Stalk Stompers

May Wes – Celebrating 50 Years of Service

 “Thank You for Your Business. We Will Continue to Earn It.”

My father Tom Daggett wrote those words back in 2003 in his first letter to May Wes customers. The summer before, he had acquired May Wes as a division of our family’s new business, Pride Solutions, LLC.

Dad grew up in manufacturing and ran a successful second-generation metal fabrication business just down the road from May Wes. He recognized the company’s tremendous potential and was excited to begin the next chapter in May Wes’s storied history.

This year marks May Wes’s 50th Anniversary, an incredible achievement made possible thanks to our loyal customers, distributors and dealers, as well as our hardworking employees who have never lost sight of our founders Wesley and Mavis Bruns’ innovative spirit and commitment to listening to our customers.

Please read on to learn more about May Wes’s fascinating history and how a farming couple from the small town of Gibbon, Minnesota revolutionized agriculture.

Thank you again for your business. We will continue to earn it!

Jack Daggett, President
May Wes Manufacturing
Pride Solutions, LLC

May Wes – What’s In A Name?

In 1972, husband and wife Wesley and Mavis Bruns launched a small manufacturing business at their farm in Gibbon, Minnesota. Their new enterprise needed a name, so they combined their first names and, in a clever play on words, May Wes Manufacturing was born.

The Bruns foresaw an opportunity to help other farmers improve their operations with aftermarket products that increased efficiency and yields. Some of their first products included galvanized steel “Grain De-Viders” to guide grain into headers and “Gravity Flow Hoppers” that folded out for unloading.

From the beginning, Wesley Bruns was always on the lookout for the next great product that would transform modern agriculture.

Becoming ‘The Original Poly People’

After a few years in business, Wesley and Mavis incorporated plastics into their products and May Wes became known as “The Original Poly People.” They discovered that by attaching slick and durable UHMW poly to field equipment in areas of high stress where dirt and debris build up and where friction is the greatest, equipment lasted much longer and passed through fields with amazing ease.

Longtime employees recall stories of Wesley driving to the Twin Cities to fill his pickup truck with sheets of UHMW poly, and how, on one occasion, that slippery material suddenly went airborne on a busy interstate causing all sorts of mayhem. Today we bring it in by the semi-truckload.

Back in the day, May Wes employees hand cut the plastic material on a shear and bent it to make skid shoes for grain headers. In the mid-1980s the company installed a YAM CNC Mill to meet the growing demand for plastic skid shoes. In its first year of operation, with longtime employee Bill Templin at its helm, the YAM met the demand for 1,800 sets of skid shoes for the John Deere 200 Series grain head.

To this day, May Wes Premium Poly Skid Shoes remain the backbone of our company. The good old YAM worked hard for us for over 40 years. We augmented it with a Komo CNC router in 2003 and then replaced the YAM last year with a second Komo CNC router. We were fortunate to have Bill Templin on our team until 2014 when he retired at the age of 75. Sadly, Bill passed away in 2021 at the age of 82, and is greatly missed by us all.

 ‘The Original Stalk Stomper’

In 1983, May Wes again revolutionized the aftermarket ag industry with the introduction of the “Original Stalk Stomper.” This ingenious invention protected expensive combine tires from genetically modified cornstalks that had become as tough as nails.

Through the years, May Wes has continuously improved our No-Till Award-winning Stalk Stomper lineup with feedback and assistance from loyal customers. In 2018 we introduced our revolutionary G4 Stalk Stompers, which were recognized with the Best Game-Changing B2C Product at the Made in Minnesota Manufacturing Awards. We listened to corn growers and developed a lighter, easier to install and reposition Stalk Stomper featuring a durable compression molded shoe. Our G4 Stalk Stompers have been so well received that we now offer them for corn heads, planters and tractors. G4 Stalk Stompers are now our top-selling product.

May Wes Moves to Hutchinson, Minnesota

After Wesley Bruns passed away in 1995 at the age of 66, his sons Mark and Steve Bruns took over the family business. By 1997, May Wes had outgrown is space on the farm, and the company was relocated to our present facility in Hutchinson, Minnesota. Compression molding presses were added to grow the company’s capabilities. In the early 1990s, May Wes began molding C&A Pro snowmobile skis for snowmobile racing legend Dale Cormican. Today most professional snowmobilers run C&A Pro skis, including Levi LaVallee and four-time Snocross champion Elias Ishoel.

2002 – The Daggett Family Acquires May Wes

In 2002, Tom Daggett acquired May Wes and established Pride Solutions, LLC, under which we operate four divisions including May Wes, C&A Pro, Pride Engineered Plastics and Pride Assembly. Tom transformed May Wes’s business operation, utilizing the experience he gained as the second generation to run his family’s nearby metal fabrication business, Hutchinson Manufacturing. He introduced a number of organizational and strategic changes, improved inventory management processes, and made major investments in new manufacturing equipment. Under his leadership, May Wes secured its enviable marketing presence and became one of the first in our industry to embrace e-commerce.

2016-Today – The Next Generation of May Wes

In 2016, Tom’s son Jack Daggett became president of May Wes and Pride Solutions, LLC. Jack had worked on the company’s production floor from high school through his college years, gaining hands-on knowledge of its production processes. In 2013, he became Operations Manager and helped improve the company’s planning processes with an engineered approach to specifications and purchasing – a process that has helped us thrive during the pandemic despite many supply-chain challenges.

Under Jack’s leadership, Pride Solutions and May Wes adopted the Entrepreneurial Operating System®, putting the company on a solid growth trajectory. The company has introduced numerous new products in recent years, including its ever expanding G4 Stalk Stomper and skid shoe product lines, 5 Finger Quick Tines, poly pickup bands, and much more. Jack has continued investing in the company, acquiring its first robot-assisted CNC lathe and second CNC router. This spring we broke ground on a major addition that will double the size of our production facility.

“FarmTubers” Introduce May Wes to a New Era of Farmers

May Wes’s marketing presence continues to lead the industry. In 2018, we partnered with a rising YouTube star named Zach Johnson, the Minnesota Millennial Farmer, who introduced May Wes to a new generation of farmers around the world. This led to a complete transformation of our marketing program, and we now work with numerous FarmTubers and social media influencers including Larson Farms, Welker Farms, Brian’s Farming Videos, Stanley “The Dirt Monkey” Genadek, FastAg Montana, Finstad Skidloader and Snow Removal Service, and Northern Chill. We’ve even become YouTubers and social media influencers ourselves! We welcome you to become part of our story by tagging us @maywesmanufacturing.

As Always, We Remain – “Field Tested, Farmer Approved.”

May Wes has come a long way in the past 50 years, but one thing will never change. We remain devoted to Wesley and Mavis Bruns’ spirit of innovation and commitment to listening to our customers. We can’t say it enough: Thank you for your business. We will continue to earn it!

May Wes at Bruns Farm Gibbon MN

Original location at Bruns Farm in Gibbon, Minnesota.

Mavis and Wesley Bruns

Wesley and Mavis Bruns

Wesley Bruns

Wesley Bruns founded May Wes with his wife Mavis.

original stalk stompers

“The Original Stalk Stomper.”

May Wes Staff Pic

May Wes manufacturing facility in Hutchinson, Minnesota.

Baling Hay with the MN Millennial Farmer

The Minnesota Millennial Farmer and Eric Bates shoot “Baling Hay” video in 2020.

A Salute to Our Long-Term Employees

Jeff Hennen

Jeff Hennen, May Wes Shipping and Receiving

Jason

Jason Templin, Fabrication

Connie Lingbeek, Purchasing & Planning

Angie Macik, Accounting & HR

You know you’re doing something right as a business when your employees don’t want to leave. We currently have 38 employees and 25% of them have been with the company for more 10 years!

Jason Templin – 32 years
Jeff Hennen – 24 years
Connie Lingbeek – 20 years
Angie Macik – 17 years
Kent Welte -14 years
Chuck Boettcher -12 years
Anthony Whaylen – 11 years
Dave Elness = 11 Years
Ben Wick = 10 years

Jason Templin – 32 Years

Jason Templin, a distant cousin of Bill’s, is our current longest-term employee. He started with the company in 1990, working part time after school to earn money to buy an Arctic Cat EXT 580 snowmobile. He’s worked here ever since and has bought many more snowmobiles over the years. Jason now leads the May Wes fabrication department. He doesn’t miss the old YAM, but he said it got the job done.

“I’m content,” said Jason. “I like the people I work with and I like what I do.” 

Jeff Hennen – 24 Years

Jeff has been with May Wes since 1998. He runs our very busy shipping department, which last year processed 12,614 shipments.

“I’ve stayed here because I like the people that I work with,” Jeff said. “The management is very accommodating and listens to what you have to say and always has an open door policy.” 

Connie Lingbeek – 20 Years

Connie has been with May Wes and Pride Solutions since 2002. She is our Purchaser/Planner, and makes sure we have the parts and materials to get product out the door, a task that’s no small challenge these days.

“We have a great team here at Pride Solutions,” Connie said. “The willingness to work together to achieve a goal is second to none.  Every day is different. There are always new tasks and challenges to conquer.”

Connie will never forget her first two days at May Wes:

“My first two days were not in the office, but at a local farm show,” she recalled. Talk about being thrown into a lion’s den. Talking with the farmers on what they like or suggestions for the future was a great and fast learning experience about our products. Being a farmer’s daughter did help. This truly set the stage for a fun and interesting adventure here at Pride.”

Angie Macik – 17 Years  

Angie serves dual roles as accounting and HR manager for all divisions of Pride Solutions, including May Wes.

“I enjoy my job and the people I work with,” Angie said. “I like the diversity of my job.  There is always something new. The employees with their hard work and dedication have really grown May Wes to what it is today.”

May Wes – A Tradition of Innovation

We’ve been introducing new products nearly every year since 1972!

1972 – Mavis and Wesley Bruns start up May Wes Manufacturing at their Farm in Gibbon, Minnesota
– Row Dividers
-Gravity Box Folding Hopper
1976 – UHMW Poly Skid Shoes
1980 – Moldboard Covers
-Tractor Fender Guards
-Wesley Walker
1983 – “Original Stalk Stomper”
1983 – YAM CNC Installed
1984 – Chaff Spreaders
1985 – Slide-N-Drive Fifth Wheel Covers (Now Minimizer Slickplates)
1988 – May Wes distributes its first catalog

-Poly Tin Replacement
-Grain Elevator Paddles
-Chute Liners

1990 –Grain Header Carts
1991 – Feeder House Silencer
1991 – Poly Shank Protectors
1992 – Poly Chain Tighteners
1993 – Poly Cutting Edge
1993 – Retractable Poly Fingers
1995 – Wesley Bruns passes away
1996 – Compression molding added
1996 – Poly Closing Wheels
1996 – Molded Skid Shoes
1997 – May Wes moves to Hutchinson, MN
2000 – Poly Capped bolts
2002 – New Owner Tom Daggett forms Pride Solutions
2002 – Ear Savers and Snout Savers
2003 – Komo CNC router installed
2005 – Auger Floor Liners, Corn Savers
2007 – Corn Shields
2009 – Drawbar Savers
2010 – Tractor Stalk Stompers
2014 – Quick Disconnect 2 Stalk Stompers
2014 – Poly Pickup Bands

2015 – Row Dividers
2016 – Jack Daggett becomes president
2016 – May Wes becomes Exclusive Distributor for GVL Poly Snouts
2017 – Robot-assisted CNC lathe installed
2018 – G4 Stalk Stompers Introduced
2018 – May Wes partners with Minnesota Millennial Farmer
2019 – G4 Planter Stalk Stompers Introduced
2020 – Crop Shields/Trash Aprons for John Deere and Case IH corn heads
2020 – 5 Finger Quick Tines
2021 – G4 Tractor Stalk Stompers Introduced
2021 – Second Komo CNC Router Installed; original YAM retired
2022 – 50th Anniversary
2022 – Added Baleskiis® Baler Liners and Black Talon Rubber Molded Rake & Baler Teeth
2022 – Construction begins on 20,000 square foot addition.

2022-09-07T13:37:10-05:00May 6th, 2022|Featured, News, Top Featured, Uncategorized|

May Wes introduces new G4 Stalk Stompers for John Deere 90/40 Series Corn Heads

May Wes, a leading manufacturer and supplier of aftermarket poly agricultural parts including the original Stalk Stompers, announced today that it has expanded its popular G4 Stalk Stomper product line to include John Deere 90/40 Series corn heads.

May Wes added the John Deere 90/40 Series G4 Stalk Stompers to its G4 Stalk Stomper lineup to meet grower demand. The Hutchinson, Minnesota-based manufacturer introduced its award-winning compression molded UHMW G4 Stalk Stompers in 2018 and has since expanded the product line to include most major corn heads, including John Deere 90/40 and 600/700 Series; Case IH 2200, 2400, 2600, 3200, 3400, 4200 and 4400 Series; New Holland 99C/980 Series and 96C/98C/98D/996 Series; Geringhoff Horizon, Patriot/Northstar/Rotadisc Series; Drago GT and Series I & II; Harvestec; Lexion; Capello; AGCO and Fantini. May Wes will continue to add additional models as the market demands. G4 Planter Stalk Stompers are also available for John Deere 1770NT planters and will be available soon for Case IH Model 1250 Early Riser planters. May Wes also offers tractor stalk stompers for a wide range of tractors.

Based on farmer feedback, the G4 Stalk Stomper features a simplified and space-saving torsion design that eliminates the spring, chain, pivot bolt and other bulky features found in most Stalk Stompers, making it much easier for one person to install, remove and reposition for transport or storage.

The G4 is much more compact with a 12.7” shorter length than previous models, providing more clearance for track combines and hassle-free storage and transport on folding corn heads. May Wes widened the G4’s shoe to 12” for optimal stalk leveling and reduced its weight by 25 percent. Manufactured from ½” thick durable UHMW poly instead of steel, the G4’s shoe easily glides across the field and features a raised tail to prevent accidental reverse damage.

Find out more about the G4 Stalk Stomper and May Wes at www.maywes.com or call 1-800-788-6483. Watch the G4 video at https://youtu.be/Cg0NaHWxm3Q.

About May Wes
May Wes has led the after-market poly agricultural equipment market since 1972, proudly assuring that all of its products are FIELD-TESTED and FARMER-APPROVED. Known as “the Original Poly People,” May Wes specializes in innovative products manufactured from Ultra High Molecular Weight polyethylene (UHMW poly) material, and offers a wide range of aftermarket poly parts to help farmers extend the life of their equipment. Located in the heart of farmland in Hutchinson, Minnesota, May Wes is a division of Pride Solutions, LLC. Learn more about May Wes at www.maywes.com or 1-800-788-6483.

 

G4 Stalk Stomper
torsion
8 row John Deere 90-40 series stalk stompers
G4 Stalk Stomper on Toolbar
2023-11-14T10:55:54-06:00April 3rd, 2020|Featured, News|

May Wes G4 Stalk Stomper Wins Made in Minnesota Manufacturing Award for Best Game-Changing B2C Product

May Wes proudly announces that it has won the 2018 Made in Minnesota Manufacturing Awards Best Game-Changing B2C Product Award for its new G4 Stalk Stompers.

“We are thrilled to be recognized for our game-changing G4 Stalk Stomper,” said Jack Daggett, president of May Wes and its parent company Pride Solutions. “May Wes developed the original Stalk Stomper more than 45 years ago and we’ve been working directly with farmers to continuously improve the product. The G4 features our most innovative design changes to date thanks to the team effort of our staff who collaborated with several test farmers.” 

Based on farmer feedback, the G4 Stalk Stomper features a simplified and space-saving torsion design that eliminates the spring, chain, pivot bolt and other bulky features found in most Stalk Stompers, making it much easier for one person to install, remove and reposition for transport or storage. It is available for a wide range of corn heads. The G4 is much more compact with an 11.5” shorter profile than previous models, providing more clearance for track combines and hassle-free storage and transport on folding corn heads. May Wes widened the G4’s shoe to 12” for optimal stalk leveling and reduced its weight by 25 percent.

Manufactured from ½” thick durable UHMW poly instead of steel, the G4’s shoe easily glides across the field and features a raised tail to prevent accidental reverse damage.  The G4 Stalk Stomper is ideal for track combines and folding headers. It can be used on all rows to flatten and fan-out the stalk, allowing air and moisture to accelerate decomposition, or it can be used on just the rows in front of combine tires and tracks to prevent costly stubble damage. Two to 18-row kits are available.

In addition to the Game-Changing B2C Product Award, May Wes parent company Pride Solutions was awarded the Best in Class Small Business award, and Pride Solutions founder Tom Daggett was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award. Pride Solutions division C&A Pro was a runner up for the Game-Changing B2C Product Award for its XPT snowmobile skis, and President Jack Daggett was a finalist for the Emerging Leader award.

2019-05-28T16:54:24-05:00September 21st, 2018|Featured, News|
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