Jamie told me a couple of days ago she had lined up a personal tour of the CLAAS of Omaha plant with Jenna.
Jenna started working for CLAAS quite some time ago. I grew up respecting someone’s place of employment which meant don’t visit unless there’s a need and don’t call unless there’s an emergency. So, when Jamie told me she was going to visit Jenna at work, I thought…”well, heck, if she’s going maybe I’ll tag along too”. If Jamie hadn’t gone, I may have felt like I couldn’t visit until another group of custom harvesters made their way to the plant.
We entered the “Guest Entrance” and there was our personal tour guide…Miss Jenna. A sense of pride swelled inside. This was MY little girl! We spent some time hanging around the combine, the chopper and the baler found on the showroom floor. After a few pictures, Jenna led us into a theater where she started a video and discussion with her big sister and mom.
Look at Jamie’s nice little baby bump! 🙂
Jenna’s discussion included a free CLAAS pen but we could only get it if we answered her questions correctly. This is what I learned today about CLAAS. CLAAS is a family owned company which August Claas began 100 years ago. Helmut (August’s son) and Cathrina (his granddaughter) are still very much involved with the family business. Claas is the world leader in rubber tracked wheel technology for combines (“got yer tracks on?” – inside joke with the Zeorian clan) The newest, biggest CLAAS tractor was named after us…Xerion (not really but it definitely is pronounced the same as Zeorian so it sounded good). There was quite a bit more information but I sort of forgot it after Jen threw my new CLAAS pen to me after answering my question correctly.
One thing I haven’t forgotten is the video she showed us. I honestly believe there is a disease or a name or something for what happens to me when I see a combine in a wheat field. I just can’t explain what it is. Maybe one of you can help me. Why do I get such a warm, fuzzy feeling inside when I see a combine moving through a field? I swell up with a sort of combine/agriculture pride when I watch the monster eating its way through the wheat field. I told Jenna I thought her boss should show this video to us during the USCHI convention in January. This video is guaranteed to make you feel pretty darn good about what we do! It’s filmed in Germany but even the German wheat fields need harvested the very same way we do it here in the good ‘ole USA!
Yep! There’s my girl!
SAAWWWHHHEEEAAATTT!
After the video presentation, we found a pair of safety glasses and our tour guide led us through the plant. Last March, while we were in Grand Island for the USCHI convention, we took a tour of the CNH plant (Case & New Holland). After stepping into the CLAAS plant, I realized there was something missing. Noise. This plant is more slower paced and less noisy. I think I liked that. I realize the CNH plant produces more combines in a day’s time but the working conditions in the CLAAS plant seemed a little less chaotic and a little more desirable to me. Jamie and I were able to see the combines being built in several different stages. I wasn’t allowed to take any pictures inside the plant but did get one of all the combines being held in a lot behind the plant. According to Jenna, each one of those combines were built to fill an order for an individual. Impressive.
Thank you, Jenna, for taking time to give me and Jamie a tour of the CLAAS of Omaha combine plant! It’s quite evident that you love what you’re doing. You certainly provided me with a combine “fix” – for a little while! If you’re ever in the Omaha area and need something a little different to do (or need a combine fix), I would recommend the combine plant tour. Tell Jenna I sent you!
Jamie & Jenna
Jenna & her ma – I’m so proud of her!
Jealous! Lol
Looks like a great time! I get the same feeling at the sight of combines in the field. I’ll spend hours watching them on you tube just to get that “fix”. I must admit, Claas combines are impressive machines. Hopefully someday I can get over there for something like that. Hope you have a great Thanksgiving!
It was a great time! This is another reason why I LOVE going to our annual custom harvesters convention – to see the combines and people who understand what we do. The CLAAS combines are nice looking combines AND they use 1/3 less fuel – I forgot to mention that in the list of things I learned. 🙂 If you ever get there…make sure and look Jenna up. Maybe she can give you the tour!
Tracy….From the moment I first saw you…you have had your own special place in my heart…you have brought so much joy into my life… through the years watching you and Jim with your girls…
and all your fond memories…that you share with me…the only word I can find hidden deep in my heart is…. PROUD…..the great joy that your family has given me….love and kisses,,,Mom….
Thanks, Mom! Glad you could come have Thanksgiving dinner with us. Love you!
Tracy – You and Jim have bee in my mind since his accident. Please know you’re in my thoughts and prayers, and among the things I’m thankful for today is his recovery. Bless you and yours today! Bill
Sent from my iPhone
Thanks, Bill! It’s good hearing from you. I’m so thankful for you and people like you who have kept us in your prayers. They certainly have been felt! His recovery is coming along fairly nicely…considering it’s just been a week ago! Hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving. Ours was amazingly amazing with the many blessings to give thanks for!
Awesome!!! Thank you very much Tracy. Your blog is one reason i’m applying for the harvest run 2013. Hopefully i get accepted and i will be able to see something of the beautiful country you described. Of course i wish jim a speedy recovery. Michael
Good for you, Michael! Do you know who you may be applying to go with? I’m assuming you’re applying for an H2A visa? I hope you get accepted too and it would be fun to run into you somewhere along the route. Keep me posted and let me know how things are rolling along for you! Jim’s doing much better. The bruising is changing colors every day. Today, he looks like someone painted him with yellow paint with some purple thrown in for good measure. Take care, Michael!
Tracy
Aw! Thanks for writing such a nice post, Ma! It was so gosh darn nice having you and Jams visit – I’m glad you guys did! Glad you enjoyed it, too!
COMBINE!
WHEEEEEEEEEAT!
Hey, Jen…Gina…Gertrude, it was quite nice of you to take the time to give us the grand tour. I’m really sorry, though, that I didn’t get to say hello to Bob or Leif. Maybe next time! We certainly share that same sickness, don’t we!
This is really ……….NICE… And I really enjoyed it as well…???
Looks like you had fun. We toured the John Deere harvester works factory, where they build only combines and headers, back in July of 2011. It was awesome! The size and pace of the factory was amazing. Deere was tge same way, each combine was built to hiw it was ordred and production was not started until someone had purchased the machine. at the time of our tour, the guide told us if one was to order a machine that day, it would be 8 months before they even started on it. Now that is impressive. I must have that disease too. We can be going down the road and I’ll point out somebody cuttin, my family doesn’t really care, espicially my younger brother. His response is usually “nobody cares”. Now I can tell him people do care. The harvesters convention sounds like something I need to go to. Hope you and your family had a great Thanksgiving!
I know my family gets tired of when I point out a working combine…or a field of wheat. One day when you become a custom harvester, you can make it a point to join us at convention!!
P.S. We had a GREAT Thanksgiving! It was good having the whole family home for the day!
Tracy……Thank you for the ….AWESOME..Thanksgiving Dinner…Everyone really needs to have your corn casserole recipe..yum..yummy!!!!!!!Your dinner was “GERRRRRRRRRRRRRRATE”
HugsXXXXXXX and KissesOOOOOO ,,,mom …..such a fun afternoon
Thanks, mom. Glad you enjoyed the food and the day!! Happy Thanksgiving!
Bit late as ussual (because of distance)…… wishing you,s and family.. a happy Thanksgiving. Anyway.! I Really enjoyed your blog intensely about the Claas-plant There are seveal Claas-plants not so far away from me in Germany. My interrest in machines and technics is entless..thats why i work for a small machine-factory for the last 25 years.(cannot really talk about that ….because most of it, is hush-hush ) .??
Yeah lovely Tracy….Makes you really proud Jenna… working there …!
Oh and by my info….I thought Claas was linked with Caterpillar in the States or Canada ..?? (Or distributed through Cat) Well they use Cat-Engines asswell…..Whatever they are great and reliable machines and Claas has proved it over the years in Europe and also to the rest of the world….!!
I really liked that link with ….the Claas Xerion..??? Greetz Lion.
Thanks, Lion! The CLAAS plant DID used to be the Cat plant. It used to be a joint venture between Cat and CLAAS but Cat got out of Ag in 2002 and sold its part to CLAAS. CLAAS took over the plant and now builds their combines there strictly for North America. I am proud of Jenna! She loves Ag and the harvest equipment.
Jenna told me to tell you CLAAS has three sizes of engines and two of them are Cats.
Yeah they used to use Mercedes V engines here …But they use now other brands as well here in Europe..?
I was looking online for information about the Claas factory in Omaha and came upon your blog. We live in Southwestern Idaho…right on the border of Idaho and Oregon…thus our farm’s name…Stateline Farms. My husband Ron and one of our sons will be flying to Omaha on Dec. 11th for a tour of the factory and the combines. We have owned two Lexion combines and it’s time for a new one. They are looking forward to seeing the plant and the new combines. Thank you for posting pictures and comments about the combines and the factory. I told my husband to say hello to Jenna if he sees her at the plant…and to tell her we enjoyed the commentary on your tour.
Once I read your Claas post it made me interested in reading some of your other posts and seeing the pictures of your family and your company. We certainly hope your husband Jim continues his road to complete recovery. A very frightening accident. And you are so right, our lives can change in a second. Loved seeing the pics of Quaker Steak and Lube with all the motor memorabilia…so very cool…wish we had one like it!
I will continue to read your posts and enjoy reading about the happenings of another rural family in another part of our great United States!
Sincerely,
Margaret Smith
Stateline Farms
facebook.com/slfarms
What a fun surprise to see your note and forJenna to anticipate a visit from someone in a different part of the country! I hope she’s the one that will give the tour.
I was encouraged over a year ago to do my blog by someone who followed our Facebook page. At that time, I had no
clue what a blog even was. I hoped that other people might find it to learn something about the custom harvesting industry and how we are a vital link in the process of getting grain from the field to market. I have had such a tremendous amount of interest (world wide) that it’s almost crazy!
I hope if you continue to follow our crazy way of life you check I’m once in awhile and say hello. Thank you for dropping me a line and telling me about how you found us! This is the reason I love sharing our life with the rest of the world!
Take care and God bless!!