Q&A: Mindi Vanden Bosch

Growing up as part of the Vermeer family, it's no surprise Mindi Vanden Bosch is passionate about agriculture and solving problems for farmers and cattlemen. She witnessed her grandfather Gary Vermeer's constant curiosity and innovation. She watched as her mother, Mary Vermeer Andringa, balanced leading Vermeer Corporation with being a mom. Vacations often included a visit to a Vermeer dealer.

Named managing director of Forage Solutions, Vanden Bosch's love for yellow equipment is surpassed only by a strong interest in the manufacturing process. She is the third generation of Vermeers at the Iowa-based company founded by her grandfather in 1948.

"I am humbled to lead the segment driven by my grandfather's passion," she says. "We often joke, 'I wonder what Gary would think about the self-propelled baler?' I am sure he would be very proud."

SF: What is top of mind in your new role?

MVB:My goal is to continue to support the team as we find solutions to customers' problems … sometimes before they even realize they have them. One thing we really focus on, and have for more than 50 years, is solving the labor shortage.

SF: Where do you see the forage solutions industry headed?

MVB: There are big topics the industry will focus on over the next several years. First is the desire to be more efficient with labor and farmers' time. We are currently designing several products centered around this concept. By making the hay operation as efficient as possible, our goal is to give farmers more time to do other things.

The second is to make higher-quality hay, which may mean different things to different operators. Some may want to make more high-moisture hay to shorten the haymaking window and create a palatable product for cattle. Others may wish to create a better-looking bale. A square-shouldered, dense bale will help shed water and load on a trailer better to preserve nutrient content. Some producers might add a tedder to decrease dry-down time or utilize a hydraulic rake to reduce ash content or dirt in hay.

Finally, with our latest acquisition of Schuler Manufacturing, we are seeing a strong trend in the cow-calf industry toward vertical mixers. Producers are trying to optimize feed and reduce input costs. One way to help with that is by using a mixer or feed wagon to incorporate other low-cost ingredients or reduce hay waste.

SF: The pandemic has created raw material and workforce challenges. What does this mean for Vermeer?

MVB: The labor and material challenges are making a strong impact on our business. Our procurement and recruiting teams have been working hard to combat these challenges.

Our team monitors raw material prices daily, even hourly, to be efficient with purchases. Vermeer's focus on continuous improvement has helped us pull cost out of other areas of the business to offset material cost spikes. Similar to other companies that have had to increase prices recently, we are doing our best to manage these for our dealers and customers.

Our recruiting team quickly went from little to no hiring at the beginning of the pandemic to hiring as many people as we can today. The demand for our product across the entire business is strong. We need team members, both in production and in the office, to support demand.

SF: If you could offer advice or encouragement to a farmer, what would you say?

MVB: Control the things you can control and try not to dwell on the things you can't. One topic my family is passionate about is succession planning. It is often something you can control and take ownership of; that way, you are set up for the future or for things that happen out of your control.

My grandfather said, "If you aren't failing at least 50% of the time, you aren't trying hard enough." Trying and failing can be challenging and expensive, but not many businesses survive or grow by staying with the status quo. Try new things and learn from others.

SF Bio

Name: Mindi Vanden Bosch

Background: Before returning to Vermeer, Vanden Bosch worked in banking and continuous improvement. During her time at Vermeer, she has served in several roles focused on channel (dealer) advancement and continuous improvement. She assumed her most recent role as managing director of Forage Solutions in 2020.

Education: She has a bachelor's degree in business and communications from Calvin College and an MBA from Davenport University.