Mindi VandenBosch, vice president operations and third generation family member received the award on behalf of the Vermeer team. “My grandfather was a farmer. He founded Vermeer on a spirit of innovation by simply searching for a better way to do hard work. Receiving this award is incredibly special as it indicates his legacy continues on. I am proud of the cool equipment we build and even more proud of the team who designs, builds and supports it,” said Mindi.

In attendance at the awards along with Mindi were Kent Thompson, and his wife Nancy. Kent led this idea to be brought to life. Terry Patterson and Stan Fynaardt were also in attendance. Both Terry and Stan have assisted in assembling every single ZR5 ever produced – since the very first prototype.

Congratulations to Vermeer on this exciting award and for bringing choice, value and innovation to agriculture!

| Member since 1998

You are cordially invited to join FEMA for the “Shortline Legends Hall of Fame,” presentation, which will take place at the upcoming Marketing & Distribution Convention in Kansas City. This event is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 1 and will be part of the General Session at 9:00 a.m.

Congratulations to the 2023 inaugural class of Farm Equipment Magazine’s “Shortline Legends Hall of Fame”

The Shortline Legends’ first honorees have already drawn comparisons to baseball’s first hall of fame class in 1936. That means the five names above are to farm equipment what Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson and Ty Cobb were to baseball.

Unfortunately, two of the inaugural class (Joseph MacDonald and Gary Vermeer) are no longer with us, but this honor will help to ensure that all are aware of what they accomplished and how they blazed the trail for today’s shortline businesses.

These individuals left an indelible mark on the industry and have also inspired countless others with their innovation, dedication, and commitment to excellence. Their contributions have played a pivotal role in shaping the machinery and dealer distribution landscape in North America.

A special thank you for the article to Mike Lessiter, from Lessiter Media, long-time member of the Association, since 1970, who has served in several capacities with FEMA and is a frequent industry speaker.

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The company, now known in construction for its trenchers, directional drills and environmental equipment, began when Gary created a mechanical hoist for his grain wagon. Word about the invention spread quickly and sparked a career – and booming business – in equipment design and development for the farmer.

Third-generation family member, president and CEO Jason Andringa says the company will continue to honor Gary’s legacy of innovation and community support during its next 75 years in business.

 â€śWith the guiding principle of treating other people how you’d want to be treated yourself, we’ve created a culture over the last 75 years of making a real impact on the way work gets done that continues to drive our company forward,” said Andringa. “Ultimately, it’s a commitment that is part of every interaction we have among ourselves, suppliers, dealers, customers and the communities we live and work in.”

For his contributions to the off-road equipment manufacturing industry, Gary was inducted into the Association of Equipment Manufacturers’ Hall of Fame in 1996. His son, Bob Vermeer, and daughter, Mary (VermeerAndringa also joined the elite group of individuals in 2016 and 2019, respectively.

Under the tutelage of the family, Vermeer has grown to an organization of more than 4,000 team members worldwide. The agricultural, underground construction, surface mining, tree care and environmental equipment manufacturer has eight facilities in six continents with service and support in more than 60 countries via its more than 600 industrial and forage dealers.

Vermeer says it plans to bring expanded digital product offerings, next-generation machines, and new equipment to market in its ongoing efforts to help connect people to the necessities of life, manage natural resources and feed and fuel communities.

“As we look to the future, we are committed to carrying on the legacy of innovation and continuous improvement to make a lasting impact around the world,” Andringa explained. “We understand the important work our customers and equipment are doing, and we support them, wherever they are. Together, we are equipped to do more.” 

| Member since 1998

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The Global Parts Distribution Center builds on a legacy of customer support, located at the end of the old runway where company founder Gary Vermeer once delivered parts to Vermeer customers by plane.

“Vermeer is focused on optimizing this facility so we can most efficiently deliver the right part at the right time to our customers. This facility allows customer support, engineering, procurement and logistics to be co-located. They work in conjunction with our operational team members to make sure we fulfill customer and dealer expectations daily,” said Tony Briggs, vice president of the Vermeer Lifecycle product group.

The location of the Global Parts Distribution Center leverages the manufacturing capabilities of the Vermeer mile, where most Vermeer products are assembled.

“Almost 1/3 of the warehouse is filled with parts made by different manufacturing plants on the Vermeer mile. It is very convenient for us to be located near the manufacturing facilities that supply those parts. Ultimately, we bundle the Vermeer-manufactured parts with other parts and ship the orders around the world to take care of our customers,” said Briggs.

Three times more space than the previous building, the new Global Parts Distribution Center includes 23 dock doors, a warehouse management system and improved warehouse technology. This investment will help drive efficiency by centralizing parts storage.

The Global Parts Distribution Center is the second facility Vermeer has opened in 2023. Earlier this year, the company expanded its parts manufacturing footprint in Des Moines, Iowa. That facility manufactures horizontal directional drill tooling and utility tractor attachments.

| Member since 1998

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Utilizing existing manufacturing facilities located just off the Interstate 80/35/235 Northeast mixmaster, Vermeer is hiring 60 – 80 people with the goal to begin manufacturing critical parts in February.

The new manufacturing operation will focus on building critical components that Vermeer equipment uses when it digs into the ground to install infrastructure. By having a team solely focused on these aftermarket parts, Pella operations can focus on whole good production.

Headquartered in Pella, a family-owned-and-operated company is celebrating 75 years of business this year.

Source: | Member since 1998

To determine the list, Statista surveyed 60,000 Americans working for businesses with at least 1,000 employees. All were conducted anonymously, allowing participants to openly share their opinions. The respondents were asked to rate, on a scale of zero to 10, how likely they’d be to recommend their employer. They were also asked to rate their company on factors such as working conditions, development opportunities and compensation.

“We are proud of our company, our equipment and our team members. We hire team members who take pride in that culture and want to be part of the important work happening at Vermeer,” said Vice President of Human Resources Kate Guess. “Thank you to our team members who made this award a reality.”

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Prior to joining Vermeer in 2008, Vanden Bosch held roles in continuous improvement at Cascade Engineering and treasury management at Fifth Third Bank. At Vermeer, she has held leadership roles in marketing, finance, human resources, and continuous improvement. She most recently served as the managing director for the Forage Solutions Product Group.

“Vermeer is a part of who I am. I love the people, I love the product we build, I love the impact our equipment makes,” Vanden Bosch said. “Having watched Vermeer grow as an organization through the leadership of my grandfather, my uncle, my mother and now my brother, I’m excited to take the experiences I’ve had to help lead the team and the important work they do.”

“Mindi’s passion for people and her love for problem-solving bring important qualities to our operations. Personally, I’m proud to have my sister take this role and oversee such a critical part of our business and lead a large, important part of our workforce,” said Jason Andringa, president and CEO.

Brian Gardner, chair of the board at Vermeer Corporation, also commented: “Operating a family business requires incredible intentionality. The Vermeer family saw that early on and implemented important steps to help build a successful business while maintaining healthy family involvement. Having Mindi move into this role demonstrates the forward-thinking of those involved in business planning.”

Member since 1998 |

Steve Flann, who oversees the clinic and pharmacy, said the company participates in the same reporting system as every Iowa health care facility. He said the on-site service makes it easier for Vermeer to track potential outbreaks.

Source: KCCI | Member since 1998 |

This expanded PDC will add 100 new jobs to the area and represents Vermeer’s commitment to deliver business confidence to dealers and customers around the world.

“From setting record million-dollar days to getting the parts that matter to our customers on the jobsite, the Parts Distribution Center team continues to deliver business confidence to our dealers and customers through their important work,” said Andringa. “It’s a great time to work at Vermeer. We are proud to invest in this 312,000-square-foot facility to enable that work to continue long into the future.”

The investment in this new space comes as demand for Vermeer equipment and parts has grown. The Iowa Economic Development Authority board approved a $1.3 million sales tax rebate to build the new PDC facility, renovate the existing PDC into a facility dedicated to team member trainings and equip the building currently rented by Lely to house customer and dealer training events.

“In 2021, we are at nearly three times the parts sales we were just a little over a decade ago,” stated Core. “With all this growth, we understand the stress and pressure put on our team working in the footprint of our current Parts Distribution Center. This is why we’re excited to invest in and expand the team.”

The agreement establishes Vermeer dealerships as the exclusive distributor of two of BRON’s tracked utility plows and provides it the ability to sell the line of BRON utility plow attachments.

BRON is a family-owned company based in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada.
The collaboration will support customers working to keep up with global investments in rural fiber and underground infrastructure, Vermeer said.

“This agreement positions Vermeer to better help our customers capture more of the underground telecom and energy work that will be required to provide more reliable access to critical infrastructure around the world,” said Vermeer’s Dave Wisniewski.

Source: Construction Equipment Guide | Member since 1998 |