w

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

partner for growers around the globe by providing superior field and storage equipment. Based in Blackfoot, Idaho, the company works closely with customers to identify areas for improvement, leveraging new ideas, technological advancements, and the expertise of its specialized team working worldwide. Evan Steel, Sales Director, retraces Spudnik’ s evolution from its early days to the present day.

“ The company was started in 1958 by brothers Carl and Leo Hobbs, who used to shovel potatoes into sacks. Deciding there had to be a better way to handle potatoes without the need for so much manual labor, they invented a scooper that could gather potatoes from storage, scoop them up, and

YOUR SPECIALIST FOR PLASTICS ENGINEERING

TECHNICAL ENGINEERING · INJECTION MOULDING · PUR CASTING

Proud partner of SPUDNIK INTERNORM is proud to support SPUDNIK as an OEM of plastic components and rollers to optimize the performance of agricultural machinery.

Discover more about INTERNORM: www. internorm. de · + 49 5491 96910 · info @ internorm. de load them directly into a truck. Over the years, they expanded their product line and developed other equipment, such as conveyors and pilers, which we still build today. Since then, the company has seen significant innovation in its machines, eventually branching out into field equipment for planting and harvesting potatoes. In the late 1990s, the Grimme Group( Grimme), the largest potato equipment producer in the world, approached the owners of Spudnik and asked if they would be interested in a partnership. The company agreed, and by 2002, Spudnik became a fully owned member of Grimme,” he begins.

“ Today, we are the largest manufacturer of potato equipment in North America. The acquisition by Grimme has been greatly beneficial for both Spudnik and the potato industry in North America. The technology and innovations for potato equipment that had already been developed in Europe were easy to adapt and apply to the American market. All we needed to do was ensure our equipment was robust and heavier built for local needs. Currently, our primary focus is on potato equipment, including the manufacturing of harvesters, planters, and the machinery used for both storing potatoes and taking them out of storage. In terms of services related to our potato business, we have set up retail centers throughout North America where we provide technical support for our equipment, as well as providing spare parts. As we expand into new markets, we are also developing innovative products tailored for the vegetable and sugar beet industries,” he adds.

Vegetable market mechanization

Spudnik’ s entry into vegetable and sugar beet processing has been on the agenda for some time, but it took a gradual approach to launching in these markets.

186