Not every Manufacturing Express stop can be considered a true Interstate-level roadside attraction, but when the Manufacturing Express pulled into the big Kinze headquarters in Williamsburg, Iowa we passed a few landmarks. These include the iconic I-80 Kinze sign and the stacked grain carts that greet all visitors to the campus.
This is the Kinze Innovation Center where visitors can also see a full-sized planter mounted on a pole that pivots every 20 minutes, as well as a 25,000-square-foot museum celebrating the company. Kinze was founded by Jon Kinzebaw in 1965, famously starting a welding shop at 21 years old “with $5 in his pocket and a loan of $3,655.” By 1980, Jon had successfully re-powered tractors, invented the adjustable-width plow, produced the first grain carts and patented the real-fold planter.
That patent is one of 19 that bear his name, and Kinze Manufacturing holds over 50 U.S. patents in total. With the Innovation Center and other facilities, Kinze now boasts one million square feet under its roof. Kinze makes planters and grain carts. Their equipment has a global reach, helping put food on tables around the world.
More than one hundred members of the Kinze team welcomed the Manufacturing Express and they were joined by federal lawmakers U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst and U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks. Both members of Congress delivered remarks emphasizing the importance of supporting manufacturing.
Susan Veatech, a second-generation owner of Kinze, explained that part of the company’s success is that they are still farming. Many of their employees are farmers themselves, allowing Kinze to develop products tailored to the specific needs of farmers.The acres around the Innovation Center are being farmed by the family and her father still works in the field.
“He’s out there, so he really understands the frustrations if things don’t work right,” she said, adding that continuing to farm as the manufacturing business grew was actually part of the innovation process.
“As he farmed, he got more ideas,” said Susan, who now serves as company president. Like other Manufacturing Express hosts, she sees workforce development as an exciting opportunity. The company has taken proactive steps, such as launching welding workshops and partnering with local schools to spark interest in manufacturing careers. Local high schools even take field trips to the company’s museum, which is part of a larger effort to inspire the next generation of workers and highlight the exciting possibilities in the industry.
