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Hawkins Manufacturing carves out a niche in the ag industry

The specialized tools used by farmers are a little baffling to the rest of us. What in the world is a “crust breaker” or a “row crop ditcher” or a “corn reel”? Why would someone need a “bale flipper”? Actually, each is a carefully-engineered piece of equipment designed to do a particular job in the field, and all are manufactured by Hawkins Manufacturing, Inc. in Holdrege.

The company primarily builds agricultural equipment used in planting and harvesting row crops such as corn and soybeans. In addition, they manufacture the Bale Flipper that makes loading big round bales a one man job.

“We manufacture both our original designs and products invented by others,” Tim Hock, Hawkins CEO says. “Our equipment is designed by farmers, tested by farmers, and it performs precisely as the farmer wants it to perform.” As an example, Hock says the company’s Coulter “N” Forcer places fertilizer two inches above and below the seeds as they are planted in the field. Hock said a farmer from Kansas invented it, patented it and selected Hawkins to manufacture it.

“We paid royalties to him for many years, and when he died, we continue to pay royalties to his widow,” Hock said.

The business is operated by Tim Hock, General Manager Wayne Karschner, Plant Manager Randy Crooker, Floor Supervisor Drew Olsen, and Bonnie Kimberly, secretary and bookkeeper.  Depending on the volume of work, Hawkins Manufacturing, Inc. hires between 9 and 19 production workers to handle machining and assembly.

A venerable history

Hawkins Manufacturing has a long history in the region. The Hawkins Company originated in Pierce, Colorado in 1960 with the Hawkins Row Crop Ditcher as their main product. At this time Harlan Hock, Tim Hock’s father, farmed in the Bertrand region, and owned a parts supply store in Bertrand. In 1971 Hock Farm Supply began distributing the Hawkins Ditcher throughout Kansas and Nebraska.

“The product was popular with farmers and very strong,” Tim Hock said, and his dad further developed the relationship with the Hawkins Company by selling replacement parts. In the late 1970s Harlan Hock purchased the company, and in 1981 he moved the business and the equipment to its present location in Holdrege.

Today, Hawkins sells their equipment through farm implement dealers who then make the final sale. Wayne Karschner, Hawkins General Manager, said Hawkins market consists primarily of five hundred farm equipment dealers located throughout the U.S. and Hawaii. He adds, “We provide our own sales force. We call on dealers and attend farm shows in Louisville, Kentucky; Bunker Hill, Tennessee; DeCateur, Illinois; the Hay Expo in Iowa; Red Wood Falls, Minnesota; Boone, Iowa; the Farm Science Review in London, Ohio; Kearney, Grand Island and Basset, Nebraska; and the Cotton Growers in Memphis, Tennessee among others.”

When farmers profit,  Hawkins Manufacturing is profitable.  Karschner says, “2008 was the best sales year in the history of the company. We were better at marketing ourselves, and the agriculture environment and economy worked to our benefit.”

Multi-tasking, multi-talented

The management structure at Hawkins is flat rather than hierarchical. Communication flows openly and easily among the president, managers, secretary/bookkeeper and production workers. When problems arise, the people who need to address them are available.

Karschner says, “We all multi-task and we are all multi-talented. Most of us in the company can handle set-up, sales and delivery.” For example, he said Gary Wilkin, the company’s outside representative and lead set-up man also has a CLE license and delivers to the field. “I handle the advertising, marketing and sales and go on the road to farm shows,” Karschner said. “Randy Crooker is the production manager, but he also custom designs machinery, assembles, delivers, and also works in sales.”

Karschner said the company is very aware of the need to communicate effectively with customers. In addition to their presence at farm shows, Hawkins maintains a Website and has their brochures and other sales literature professionally designed. On the Hawkins website, visitors see and hear a video that features farmers talking about the benefits of the Hawkins Manufacturing product line.

“Our printed materials and website are among our strengths,” Karschner said. “We have a good strong presence online and most of our customers search our website for in depth information about the products we manufacture.”

An eye on the future

Hawkins Manufacturing, Inc. projects continued growth in sales.

“Dealers know us. Farmers know us. We take pride in our relationship with farmers who often call and talk to us,”  says Karchner.  “Hawkins  equipment does what it is designed to do. The company always carries replacement parts. The machinery we sell is cost effective to the farmer because it is durable and can be adapted to meet changing needs on the farm.”

Karschner says there are pros and cons to the company’s Nebraska location. On the one hand, the work ethic is better and products can be efficiently shipped in any direction, on the other, the population pool of qualified workers is small. Among the concerns for the future is the difficulty in finding employees who are adept in basic manual skills.

“We ask job applicants to measure the distance between dots on a page with a tape measure and find that 70% can’t read the 1/8” and 1/16” measure,” Plant Manager Randy Crooker said. “We also need employees who can calculate fractions, and most of the applicants we get can’t work with fractions. As a nation we have almost stopped giving value to the people who work with their hands.”

Karschner adds, “I’m concerned that Americans can’t build things anymore.”

For now, at least, Americans at Hawkins Manufacturing are building tools and equipment that makes the job of farmers easier, faster and safer. Hawkins most recent addition to their product line is the Bale Flipper. According to Karschner, the Bale Flipper was  invented by a hay farmer outside of Cedar Creek, Texas. He invented a machine to be attached to a 1-ton pickup that allows one person to go to the field and pick up, load and unload big round bales of hay.

“He recognized he couldn’t manufacture the product himself due to the cost of manufacturing and also marketing it.” So he brought the idea to Hawkins Manufacturing, and now Hawkins is bringing it to a farm near you.

Who to Contact

Tim Hock, President
Hawkins Manufacturing, Inc.
2120 E. 4th Avenue
Holdrege, NE 68949
800-382-6178
Email: Hawkins@hawkinsmfg.com
www.hawkinsmfg.com

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