Agricultural and landscaping equipment manufacturer with five operating divisions
Great Plains manufactures farm and landscaping equipment across five divisions, with a manufacturing-heavy workforce scaling rapidly (27 new roles posted in the last month). The company is actively automating production—deploying new Fanuc robotics, implementing MES software (Apriso), and building automated cell concepts—while tackling cost reduction and safety as core operational priorities. This automation push, paired with junior-heavy hiring, suggests a shift toward higher-throughput, lower-touch manufacturing.
Notable leadership hires: Assembly Lead
Great Plains Manufacturing designs and builds agricultural equipment (seedbed preparation, nutrient application, seed placement) under its Ag Division, and landscaping equipment (roadside management, wildlife habitat tools) through Land Pride. The company operates five divisions with over 1,500 employees across the U.S., headquartered in Salina, Kansas. Engineering relies on CAD (AutoCAD, Creo, Solidworks) and process control (AS/400, Allen-Bradley), while production uses traditional welding alongside emerging robotics. The company was founded in 1976 and remains privately held.
Great Plains runs Allen-Bradley controls, MIG welding, Fanuc robots, and legacy AS/400 systems for operations. Design tools include AutoCAD, Creo, Creo Parametric, and Solidworks. The company is actively adopting additional Fanuc robotics for new automated cell builds.
Current projects include Kaizen lean initiatives, Apriso MES implementation, new Kubota paint line deployment, automated cell concept creation, and shipping process improvements. Pain points center on downtime reduction, production cost control, product quality, and safety ergonomics.
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