Gary Vermeer: Iowa Time Machine September 29, 1918

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 29, 1918, Iowa inventor and agricultural innovator Gary Vermeer was born in Pella. A major contributor to agrarian technology, Gary Vermeer, founder of Vermeer Manufacturing, built a multinational company while continuing to innovate from his hometown.

An inventive tinkerer by nature, Vermeer invented a mechanical wagon hoist for unloading corn in 1943. After several neighbors saw the hoist's utility and requested Vermeer make more for sale, he obliged. Five years later, in 1948, Vermeer opened a small one-person job shop on his farm, naming it Vermeer Manufacturing.

Vermeer’s company flourished under his leadership. In the 1950s, the company introduced the Portable Pow-R Drive, a self-propelled irrigation system, as well as a hay conditioner and cutter. Gary Vermeer continued to drive the company's vision, and during the 1960s, Vermeer invented the first machine to dig, transport, and replace large trees. In 1971, Gary Vermeer invented the first larger round baler for hay. During the 1980s and 1990s, the company continued to innovate, building large trenchers to lay underground pipelines and horizontal directional drills.

Today, Vermeer stands with nearly 3,000 team members across 600 dealerships worldwide. Still headquartered in Pella, the privately held company distributes products globally while remaining true to Gary Vermeer’s original vision. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar