"A" Students Work for "C" Students

[Spock]

I was talking about this old saying with the boys the other day. I think there is a lot to this axiom.

On a tour of local businesses today, I ran across the perfect example of this.

I am still in awe of this business, that was built by 2 brothers that are old family friends that went no further than high school for education. We have lost touch with them recently and I had not seen their new 2015 factory/shop or whatever you want to call it.

It is unfrickinbelievable

https://www.bakkobros.com/

If you scroll down the page, you will see a picture of the brothers, Steve and Loren Bakko. They are about 53 and 46 YO. If you saw them on the street, you would likely never suspect that they each own a jet, largely for business reasons, and run a multi-multi million dollar business with an international presence.

Loren is the brains of the outfit and, as everybody says, he is one-in-a-million, maybe one in 10 million. Nobody else could have built what he has built. He also has the perfect wife for this life that he has.

Everybody that knows them is simply in awe of these guys, especially Loren.

As you may see by the picture, they poured howver many thousands of yards of concrete for their new shop. As they have done with previous projects, they are the types that doesn't hire it done, they put their own cement plant on site and buy ingredients by the car load.

I talked to one of the mechanics that was showing us the service truck, I asked him how far do you go with the truck. This is Minnesota and he said he has been to Texas twice, New York, Indiana -wherever.

They "Over-Engineer" everything and they recently built their own runway-just north of the shop. Per others, the concrete for that is unbelievably thick-maybe 18 inches-but I don't know for sure.

[silvercamaro]

While it's unlikely that I ever would be a customer of their company, I already love these guys. Their web site lists four different personal phone numbers of employees for parts and service "after hours." I can believe that they care sincerely for the needs of the people who buy their equipment.

Now I need to find out what a "grapple loader" does (besides loading something to somewhere.)

[Estonut]

Now I need to find out what a "grapple loader" does (besides loading something to somewhere.)

Clearly, it either loads grapple to somewhere or loads something to grapple. Duh!

[jarnon]

Now I need to find out what a "grapple loader" does (besides loading something to somewhere.)

Clearly, it either loads grapple to somewhere or loads something to grapple. Duh!

No, obviously, it loads stuff into a grapple.

[Beebs52]

Now I need to find out what a "grapple loader" does (besides loading something to somewhere.)

Clearly, it either loads grapple to somewhere or loads something to grapple. Duh!

No, obviously, it loads stuff into a grapple.

You're all wrong. Grapple is a Pennsylvania Dutch food item. These guys are mainstreaming it. Blue Apron needs to call them.

[Bob Juch]

While it's unlikely that I ever would be a customer of their company, I already love these guys. Their web site lists four different personal phone numbers of employees for parts and service "after hours." I can believe that they care sincerely for the needs of the people who buy their equipment.

Now I need to find out what a "grapple loader" does (besides loading something to somewhere.)

I guess you have no need to grind tubs either.

[Spock]

The self-taught engineering and business skills are obviously impressive, but I keep coming back to the following as the thing that impresses me the most for some reason.

I think what most impresses me about these guys is that they spotted the Haybuster niche. At the time, I wondered what the hell were they thinking.

It is a very expensive ($600,000 or so) piece of machinery that obviously only applies to a very niche market. That is why they need the national/international footprint.

As far as after-hours service-when these machines go down, they are needed ASAP. After all, there are cattle to feed the next morning.

Heard of one service call where the mechanic got on site at 2AM and fixed it by 7AM.

One other thing about these guys is that they can fix this stuff, as good or better than their mechanics.

I think the brothers will fly themselves (they are pilots,of course) to a site if it is a simple fix and they don't need the service truck.

The "Grapple Grinder" has an attached grapple arm to pick up large hay bales and drop them into the tub grinder.

Versus-the more common version where a tractor with a grapple loader is used to grab and pick up large hay bales.

Here is a random picture of a Grapple Loader (the Grappler) grappling a bunch of logs (the Graplees).

http://shop.vista-training.com/assets/i ... kphoto.jpg

FWIW-I just made up the word "Graplees"-but I like it.

[Spock]

One of my earliest memories is from when I was 4 and I was trying to build a ladder in the basement. I remember sawing boards and stuff, but I was getting nowhere.

One night, the Bakkos came to visit and Steve, who would have been 7, helped me build the ladder. That thing was around here for many years. I remember it leaning against a fuel barrel.

Well, my carpentry and technical have still not improved, but obviously, Steve's have been taken to the next level.

[Bob78164]

Clearly, it either loads grapple to somewhere or loads something to grapple. Duh!

No, obviously, it loads stuff into a grapple.

You're all wrong. Grapple is a Pennsylvania Dutch food item. These guys are mainstreaming it. Blue Apron needs to call them.

Isn't grapple a grape-apple hybrid? --Bob

[Spock]

No, obviously, it loads stuff into a grapple.

You're all wrong. Grapple is a Pennsylvania Dutch food item. These guys are mainstreaming it. Blue Apron needs to call them.

Isn't grapple a grape-apple hybrid? --Bob

You might be mixing it up with a snapple, which is a snot-covered apple.