Grainswest - Tech 2024

Tech 2024 Grains West 28 FEATURE R uss Wildfong started his short line of aftermarket combine parts in his farm shop with old welding equipment and a determined attitude that stemmed from real life frustration. During harvest in the brutally wet year of 2014, his combine concaves were pulverized by soggy conditions. “We scooped up a lot of mud, and in the mud was rocks. We were just destroying factory concaves,” he said. One night between rainstorms, his irritation boiled over. He enlisted his father Rick to help and the two worked to machine their own concaves that could withstand gruelling conditions. Rick insisted they use the highest quality steel, AR 400, the same grade used to build bridges. The steel is harder to cut and weld, but the durability it lends to this critical part is worth the trouble. In response to farmer demand, the Wildfongs manufactured concaves en masse. Made to last, and not too fast, they will do up to 30,000 acres, or about four to five times as long as standard concaves. As well, depending what colour machinery a farmer runs, they typically save between 25 and 50 per cent on a new set of his concaves. “It has stretched the lifespan of a critical wear component in a combine,” he said. “If concaves get worn out and they do a bad job, the rest of the threshing and cleaning system can’t do its job.” All OEMs use a lower quality steel, he added. It’s what he and others call planned obsolescence, that a product is built to wear out and necessitate a repurchase after a set period. “They just seem to be stuck on mild steel,” he said of OEMs. “They don’t want to spend extra money or extra labour if it’s a tricky welding procedure. They just want to pump them out as cheap as possible.” He doesn’t understand the approach, but he also doesn’t mind that major manufacturers continue to pair first-class price tags with second-rate steel. “I’m lucky they are so cheap, because if they did do a good job building this stuff, I’d be out of business,” he said with a laugh. A pronounced industry focus on machinery and innovation for corn production across North America has left room for Wildfong Enterprises to carve out a serious niche. Over the years, the company has produced other products, as well. Accelerators, otherwise known as beaters, impellers and rub bars, are its primary offerings. Wildfong has also had unexpected success with rice, a notoriously abrasive crop. His rice accelerator comes with a set of replacement teeth—the only part that will require a re-order, and at about 30 per cent of the OEM price. “That thing’s never coming out,” he said of the accelerator drum. “It’s going to stay in that combine forever. The wear parts that you have to replace are easy to get at and easy to replace. Maintenance down the road is an easy fix.” More than five years after production on the initial sets of replacement teeth, he still hasn’t had a reorder. “I thought I’d be having some calls by now, but I haven’t, so it’s nice that it’s lasting for the farmers,” he said. To date, Wildfong has not had issues of interoperability. While that may change in the future, all products work on all OEMs, new and old. Central to the company’s success is that Wildfong himself is a farmer. This gives a potential customer confidence he can answer highly specific questions about field performance. In the past, dealers often fielded such questions, but those days are gone, said Wildfong. “The farmer wants to talk to someone who knows the product and has had the same issues they’ve had,” he said. “There’s a big disconnect nowadays from advice you can get from the dealership as opposed to an owner-operator.” Wildfong and his staff of five have accomplished more than they thought possible. He knows it’s hard to gain customers, especially those that are brand loyal, and easy to lose them if a product is inferior. Going above and beyond is simply table stakes. His business trifecta is simple: better products, better service and better prices. “If you can do all three, then you’re off to the races.” Wildfong Enterprises, Craik, SK Built to last, not too fast “I’m lucky they are so cheap, because if they did do a good job building this stuff, I’d be out of business.” —RussWildfong