Ever wonder what it means to start a revolution? We re not sure Gary Vermeer knew that this was what he was doing, but when his first large round baler hit the market 50 years ago, it was what we often call today a game changer. But we wanted to know more.
We connected with Mindi Vanden Bosch, who heads up the forage solutions group at Vermeer; and Mark Core, executive vice president and chief marketing officer to talk about the company s history. Since Vermeer was founded in 1948, we wondered what Vermeer was doing before he built that first large round baler.
Vermeer Corporation is celebrating a special milestone.
Director of Forage Solutions Mindi Vanden Bosch says the introduction of the Vermeer round baler in 1971 had a major influence on producers harvested hay.
She says prior to the invention of the Vermeer “big, round baler,” haymaking was a time-consuming, laborious job. When a local farmer told Gary Vermeer the process had him on the verge of leaving the cattle business, Gary started designing a “one-person hay system” a baler that a single person could operate and one that opened a whole new level of productivity in the field.
Vermeer has planned a number of activities that will take place at the factory, online and across and its dealerships. On Thursday between noon and 1 p.m., Vermeer has planned a special celebration from their plants along the Vermeer Mile through the City of Pella. There will be 50 balers shipped out to recognize the occasion.
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.