Photos courtesy of Vermeer
PAST AND PRESENT: On the left is an early production model of the Vermeer 705 baler, the first commercial large round baler on the market. On the right is the new Vermeer 605. The large round baler has come a long way. It was 50 years ago that Gary Vermeer created that first large round baler. That one concept was the start of a new way to make feed, and solidified the future of the company.
There are many who may not know that Vermeer Mfg., existed before founder Gary Vermeer came up with the large round baler. He worked on a lot of solutions including trenchers and stump grinders, he was always working to solve problems, says Mindi Vanden Bosch, Vermeer s granddaughter.
With challenges posed to COVID-19 and ongoing trade disputes with the United States and foreign trade powers such as China, there were opportunities for global companies like Vermeer to slow down in 2020.
But according to CEO and President Jason Andringa, the past calendar year continued on previous years of growth in the vast majority of their markets.
“By and large, the Vermeer business has been strong and continues to be strong,” he says. “Obviously a significant part of Vermeer’s is the installation of underground infrastructure and the access to broadband/telecommunications has been one of the stars during this pandemic as people need to work, go to school, interact, and shop remotely–that part of the Vermeer business was incredibly strong before the pandemic, and did not slow down at all during the pandemic and the long-term prospects look incredibly favorable.”
After the turn of the calendar to January, a new U.S. Congress and President will be inaugurated, and one local manufacturer keeps a close eye on national and global politics through involvement with several organizations.
Vermeer CEO and President Jason Andringa serves on the Boards of Directors at both the National Association of Manufacturers and Association of Equipment Manufacturers, and says the Biden administration and a narrowly divided congress will be worth watching, and he believes a lot of what could change for the industry will be unveiled as a new Cabinet is installed and new representatives and senators are sworn into office.
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