Trusting Your Team

Kenny Brinker, Harrison Creek Farms, Auxvasse, MO.

When you have an established team of employees who are consistently achieving top performance, you ought to listen to them. That sage advice comes from Kenny Brinker of Harrison Creek Farms, Auxvasse, MO.

Last year, when Harrison Creek was expanding the size of its farrow-to-finish operation from 1,300 sows to 2,650, Brinker’s employees disagreed with what some of the firm’s consultants recommended when it came to purchasing equipment.

“We had three companies bidding on the equipment, and Farmweld was a little higher so some of our consultants were leaning toward a cheaper bid,” Brinker explains. “But our farm staff really wanted Farmweld they were confident it would last longer and that it was a better product.”

Harrison Creek’s team, led by Shane Sorell, had firsthand experience with Farmweld equipment after 96 Farmweld EuroStyle Farrowing Crates were installed during an earlier remodeling project. Brinker says the staff likes the crate’s solid cast flooring and its user- friendly design, especially features like the Swinging Rump Guard which makes it easy to work behind the sows during farrowing. They also like the easy access to the large feeder, and the fact that crate sides can be opened completely should you need to remove a sow.

Sorell has been with Harrison Creek since it opened its doors in 1994, and many of the other seven employees have worked there for more than five years. “Our staff is very dedicated and focused on high production,” says Brinker. “They consistently push close to 27 pigs per sow per year.”

Not such a big price difference
When Brinker looked closely at the various equipment bids for the expansion, he soon realized that Farmweld’s crate price included more components and details than other bids he reviewed. Even basic things, such as side panels and flooring, were “add-ons” in other bids, according to Brinker.

“With Farmweld, the entire physical structure was together in one bid,” he says. "Once Brinker pointed out the different bidding procedures to various advisors, “they were surprised at how little difference there was.”

Ultimately, Farmweld won the bid, including 288 EuroStyle farrowing crates and 1,800 gestation stalls.

Relying on Farmweld’s expertise
Much of Harrison Creek’s expansion resulted from transforming 3,600 nursery spaces – eliminated because wean-to-finish had become the production method of choice – into farrowing facilities. The job required quite a bit of design work to change the room layouts and looring configurations.

Harrison Creek Sow Farm Manager Shane Sorrell (right) is shown in a new farrowing room with Farrowing Manager Rudy Rodriguez (left) and Jeremy Brinker, farrowing assistant (center).

Farmweld sales representative Kevin Schnarre enlisted Farmweld’s design team to draw up detailed plans for laying out the flooring and support beams. Farmweld’s people were “very capable and helpful,” recalls Brinker.

No hassle installation
Equipment installation for the expansion went very smoothly. The construction company even told Brinker that he would save money in installation costs because Farmweld equipment can be assembled more quickly than many brands. “Farmweld crates go together so easy – it is just a few pins to set,” Brinker explains.

Brinker views Farmweld as a quality supplier that repeatedly demonstrates excellent integrity. “When Farmweld told us they would have the crates and stalls here on a certain date, that’s exactly what they did,” he says. “There were no problems with loads being short or equipment getting mixed up between rooms. We were impressed with how it was all organized.”

Abiding by his employees’ recommendations for purchasing equipment made good sense to Brinker. “I’m convinced that you’ll get better performance and longer life out of equipment when the employees who use it, day-in and day-out, have a say in selecting the best product,” concludes Brinker.