Brian Brownlee is the second-generation owner of Brownlee Equipment. His parents Ken and Gayle started Ken’s Sales & Service in 1974 with a general repair shop and a small line of Belarus Tractors. Soon after, Belarus salespeople started moving to Zetor, and persuaded Ken to follow them for a smoother tractor that appealed to a…
Category: Member Updates
Dad’s Matchmaking Service
Partner Ag didn’t start with partners; it started with strangers. Truth be told, it started with two dads who sent their kids on a business blind date. Sara Jacques and JR Hunt’s fathers knew each other through work and heard that the owners of Penner Dairy were interested in selling. It just so happened that…
What’s in an Education?
Bob Henley of R.E. Egger Truck and Machine wanted to drop out of high school. At the time, he didn’t see the need to get a diploma to get his hands dirty. Now, he’s part owner. He remembers, “I grew up on a chicken farm across the road from where the shop used to be…
How Does a Farmstead Dealer Take a Vacation?
“Your message will be AUTO DELETED… If you need me, please send a new email when I return,” read Kim Willemse’s out-of-office reply. This is an uncommon answer for a work email, especially in the agricultural industry, where we all tend to be workaholics. We come by it honestly, with our passion and dedication to…