The sun was hot on the July morning in St. Peter, Minnesota as Jarraff Industries welcomed the AEM Manufacturing Express alongside more than 80 employees, elected officials, and local press. While their efforts may not be well-known to the general public, the equipment they make and the work they do is impossible to overlook. Especially as it was on full-display during the event.
The company’s signature Jarraff Tree-Trimmers had their long necks raised toward the summer sky as Jarraff Vice President of Operations Meghan Strait was joined by St. Peter City Administrator Todd Prafke and the AEM Manufacturing Express to salute the work the men and women of Jarraff do to build America.
Prafke’s remarks captured the spirit of Jarraff industries best: “It’s not about the stuff you build, it’s about building community.”
Founded in 1979 as a family-owned company, the tree trimmer manufacturer has helped the local St. Peter community blossom, growing into a company of more than 80 employees. Engineering, research and development, welding, fabrication, paint, and assembly take place across the 17-acre campus just down the street from St. Peter’s historic downtown within sight of the Minnesota River.
Equipment like the company’s signature wheeled Jarraff (pronounced like the animal Giraffe) and accompanying T-Rex are protecting America’s infrastructure in an important way. Utility companies rely on equipment like Jarraff’s 75-foot long trimmer to clear branches around electric transmission lines to keep our communities powered, safe, and connected. Railroads use Jarraff tree trimmers to keep right-of-ways clear and the trains running on time.
It’s easy to look at the way the company names their equipment, or consider the giraffe munching grass in their logo, to understand their appreciation for the whimsical. But these are much more than simple tree-trimmers. These machines mean business. Jarraff is not the brand you rely on to trim the trees in your backyard. Jarraff is the brand you rely on when your transmission lines are in danger of sparking a fire with local greenery. Jarraff is the brand you rely on when the trains can’t make it to town because the railroads have too much tree overgrowth. Jarraff is the tree trimmer that gets the job done.
One of the most impressive aspects of Jarraff’s equipment is how they manage their supply chains. Their supply chain sources largely from within a 200-mile radius – which makes them a Minnesota company through and through. The diesel engines powering Jarraff’s tree saws come from Cummins just up the road in Minneapolis.
Even though they are deeply entrenched in Minnesota, Jarraff is a company that has reach. Jarraff’s growth, success, and roots in St. Peter have created value well beyond our shores. Their Italian parent company Prinoth, since 2021, clearly sees the value of the company’s cutting-edge, cutting machines.
Jarraff’s employees embody the small-town American spirit that keeps this country moving, which is part of the value their new owners Prinoth recognizes. On the Jarraff team, you’ll find volunteer firefighters, coaches for the local youth sports leagues – the people that make St. Peter, Minnesota a real community.
Jarraff is a company that is deeply rooted in The North Star State, but that doesn’t mean they’re done reaching. Even as their machines get longer and their business grows internationally, the company’s roots in the community that they were founded in only grow stronger. And they’re not going anywhere anytime soon.
