraulics when disconnecting
8. No smashed rear windows
9. No accidental disconnection
10. No twisting of the frame
11. Works on front-end-loaders opening up a huge efficiency and versatility advantage
12. Just simple reliable, a mechanical action that is seamless and fool-proof and operates naturally

Source: Hustler

The post Feeding Cattle at 77 Years Old – No Problem with a Hustler Bale Unroller appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.