On a sunny Friday morning, the AEM Manufacturing Express rolled into Great Plains Manufacturing’s Salina Construction Equipment (CE) Facility, greeted by over 300 employees and local elected officials. Founded in 1976 by Roy Applequist in Salina, Kansas, Great Plains Manufacturing has become a cornerstone of the Kansas equipment manufacturing industry. Nestled in the heart of the Great Plains, where agriculture is the economy’s lifeblood, the company swiftly built a reputation for producing high-quality agricultural implements such as drills, planters, and tillage equipment. Headquartered in Salina, the company has expanded to eight different facilities, totaling 1.6 million square feet of manufacturing space across central Kansas.
In 2020, Great Plains officially became a subsidiary of Kubota North America, a multinational corporation with over a century and a half of manufacturing expertise. They were selected to manufacture the signature Kubota SVL65 track loader, a product previously made exclusively in Japan. This expansion boosted the North American market for the track loader—today, nearly 80% of all the track loaders Great Plains produces are destined for North America. This partnership led to the establishment of a new facility in central Salina and created 300 new manufacturing jobs in Kansas. In June, Great Plains celebrated a significant milestone by completing its 6,000th Kubota compact track loader, contributing to their goal of producing 20,000 compact track loaders per year by 2030.
For nearly 50 years, Great Plains has committed to investing in the Kansas heartland. All their factories are strategically located in small towns, demonstrating their dedication to the communities they serve. From Assaria to Tipton, 90% of their 2,300 employees live and work in Kansas, supporting their families and contributing to the local economy. “We take pride in being a part of our local community and have staked a reputation on investing in this heartland for more than 50 years,” said President and CEO of Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc., David Disberger.
Great Plains is committed to the employee experience at each facility, a value they share with their parent company, Kubota. “If you look at the mission and values of Kubota, it’s all about people, and that’s an idea we also live out every day. It’s about building up communities, investing in people, and creating opportunities for teamwork,” said Chris Montgomery, Director of the Construction Equipment Division at Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc. There is a sense of community among the workers at Great Plains, from the collaborative workstations to the workers who sing and strum along to the music that plays through every factory’s production floor (in the afternoons, heavy metal is a staple).
Great Plains also invests in fostering the next generation of equipment manufacturers through partnerships with Kansas State University and other local area schools. At the Kansas State University Aerospace and Technology Campus, Great Plains Manufacturing has committed to the College of Agriculture, Carl R. Ice College of Engineering, and the Great Plains Manufacturing Scholars Program. These initiatives provide opportunities for up to 12 KSU students from each college class (First Year to Fourth Year). Students join the program and stay throughout their college career, gaining hands-on work experience in a high-tech manufacturing environment. The Scholars Program is a unique way for Great Plains to grow their team and attract new, local talent to continue to give back in the ways they have for nearly half a century.
Great Plains Manufacturing is clearly proud of what they do—and who they are building it for. This company, and their people, remains dedicated to supporting Kansas, investing in their local communities, and creating new opportunities for years to come.
