Art's Way

Products

Agricultural machinery manufactured by Art's Way includes feed grinder-mixers, manure spreaders, portable grain augers, forage boxes and wagons, forage blowers, rakes, mergers, balers, pickup reels, flail shredders, sugar beet harvesters and plows.

Art's Way land prep equipment includes land graders, land planes and snow blowers.

Art's Way Scientific's modular buildings are used for food testing laboratories, vivariums and farm animal housing.

Art's Way vessels are used for water treatment, petroleum refining and chemical processing, food storage and as marine ballast tanks and fresh water tanks.

American Carbide Tools produces single-point brazed carbide tipped tools as well as PCD (polycrystalline diamond) and CBN (cubic boron nitride) inserts and tools.

Awards

Art’s Way was recognized by Forbes magazine in 2008 as the 54th best small company in America.

In May, 2015, Art's Way was presented with a 2015 Award of Distinction by the Modular Building Institute (MBI), for a transgenic swine facility that was designed, manufactured and installed for Iowa State University's Zumwalt Station Farm in Ames, IA. The company won a similar award in 2014 for a modular biomedical research building in the San Francisco Bay Area, Ca.

History

Iowa farmer Arthur Luscombe (1922–2008) founded Art’s Way Manufacturing in 1956 to produce and sell a PTO powered grinder mixer he developed on his farm near Dolliver, Iowa. In 1959, Luscombe moved the company from his original plant in downtown Armstrong to its present location on the edge of town, and the grinder mixer line was expanded to include OEM work for companies such as Massey Ferguson, Owatonna and Case, or as it was known then, International Harvester.

In the 1970s, Art's Way became a publicly traded company.

During the 1980s, Art’s Way acquired the Sunmaster line from Rotech. This purchase added mowers, cutters and shredders to the company’s product offerings. The Heath Farm Equipment line was also purchased, allowing Art’s Way to begin manufacturing sugar beet harvesters and defoliators.

Also during the 1980s, the company secured the patent rights to the John Deere design “wheel” harvester, and soon becomes the industry leader in that market. A potato harvester, previously available only in the Red River Valley, North Carolina and Canada, was also introduced to the product line. The WeighTronix division, created to build scales for Art’s Way grinder mixers, was spun off from Art’s Way as was the Armstrong Rim & Wheel division, which was created to build wheels for Art’s Way grinder mixers.

The 1990s was a decade of acquisition. Art’s Way acquired the Peerless line, and begins offering a roller mill in feed processing products. Stationary feed processing/mixing equipment was also added.

The Eversman product line was also purchased, bringing land preparation equipment (planes, levelers, ditchers, scrapers) to the product offerings as well the PreSeeder, a minimum tillage tool.

The SupRaMix TMR vertical mixer was added during the 1990s to target the dairy and beef markets, and the SSP 150 is introduced, adding a portable roller mixer designed exclusively for the hog producer. Art’s Way also acquired the Logan Company line, and expands potato offerings to include a planter, windrower, and additional harvester, as well as a line of bulk boxes.

The DMI design grain wagon was incorporated into the product line, along with several lines purchased from United Farm Tool. They include the no till grain drill, the “Speedy” bean cutter, the multi crop shredder and the high dump wagon.

In 2006, Art’s Way diversified its business by creating the new Art’s Way Scientific division in Monona, Iowa. This division manufactures modular laboratories for research and other purposes.

In 2010 Art’s Way farm equipment division expanded its product offering, with the acquisition of Roda manure spreaders and M&W balers. Art’s Way also purchased a facility in Salem, South Dakota for auger production and a facility in West Union, IA.

In 2012 the Art’s Way farm equipment division expanded its product offering again, with the acquisition of Universal Harvester Company. Universal Harvester by Art’s Way manufactures reels for combines and swathers.

In 2013 Art’s Way purchased AgroTrend in Clifford, Ontario. AgroTrend produces and distributes snow blowers.

Also that year Art’s Way diversified its business with the acquisition of Ohio Metal Co. Inc. in Canton, Ohio. Ohio Metal manufactures carbide cutting tools under the name American Carbide Tools (ACT).

Today, Art’s Way has approximately 200 employees and operates its four business units in seven facilities. Global Manufacturing website lists Art's Way as an example of a small manufacturing company.