Tri-States Grain Conditioning

also a partner in D&K Repair and Megan is the principal at Ireton Christian School.

Ken said Kurt loved farm equipment from the get-go. “I fixed a bed for him behind the seat of the tractor and he’d come along.” After Kurt graduated from high school, he went to Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon to study truck and diesel mechanics. While he was still in school, he got a job at a local tractor dealership. According to Ken, “Kurt came home and said he’d gotten his ‘dream job.’ He was working in the wash bay, which was the lowest spot on the totem pole.” After graduating from NCC, Kurt went to work for an area implement dealer. But Ken found he needed his son closer to home. “One fall, I had cattle get out of the pen, over the fence. I called Kurt and told him to get home because I needed him. He came home pretty quick, but he told me ‘Dad, I’m not working for you. I can’t just leave my job whenever I want.’” Not long after that, Kurt and his friend, Dave Rozeboom, were talking about starting a repair business of their own. Ken said, “I thought that was a good chance for me to have Kurt at home. I had been thinking about putting up a new machine shed anyway. I told them if they wanted to start their business, I’d finish off part of the shed and they could have their business in there. We never dreamed it was going to turn into what it is today.”

Ruth and Ken Kooima

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An aerial view of D&K Repair, which Dave Rozeboom and Kurt Kooima operate just south of Rock Valley.

D&K Repair has expanded twice and the third addition is on its way. Kurt and Dave started D&K repair on January 1, 2004. The business focuses on repair of farm equipment and semi-trucks and it took off quickly. By 2010, D&K built their own shop on the next property south of the farm. They’ve added on twice and are preparing to add on for a third time. Kurt said, “We employ nine or 10 people. We’ve got four ag mechanics and two truck mechanics.” They also buy and sell used tractors. Kurt and Dave both volunteer on the trades division advisory board at NCC. In succeeding years, Kooima’s also changed the look of the farm operation. “Kurt didn’t like hogs, not at all,” Ken said. “So we tore the hog buildings down and expanded our cattle business.” They incorporated as Red Rock Cattle Inc. Kurt’s cousin and good friend, Korrie Kuyper, has been running daily feedlot operations for eight years. “We couldn’t do what we do without him,” Kurt said.

The cattle company was named in honor of the Red Rock tractor pulling team, owned by Kurt and partners Dave Rozeboom and Barry Haverhals. They built Red Rock in 2006; and 2007 was their first season. In 2014, they brought home the class championship from the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Ky. Kurt, Dave and Barry share driving duties and Red Rock has been the points champion the last two years in the Super Farm