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He Makes Canopies For Deere Tractors
Nelson Horning’s specialty is building parts for Deere balers, but he’s developed a sideline business building canopies for Deere 10 and 20 series tractors. “Several customers asked me to build a canopy because they thought the price that Deere was asking was way too high,” Horning says. “I put together a few quotes and guys ordered them right away because they could save nearly 50 percent.”
   Horning cuts the canopy components with a CNC laser and precision forms the roof metal. The metal is powder-coated with a durable yellow finish. Horning believes his powder-coated finish will stand up to sun and weather better than the painted version offered by Deere.
  “We’ve made close to a hundred of these so far and the response has been real positive,” Horning says. “The canopy is certified ROPS and meets the requirements for rollover protection on older Deere tractors. We try to keep 15 to 20 on hand for orders as they come in.”
  Horning says the canopy business is bolstered by a 70 percent rebate program run by a local health care system that serves 4 states in the Northeast part of the country. “The health care provider has statistics that show farmers are less likely to contract skin cancer if they’re protected from the sun while doing field work on sunny days,” Horning says. “The canopy meets those requirements, and the fact that it’s certified ROPS is an added bonus.”
  Horning said his canopy design is very similar to the one Deere offers through its dealers, but he believes his quality is better. He sells his canopy for $750 and offers a discount for quantity orders.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Nelson Horning, 250 Lovejoy Rd., Penn Yan, N.Y. 14527 (ph 585 526-6705).


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2012 - Volume #36, Issue #6