Vermeer Company
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A Vermeer stump cutter in England
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Formerly called
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Vermeer Manufacturing Company |
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| Founded | 1948 |
| Founder | Gary Vermeer |
| Headquarters | Pella, Iowa |
| Website | www |
Vermeer Corporation is a manufacturer of industrial and agricultural equipment. The privately held company distributes more than 120 products globally from seven production facilities and offices in Pella, Iowa, United States and multiple locations worldwide. Founded in 1948 by Gary Vermeer, as Vermeer Manufacturing Company, the company is in its second generation of family management under Chief Executive Officer Mary Vermeer Andringa and Chairman of the Board Robert L. Vermeer, as well as members of the third generation. Vermeer serves the construction, landscaping, environmental, excavation, and forage markets domestically and internationally from locations in the Netherlands, Germany, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Canada, and Brazil, as well as various wholly and partially owned subsidiaries in several of the United States. Serving customers in more than 60 nations, Vermeer equipment and solutions are backed by a worldwide sales and support network of independent Vermeer equipment dealers.
In 1948, Gary Vermeer created a mechanical hoist to ease the process of unloading his grain wagon during harvest. Farm neighbors observed his wagon hoist in operation and were soon asking for the implement. At his request, a local machine shop fabricated a number of these hoists to meet the demand. In the spring of 1948, it was evident that the unit could be produced and marketed on a larger scale. Consequently, as word spread, Gary (along with his cousin and local banker Ralph Vermeer) started Vermeer Manufacturing Co. Shortly thereafter, they began manufacturing the mechanical hoist in their newly built factory. However, the introduction of competitive hydraulic wagon hoists made it obvious that new products must be developed for the young company to survive.
By the 1950s, Vermeer introduced two new products, a portable PTO-powered hammermill designed to eliminate flat belts and pulleys and a self-propelled irrigation system that distributes water in large circles over crops. The Vermeer Pow-R Drive met with almost immediate success...thousands were sold. Through these early years, other small farm equipment items, such as a wagon end-gate seeder and wheel cleaner for row-crop tractors were designed and manufactured.
In 1955, the original boom-type agricultural sprinkler, designed for use with high-clearance crops such as corn, was developed and marketed. Widespread acceptance was because the Vermeer sprinkler covers a large area with a low precipitation rate, substantially reducing labor cost. In 1967, automation was introduced with the launching of the Vermeer traveling sprinkler system.
In 1956, Vermeer Manufacturing Company became one of two organizations to introduce the hay conditioner to the agricultural market. By 1960, nearly 5,000 units had been sold to the farm industry. A major breakthrough in the agriculture industry was the development of the round baler.
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Wikipedia