CONTACT: John Garnett, Engineered Storage Products Company, Inc., jgarnett@cstindustries.com, 913-748-4559; or, Dean Potratz, OPEN ROADS, dpotratz@openroads-bgdn.com, 414-227-1000
HARVESTORE ANNOUNCES PROGRAM TO REVITALIZE SALES
LOYAL, Wisconsin (July 13, 2005) --- Harvestore structures remain the best storage system for maintaining high quality feed, says John Garnett, Director of Marketing and Business Development for CST Industries the parent company of Engineered Storage Products Company, Inc., manufacturer of Harvestore. “They are more convenient and provide a very good return-on-investment,” Garnett told a group of dairy farmers and nutritionists at the Farm Technology Days in Clark County Wednesday.
Harvestores are known to farmers and city residents alike as the most prominent architecture on Wisconsin’s dairy farms. However, after rapid expansion in the 1960’s into the early 1980’s, sales slowed and came to a virtual halt as milk prices dropped, farmers left dairying, and the survivors expanded herd size. The Big Blues were singing the blues as farmers began using concrete bunker silos and storage bags to store cut hay.
A.O. Smith sold Engineered Storage Products Company to CST Industries in 2001. CST is investing in the company and has big plans to make the company’s new theme, “The New Harvestore – Back on the Horizon,” come true, Garnett said.
“We are investing in Harvestore to make it the heart of dairy nutrition once again,” Garnett added.
He feels Harvestore can be revitalized just like Chrysler in the 1980s and Harley-Davidson in the 1990s. “All are great brands that have great strengths but needed revitalization,” he said.
Harvestore is working with the USDA Forage Research Center in Wisconsin to conduct new research comparing forage quality and milk production with competing storage systems. The company is embarking on a program to improve parts quality and service maintenance, introducing a financing plan, establishing partnerships with dairy nutritionists and consultants, and expanding the dealer network, among other initiatives.
“We still have the best feed quality, bar none, that we’ve always had and are still more convenient to use,” Garnett said.
He admits Harvestore lost allegiances because units were slow to load and unload. The company’s speedier Alliance and soon to be introduced XL unloaders have solved that problem, he added.
“We compare very well to bunkers and bags in loading and unloading when you compare all the management variables such as tractor economics and time, especially if you are packing to the correct density,” Garnett said. “You must consider the factors such as the labor to pack, cover and place tires on the covers, running the tractors and equipment needed to unload, especially in adverse weather conditions. Plus there are other cost variables involved in loading and unloading.
“We also have conducted economic studies that show we have better lifetime value. Dairy farmers using Harvestores today are some of the most profitable dairies around,” he said.
Harvestore’s immediate goal is to provide dairy producers with the tools they need to compare lifetime value of all systems. Dairy producers who have stopped using their units should re-examine their decision, Garnett advised, and renovate them for use. The company’s dealer network is rebuilding older structures at an increasing pace. “Like any equipment, it must be maintained,” he added.
Garnett told the crowd that many dairy producers may not know the company is selling new Harvestore haylage systems with better designed roofs, improved glass-fused-to-steel coatings, enhanced unloaders and other improvements. The company also sells Slurrystores for manure management, and AquaStore and TecStore for municipal and industrial liquid application.
“My message today to Wisconsin dairies and their consultants is that Harvestore is back,” Garnett concluded. “We know we won’t sell Harvestores like they did 20 to 30 years ago. But our feed storage structures with the new automated Alliance unloader are still the best for maintaining feed quality, are the most convenient of all storage systems and are an excellent return on investment.”
For more information visit: www.harvestore.com.
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