Celebrating 45 years of planters
Kearney Planters is celebrating its 45th anniversary this Thursday. The staff invites everyone to their Turin Line location for the free party.
Guests will be able to meet suppliers and view products from their many dealers and Kearney’s modified planters.
There will be an antique product display, vendors, door prizes and a free lunch.
Greg Peterson—aka ‘Machinery Pete’—will be a guest speaker. The farm machinery expert has built a network of online auctions in the U.S. and Canada.
“This event is a celebration, but it’s more of a thank you to our customers, suppliers and friends for everything they have done to help us grow over the last 45 years,” said Chris Lambier, Director of Business Development at Kearney.
Barry Kearney founded his namesake company in February of 1979 when he could not find a particular piece of equipment on the market.
Kearney modified his own planter, which caught the attention of neighbouring farmers.
“He was having trouble finding a planter to do what he wanted, so he modified a planter,” Lambier said. “The neighbours saw it, and they all said, ‘Wow, if you can do that, can you do this for me?’”
Lambier said the major brand companies were unable to produce planters at a reasonable price to meet farmers’ needs.
“You had to have a grain drill, or you had to have a corn planter or just a bean planter,” he said. “Barry designed a planter that can do both corn and beans out of the same machine, so you don’t have to buy two separate machines.”
The business progressed over the years, and along with modifying equipment, Kearney began selling brand-name products.
Kearney Planters is a major dealer for Kinze, Vaderstad and Drago, and over 50 aftermarket brands.
Along with selling new and used products, Kearney’s experts design and custom-build equipment to meet the individual farmer’s needs.
“If you had a John Deere when buying John Deere row units, and we modify your planter for the extra rows and offset them so you can do six rows of corn at 30 inches wide or 11 rows of beans at 15 inches wide,” Lambier said.
Kearney’s experienced staff provides education and technical support for its products as each planter is field-tested before being shipped.
Along with sales, Kearney also specializes in hydraulic repair, planter setup, and service for mechanical, electronic, and automated planters of any make or model.
The parts department is well stocked with aftermarket and genuine parts for all agricultural needs, which can be shipped across Canada.
The service department provides full coverage during farming season and can go straight to the field to make repairs to replace parts.
Kearney also keeps up with the evolution of farming with innovative hydraulics, GPS and high-tech electronic services.
Kearney initially set up a shop on the family’s Howard Twp. farm before purchasing the land to build the facility at 14232 Turin Line in 1984.
The building has undergone several expansions to its present state with a showroom, service bays, parts room and business offices.
Kearney has 23 employees, including administration, management, office staff, salespersons, mechanics, fabricators, meter testing and hydraulics.
While the company started out locally focused, Kearney products can be found across Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes, as well as overseas in Europe, Romania, Africa and New Zealand.
But the local community is the focus for Thursday’s 45th anniversary party.
Barry and Sandi Kearney continually give back to the community, supporting a number of local charities and organizations, including the Mary Webb Center, Howard Mutual Medical Center, East
Kent Vintage Equipment Club, Highgate Fastball, Chatham-Kent Robotics, and Chatham-Kent Hospice.
“The community has been really good to us over the years, and the Kearney family do what they can to give back to the community,” Lambier said. “That’s why this 45th anniversary is a big thank you to the community for 45 years of support.”
The event is free, but those planning to attend are asked to call 519-678-3206 so the business can plan the numbers for lunch.
Kearney Planters is located at 14232 Turin Line, just east of Glassford Road between Kenesserie Road and Orford Road.
Michael Bennett, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Ridgetown Independent News