 |
 In
1956 Loftness Manufacturing, the forerunner of Loftness
Specialized Equipment, Inc., had its beginnings in a
farm shop owned by Dick Loftness, a Hector, MN farmer.
Dick had made a V-type snowblower for his own use. A
few neighbors saw the blower and asked if Dick would
make one for them. Soon Dick had made several of the
snowblowers, and Loftness Manufacturing was launched.
Gradually, the sales grew until
it reached the point where Dick could no longer operate
at the farm. He moved the business into a small, vacant
building in Hector and employed a few farmers who were
not busy in the winter. In 1970, Marv Nelson, a local
farmer, began acting as a distributor for Dick. He bought
the snowblowers directly from Loftness and traveled
the upper Midwest, selling them to farm implement dealers.
Gradually, sales increased, and the Loftness Snowblower
name was beginning to be recognized. Loftness Manufacturing
was once again moved in 1975, this time into a building
Dick had built in Hector. The company continued to grow,
but by 1979 Dick decided to sell. Marv Nelson bought
the business, controlling production as well as distribution.
Semi-trucks were purchased, and snowblowers were delivered
directly to dealers. Up to this point, snowblowers were
the only product manufactured. Sales fluctuated widely;
since they were dictated solely by weather. Another
product was needed to smooth the peaks and valleys of
sales.
In 1982, the Loftness crop shredder
was developed, and the first prototypes were tested.
By the following year, line production was underway.
Other products have been added over the years: 
1993 - Brush Shredder
1995 - KwikPik
1996 - Flail Mower
2000 - Sod Roller
2002 - Timber Ax
2005 - Carbide Cutter
As the business increased, additions
to the plant were built, equipment was added as needed,
and the number of year-around employees grew. Loftness
products are sold coast to coast across the United States,
in Canada, Mexico, Chile, France, Japan and Australia.
From the beginning, Marv Nelson
wanted to build the best product for the money, and
his dream still lives on today. Top grade steel welded
with high quality wire and argon gas, along with top
of the line components and pride of workmanship goes
into every single Loftness product from the 4 foot snowblower
to the 30 foot multi-crop shredder. Rigorous testing
ensures a problem-free machine. Dedication to reliability
and service build solid customer relationships.
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