MAJOR MANUFACTURER

By Dave Bannister

When Elmer Friesen decided to build his own row-crop cultivator in the 1970’s he had no idea of what was to come in the years ahead - continually growing over many decades and passing a successful business on to the next generation. Located in Altona, MB, Elmer’s Manufacturing began in 1978, when this innovative farmer turned his enjoyment of welding and repairing his equipment on the farm into a sturdy, new and practical implement for his own use. It was not long before a few neighbours wanted him to build them one, and a new agricultural manufacturing business was created.

Today, Elmer’s Manufacturing is a thriving business with about half of its equipment sales in Western Canada, and the remainder in the U.S. and Australia. The popularity and demand for its equipment led to the need for a bigger facility and a plant expansion in 2022. Two hundred employees now work at the company, mostly around Altona and in the Red River Valley.

Friesen firmly believes the company’s farm roots are central to Elmer’s success: “Our operations are located on a working farm,” he explains. “The product design, testing, fabrication, and assembly are all done on site. That gives us a thorough understanding of the environment our products are working in, and the needs of their operators. And it really helps Elmer’s people build strong relationships with our farm customers.”

Mike Friesen, President and CEO of Elmer’s, describes his involvement with the company his father started as a life-long interest. “I pretty much grew up on the farm with the equipment manufacturing business as part of that,” he explains. After high school, he went on to obtain a Mechanical Engineering degree and took a position with a major OEM upon graduation. Then in 2009, he returned to Elmer’s as Lead Engineer and Product Designer, eventually becoming the company’s CEO.

While Elmer’s sells their equipment through a well-established dealer network, the company also likes to build a rapport with their end users: “Customer feedback is a critical part of our product development,” he stresses. “We help troubleshoot customer issues with our dealers, we listen to their input, and where needed, we implement changes.” They often get ideas directly from customers that trigger a ‘why not’ design process which sometimes leads to new innovations in Elmer’s product line. “Customers are often surprised at how interactive we are in making sure our products are meeting their needs,” he notes.

With strong global demand, the Haulmaster high-capacity grain cart is Elmer’s mainstay product, featuring direct drive, high efficiency left or right-hand augers, minimal row disturbance, increased flotation, trailer transportability and enhanced operator controls. A little over half of the units are sold on the company’s unique tracks vs wheels. The most noted owner feedback was to create a lower grain cart with a variety of undercarriages to satisfy various local needs and preferences. “Some areas, or smaller grain carts, don’t need the extra flotation that tracks provide,” explains Mike. “Heavier Haulmasters, air seeders and fertilizer caddies receive most of our track installations.”

Elmer’s Super 7 Harrows are a revolutionary take on this implement according to Friesen. “Our harrow has a unique 7 Bar Design which harrows 40 per cent more of your field per pass. Combine that with adjustability and heavy-duty construction and customers get a harrow that can do it all.” Tine angle, down pressure and section angle are all adjustable.

The Elmer’s Wolverine Ditcher combines the cutting power of an ag scraper with the dirt distribution of a rotary ditcher to get water management work done in much less time and in year-round conditions. It can discharge right or left and provides a similar finish to a scraper with reduced field compaction and much less pulling resistance.

The Ravage Bale Processor shreds round or square bales of all varieties and is built to handle the toughest bales. With the ability to hold up to three square bales per load, it reduces trips. The live floor provides full control of the bale feed and it can be reversed to discharge an unneeded bale or to help the operator see when loading a secondary bale on the forks.

Aligning Elmer’s workforce with their core values is key to engaging employees and empowering them to look for continual improvement in the company’s product line, he notes. “Employees like our culture, enjoy coming to work and appreciate having (the ability to take) the initiative to make everything we do better,” he says. “These initiatives lead to growth, and without growing, a company won’t survive.” Elmer’s is always on the lookout for key hires, with nine job openings currently listed on the company website. Elmer’s has been an AMC member since 1988. Friesen values the opportunities for keeping up with trends and peer learning opportunities the organization provides. “AMC does a really good job for their members in those areas,” he states.

The company’s vision, mission and a set of core values are central to the way Elmer’s operates, according to Friesen. “The company’s vision is to provide innovative agricultural equipment and solutions for maximizing farming potential to feed the world. Our mission is to manufacture and support high quality, innovative farm equipment focusing on the needs of progressive farmers.”

Elmer’s will continue to expand from its farm roots, according to Friesen. “We see lots of opportunities for growth in the next few years,” he notes. “Our customers tell us what they need, our employees respond with great ideas, and the technology flows from there.” That’s a philosophy that has clearly served Elmer’s well.

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