Gehl

"Gehl Company will manufacture and distribute quality equipment to selective segments of the construction and agricultural markets at a fair return to our shareholders." The Gehl Company is one of the oldest manufacturing firms in the midwestern United States. The company makes a wide range of construction equipment, including such products as skid loaders, rough-terrain telescopic forklifts, and paving equipment distributed through independent dealers for the construction industry. In addition, Gehl Company manufactures agricultural equipment used in day-to-day livestock farming and is widely recognized as the leader in the non-tractor manufacturing industry, with a comprehensive product line of hay-makers, forage harvesters, feed makers, manure handlers, and materials handlers. The company has been on the cutting edge of recent technological developments in the construction and agricultural equipment industry, and has introduced highly innovative and durable machinery, including the 35 Series Skid Loaders, the 1300 Series Scavenger Manure Spreader, and the 2345 and 2365 Disc Mower Conditioner models, both with 12-foot wide swing frame disc mowers. Headquartered in West Bend, Wisconsin, the company has distributed its products overseas to Latin America, Asia, and Europe for nearly 50 years. The roots of Gehl Company go back to 1859, when Louis Lucas opened an iron foundry in central Wisconsin. Lucas established his business in order to manufacture plows and cultivators, and for the repair of farm implements. As more and more immigrants from Europe swept into the Midwest, settled down, and started farms of their own, they came to rely heavily on the services provided by men like Lucas. By 1880, Lucas was joined by M. Silberzahn, a German immigrant with experience as a blacksmith. The two partners soon came up with one of the most important innovations in agricultural machinery during the late 19th century, the Hexelbank, a feed cutter which replaced the need to chop livestock feed by hand, usually with a beet knife. The popularity of the hand-cranked Hexelbank grew so rapidly that is was soon used not only for sugar beet crops but for other root crops as well. In 1902, John W. Gehl acquired part interest in the firm of Lucas and Silberzahn. One year later Gehl, who had been raised on a homestead in central Wisconsin, asked his brothers Mike, Henry, and Nick to join him and purchase all the assets of Lucas and Silberzahn. By 1904, the Gehl Brothers Manufacturing Company was producing a wide range of basic farm tools and, of course, the extremely lucrative Hexelbank. During the next two years, the company prospered and the four brothers began to consider the manufacture of more innovative farm equipment. Unfortunately, in 1906 the company plant and its entire inventory was destroyed in a fire. But the Gehl brothers were undaunted, and rebuilt the company factory through the sale of stock, and by reaching deep into their own pockets. Two years later, the Gehl brothers introduced a larger feed cutter, an elevator, and began producing stone and wood-stave silos. Two additional innovations during this time included an advanced-design, engine powered recutter for malt grain, corn cobs and stalks, and a new silo filler, which quickly developed into the standard for the farm equipment industry. As Gehl Company continued to grow during the early part of the 20th century, the firm developed a reputation as one of the most innovative and reliable farm equipment operations in the Midwest. By the 1920s, the company was one of the undisputed leaders in the region. With the growth of the dairy industry during the decade, farmers were looking for a more convenient way to grind homegrown grains. The company responded to this need by developing the Gehl hammer mill, which would dominate the market for the next 30 years. At the same time, in addition to the stationary hammer mill, the company developed a portable truck-mounted mill. One of