Gary Vermeer, Founder of Vermeer Corporation, Passes Away at Age 90

Iconic brands are often named after their inspiring inventors. Visionaries like John Deere (a blacksmith and equipment inventor in the 1800s) helped create some of the most brand-recognized agricultural and construction equipment in the world.

Gary Vermeer was one of those charismatic pioneers of the equipment world, and his vision and hard work will continue to represent the outstanding products at Vermeer Corp. — its growing lines of drilling machines, agricultural tools, environmental systems and compact equipment. So it’s with great remorse that we announce that Gary Vermeer, founder and chairman emeritus of Vermeer Corp. in Pella, Iowa, died Feb. 2, 2009, at the Comfort House of Pella. He was 90 years of age. He is survived by his wife, Matilda, and three children and their spouses, Stanley and Alma Vermeer, Robert and Lois Vermeer, and Mary and Dale Andringa, eight grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.

Gary Vermeer and a cousin started Vermeer in 1948, after inventing a wagon hoist five years earlier, which made it easier to unload corn. Demand for the labor-saving device from his neighbors prompted him to open Vermeer Mfg. Co.

From that small operation, the company has grown over the past 60 years to an international organization that manufactures agricultural, construction, environmental and industrial equipment. Today, Vermeer Corp. has industrial dealerships in over 60 countries and on every continent except Antarctica, in addition to hundreds of agricultural equipment dealers throughout the United States. Two of Gary Vermeer’s children, Robert Vermeer and Mary Vermeer Andringa, now serve as co-chief executive officers of Vermeer Corp. Three of his grandchildren also are active in the corporation.

Perhaps Gary Vermeer’s best known manufacturing contribution is the Vermeer round hay baler, an invention that revolutionized agriculture in 1971 as it turned the labor-intensive process of hay baling into a one-man operation. One of his many innovative ideas and industry-changing products over the years, Gary Vermeer’s hay baler concept was a solution to his common theme, “There has to be a better way.”

Under Vermeer’s guidance, other landmark products manufactured by the company include stump cutters, trenchers and tree spades, among many others. Today, the company manufacturers more than 100 product models, including a more recent line of Vermeer Navigator horizontal directional drills, and many other products in its four product segments: forage management, specialty excavation, environmental transformation and underground installation.

In addition to Gary Vermeer’s notable contributions to manufacturing, he is well known for his philanthropy. The company started a foundation in 1958 to set aside a portion of the company’s profits. Over the years, the Vermeer Charitable Foundation has made significant contributions to many projects, both locally and worldwide.

In honor of Gary Vermeer and his lifetime of contributions, a Web site has been established. Please visit www.garyvermeer.com for more information.