61 of 70 - Tracy & Jim Zeorian

The Zeorian's of Zeorian Harvesting & Trucking know that no matter the size of your operation, once you enter the MacDon family, we've got your back.

62 of 70 - Philip Walter

Philip Walter explains, "At Wintering Hills we farm south of Drumheller Alberta. We first used MacDon Headers in 2016 when our peas were all flat on the ground, and we were running late in a tough going harvest.

We decided to try a MacDon 40-foot FlexDraper header, so we bought one to see how good it really worked. Well after a few days we decided to trade our other three straight cut draper headers for MacDons. Well, thanks to our dealer in Bassano Alberta, we got three more MacDons for our John Deere combines. Getting a trade done in the middle of harvest is tough for any dealer to do. So, that's how we got started using MacDon."

"In 2017 we bought a farm in Luseland Saskatchewan, there we purchased three 45 foot MacDons for our Massey Ferguson combines. The 45 footers work really well in Saskatchewan given the flatness of the land. Back home in Alberta, the 40 footers work better on rolling hills. What we like about MacDon is the precise cutting; it does a nice even cut in wheat and barley with no bouncing around. Also, the MacDons are very easy to fix if something breaks. The nice smooth feeding to the feed drum and the handling of tough materials is exceptional."

63 of 70 - Dirceu Gatto

Dirceu Julio Gatto was born in the small town of Tapera, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. His Italian immigrant parents were part of the group of newcomers who opened the southern borders of the country. This group pioneered agricultural practices in challenging conditions that demanded a lot of determination. 

Dirceu's passion for the land came from his father, who he worked side by side with from the time he was 17 years old. In the late '70s, the family decided to take over land in the city of Cruz Alta in the state of Rio Grande do Sul and started a new operation there. Agriculture in Brazil was uncertain at the time, but the family persisted, planting wheat and soybeans. On his 26th birthday in 1979, he was persuaded by friends who were planting soybeans in the area to move to Unaí in the state of Minas Gerais, bringing with him a prefabricated wooden house.

Accustomed to working the land with a hoe, Dirceu saw the advantages of machinery. He brought that technology to his operations, learning to operate agricultural machinery and small tractors and also taught fellow farmers to operate machinery on their farms. Today Dirceu enjoys seeing the vast evolution in farming equipment and technologies.

With pride and admiration, Dirceu's daughter Grace Gatto tells the story, "We owe a lot to my father's teachings and accomplishments, a man of vision and an entrepreneur who worked tirelessly. His story is a wonderful example for my children and me to follow. With setbacks and successes, he can be proud of his life trajectory. Today, my father has a well-structured farm with modern machinery and a well-trained team. He continues to diversify with the production of soybeans, coffee, sorghum, corn, and edible beans.”

Grace adds that MacDon has been a great partner. "Ten years ago, my father became a MacDon client. My father is always looking for quality products, and he is very satisfied with the performance of his MacDon headers. He also enjoys the support and service he receives from the local MacDon team. He is a loyal customer to MacDon, and today he has five headers helping with the challenges of his operations.”

64 of 70 - Christian Thompson

Christian Thompson has been with MacDon since 2011, currently as a Training Development Specialist with the Product Support Department. For our 70 from 70, we asked Christian to share his story with us.

"Unlike many people at MacDon, I don't have an agricultural background. My mother was born on a farm in rural Saskatchewan, and my Father's family used to farm in Southern Alberta. But I was born in Winnipeg, and my background is automotive and light truck service and training."

"When I first started with MacDon I had a dual role; Product Support Rep for North Dakota and Training Coordinator for the North American Dealer Training Program."

"Back in those days, our training program was relatively small, and most of the product support was handled out of the Winnipeg office, so many of us had dual roles or covered territory in both the US and Canada. You would often not see your coworkers for weeks because of all the travel everyone did. Also, at this time, all the technical phone support was done out of Winnipeg, so if you weren't out in the field, you were in the office taking phone calls from farmers and dealers during the day, and there was always somebody on call during the evenings and weekends."

"Coming from the automotive sector, I didn't understand the urgency involved in farming, especially at harvest time. When your car breaks down, you drop it off at the repair shop, and if the repair is serious or they don't have your parts in stock, you rent another car or truck for a few days. While this is inconvenient for the most part, you carry on with your life."

"I didn't realize the impact a down windrower or combine header could have for a farmer if it happens at a critical time. I didn't realize that their whole family's paycheck for the year was out in that field. If they can't get the crop harvested at exactly the right time, they could lose it all, or at the very least, the crop could become damaged and severely impact its value."

"That first year for me was a very eye-opening experience."

"One Saturday, I was on call during harvest season in the fall. My cell phone starts ringing right at 7 am. A customer in North Dakota had been harvesting all night and had picked up a large rock with their FD70 severely damaging the feed auger. They had taken it apart and realized the entire thing needed replacing. With bad weather in the forecast, they were desperate to get it repaired. They had already called their local dealer, but they didn't have the parts. So they reached out to see if there was anything MacDon could do. I called all the dealers in his area, but nobody had the parts. Checking our system, I saw that we had a complete auger in stock at the Kansas City warehouse. I told him we could have it shipped out Monday morning. He said the storm would probably hit by then, so they were willing to drive to KC to pick it up. The only problem the warehouse was not open on Sunday. So I called the Parts Manager Karl Brooks at home to see if there was anything we could do. Karl agreed to meet the customer at the warehouse early Sunday morning to pick it up. When I called the customer back, he couldn't believe MacDon was willing to help him out this way."

"So the farmer and his son drove all night to KC and got there at dawn. They didn't see any cars in the parking lot, so they tried opening a few doors. I guess one of the side doors didn't latch correctly, so it opened and tripped a silent alarm. Once they got in, the farmer figured someone would be there to deal with his son, so he left him there and headed to a nearby gas station."

"Karl pulled up shortly after to find the parking lot full of police cars. So this poor kid is trying to explain to the cops how they drove all night from North Dakota and why he's roaming around this locked building. He had no ID, and his Father is nowhere to be found. Well, they finally get the whole story sorted out, and the farmer and his son head back home with their auger and a great story to tell."

"Karl, of course, calls to tell me the tale, and later that evening, the customer calls to thank me and tell me they're back up and running and should be able to finish their harvest before the storm hits."

"Monday when I get back in the office and tell my story. I find out everyone has a similar tale of how they drove across three states to bring somebody a part, or, were out working in a farmers yard past midnight to get them back up and running, or got a call on their day off and left whatever they were doing to go help someone out."

"And the customer always says. 'This is why we buy MacDon; nobody else would do this for us, you guys always do whatever it takes.'"

"These days, I spend my time mostly in Winnipeg working on new ways to make sure our dealers are properly trained to repair and maintain our customers' equipment. We try and recreate real-world problems during our training so that the technicians are knowledgeable enough to solve problems and repair equipment quickly. We are getting farmers back in the field, so they can help feed the world."

65 of 70 - Kiera Young

Vice President of Product Development, Kiera Young, brings four generations of farming pride and heritage to work with her every day.

66 of 70 - Rory Cook

Rory Cook has been running around his family's farm in Teulon, Man. since he was "just a little gaffer." So it's no surprise the 37-year-old is no stranger to working the harvest on the land that's been in his family for five generations, and now covers 4,400 acres. 

As the farm grew bigger, newer equipment became a necessity to manage the land. Cook's family turned to MacDon's expertise 30 years ago and haven't looked back since. Plus, Rory's connection with MacDon is a little stronger than most because his sister-in-law Tara works in HR. The photo accompanying this story shows Rory, his daughter, and Tara's three sons with Rory's MacDon Windrower.

"Especially in grain farming, time is money and having a tool you can just jump in... it's head and shoulders above the previous one we owned. The amount of acres you can windrow with that thing is just absolutely incredible, and it makes a heck of a good swath. Time is money and having something reliable that does a phenomenal job second to none is very important to being a grain farmer," says Cook.

But it's not just the effectiveness of the machinery that makes Cook a proud MacDon user. The one-on-one relationships he has built with the company is of great importance to him. When they bought their new swather, Cook says customer service was excellent to deal with when a small warranty issue arose. A MacDon rep came out to his farm, went through the ins and outs of the new machine, and made sure his whole staff knew how to operate it safely and effectively.

"I've always had positive experiences with any dealings… being able to deal one-on-one with the customer is pretty huge in my books," says Cook.

"MacDon has always had a phenomenal name; they deal in many countries around the world, and I mean that speaks volumes. A quality product marketed around the world must have something good standing behind it."

67 of 70 - STARS Air Ambulance

STARS’ air ambulance in Manitoba is sporting a new logo these days, thanks to a generous gift from a Winnipeg-based business.

MacDon Industries Ltd.’s gift will fund much-needed enhancements of our local base facilities, including a crew education center with a medical simulation lab, classroom, and improved training areas, as well as a permanent structure to house STARS’ daily operational crew, educators, and foundation team.

Officials with MacDon — a manufacturer of specialty agricultural harvesting equipment — and STARS unveiled the logo on the iconic red helicopter in March at the STARS Winnipeg base. The event marked a new milestone in MacDon’s belief in our mission, having already been a strong supporter for many years.

“We are committed to the safety and well-being of our dealers, our customers, and our employees, and we are proud to support an organization that is making a meaningful difference to their lives,” said Gene Fraser, vice president. “This investment will help to continue providing an important health-care service to people in the hundreds of communities we serve around the province and across Western Canada.”

Indeed, the need for our services continues to grow in Manitoba every year, with the Winnipeg base carrying out 619 missions in the 2016-17 fiscal year and 720 missions in the 2017-18 fiscal, said STARS president and CEO, Andrea Robertson.

“Your support is an investment in the health, safety and longevity of rural Manitoba and beyond,” said Robertson. “You are helping to keep families and communities together.”

In announcing the gift, Fraser encouraged other businesses to support the non-profit helicopter air ambulance service. “STARS is there for all of us —those living and working in rural and remote areas, but also urban folks traveling on our many roads and highways for work or pleasure. They also provide emergency medical training to rural emergency health care professionals and outreach to other partners in the chain of survival,” he said.

Manitoba’s Minister of Agriculture, Ralph Eichler commended MacDon for its leadership.

“I encourage all Manitobans to continue to support STARS. Their commitment to providing excellent emergency health care and transportation is so important to all of us in rural Manitoba,” said Eichler.

This story was previously featured in MacDon Performance Fall 2018.

68 of 70 - Patrick Routledge

You might know Patrick Routledge, MacDon Territory Manager in Western Canada. Like so many MacDon employees agriculture roots runs deep in his story. 

"I grew up on a family farm outside the bustling metropolis of Lenore, Manitoba." "I was a member of the Lenore 4H Club, where I participated in the Swine Club and Welding Club. I went to School in Virden, where I played football and hockey." Explains Routledg, "The farm is 3000 acres with just over half of those acres being in crop production. The other half is mostly pasture. Growing up, we raised cattle and grain and had a herd of over 200 cow-calf pairs that we would then put through our feedlot. My family is my father Barry, mother Kathy, and two brothers Tyler (older) and Matthew (younger). We sold the cattle years ago now and rent 300 acres from neighbours while renting out our pasture and hay land. Other than that much about the farm hasn't changed. We grow some corn, soybeans, and oats today but the acres are mostly in canola, wheat, and peas. Today on the farm we run an M150 and an FD75, it's always been a source of pride for us to run equipment made in Manitoba from a company we know."

"I started working at MacDon in 2009 as a term employee. I was finishing up my business degree at the University of Manitoba. I came about applying for a job at MacDon in a very haphazard way – I had worked 4 summers after high school working at Oak Lake Beach and on the farm while I was in university. In my final summer before graduating, I wanted to take a job that would be a new and different experience. It was during final exams, and I had gone out with some friends to the Cambridge where we ran into an acquaintance who had worked at MacDon the previous summer. We got to talking, and he had mentioned he was going back there again that summer and they needed another summer student. At that point, I knew a little about MacDon the company. On the farm, at the time we had an A30D pull-type mower conditioner and a 9352 swather, but beyond that, I really didn't know much about the company. The job sounded like it was a lot of travel and autonomy and that interested me so I applied, and I have worked there ever since."

With all that you would think that Routledge was a shoo-in for a job in the ag sector, but he had other thoughts.

"Prior to working at MacDon I had zero interest in making a living in the agriculture sector. I had grown up on a farm and enjoyed it but I had planned to move to a city and pursue a career in Marketing or Human Resource Management." 

"When I started working at MacDon I was skinny and had long, thick, dark luscious hair, and now I'm very bald with a lot of grey hair, and I'm not so thin. All kidding aside, working at MacDon has had a huge impact on my life. I was lucky that when I started at MacDon there were a lot of employees with decades more experience more than willing to share their experiences and knowledge with me. I am able to bounce ideas off of co-workers and easily solve problems. With MacDon I have been able to provide for my wife and two boys, to travel 23 US states, and see parts of Canada that not a lot of people ever get to see. I have been fortunate to meet and learn from countless farmers, MacDon dealership employees, and have built some lasting relationships along the way. The people we get to meet and deal with in this industry really are the best people you could ever get the chance to meet, and I'm thankful for that every day."

69 of 70 - Vic Constable

Victor Constable has been a Territory Manager with MacDon since 2014. For our 70 from 70, we asked Vic to reflect on his time with MacDon and answer a few questions for us.

Vic, can you tell us a bit about where you grew up, and how you became involved with Agriculture?

"I grew up in Johnsonburg, PA. Johnsonburg is a small town nestled on the outskirts of the Allegheny National Forest. It is known for the Paper Mill in town, that for many years housed the world's fastest paper making machine. The mill specializes in "unique" paper such as receipt scrolls and odd-sized invoice paper. I've also heard; all the paper used to print the Harry Potter books was made at the Johnsonburg mill. I have always had a passion for Agriculture from day one. Growing up, we had horses and beef cattle as well as made lots of hay. When I was young, my mom had to lock me in my car seat with the windows down while my dad mowed hay so I wouldn't run out and get myself in trouble. As I grew older, my passion for Agriculture, especially equipment, continued to grow."

"In High School, the Vocational Agriculture program was heavily based on forestry, given that is the major industry in the area. I spent lots of time learning about trees, chainsaws, and skidders. We even had our own portable sawmill that the FFA used to raise money for events and competitions. We competed in woodsman competitions throughout the school year.  I enjoyed all of it but always had a special place in my heart for farming. Cattle, horses, and making hay were always #1."

"I graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Agricultural Systems Management in 2011. While at Penn State, I was very active in the Penn State Pullers Club. Each year we designed and built a one-quarter scale pulling tractor from scratch, and competed at the ASABE's International Quarter Scale Tractor Student Design Competition every June in Peoria, IL. We were responsible for not only pulling the tractor, but also had to pass tech, a maneuverability course, and present a fully detailed design report. Also, we had to provide a sales and marketing analysis of how we would attempt to take this product to market. This club led to me getting an internship with CLAAS in Omaha, NE, where I first began working with combines and headers. It was a great experience and introduced me to machines I had only dreamed of ever working on. I instantly fell in love with combines and headers, which have been a part of my career ever since.

"Upon graduation, I took a job at New Holland Agriculture as a sales trainer specializing in combines, headers, and high horsepower tractors. I worked with them for three years and decided it was time for something different." That's when Vic started working with MacDon.

Vic tell us your best memories of working with MacDon?

"I have many fond memories of working here the last five years, but most notably would be the 65th Anniversary Celebration in Nashville. The event was not only an absolute blast but really showed how much the company values its customers and dealers as well as its own people. On two different trips, I was fortunate enough to spend a few weeks traveling to Australia to help support the harvest and growth of MacDon Down Under. I visited with many customers during my trips, making sure there MacDon equipment was set-up properly, working at the high level that MacDon is known for. I met many great people and was able to take some time to see the country as well. I feel very fortunate and thankful to have been given this opportunity to spend time in such an awesome, breathtaking place."

How has working at MacDon has impacted your life?

"MacDon has had a very positive impact on my life. It is very rewarding to work for a company that takes pride in not only building the best products available. They also make sure that the dealer and end-users know how much the company truly cares about them and their livelihood. As a Territory Manager, we are heavily encouraged to work closely with dealers and get in front of the customer as much as possible any way we can. I have always felt as an employee of MacDon; your opinion is not only respected but is wanted to ensure we continue to keep pushing forward."

70 of 70 - Joe MacDonald

In 2015 Joe MacDonald was inducted into the AEM (Association of Equipment Manufacturers) Hall of Fame for his contributions to the agricultural industry. 

But for Joe, it was never about him. He always credited those around him for MacDon's success. Every individual, relationship, and partnership were what he believed built the company.

This story was previously featured in MacDon Performance Spring 2016.