Pella, Iowa is not your ordinary midwestern town, not by a long shot. Founded in 1847 by 700 Hollanders, the community still savors its Dutch roots. In early May, tens of thousands of visitors literally jam city streets for the annual Tulip Time festival and anytime throughout the year there are tastes, sites and sounds that echo a strong Dutch tradition.
But that's only part of the story. Pella also boasts a zero unemployment rate thanks to three manufacturers: the Pella Corporation, makers of Pella Windows; Vermeer Manufacturing, known for its trenchers, tree care products and agricultural equipment; and Precision, Inc., manufacturer of flat belt conveyor pulleys and idlers for the bulk handling industry.
Together, the three companies employ somewhere around 5,000 people, more than half the population of the entire town.
Sheridan Cook is employed by Precision, the smallest and youngest of the three companies. Although the company is only 17 years old, it operates six plants, three in Pella and three at two other Iowa locations.
Three years ago, Cook, who is superintendent of buildings and grounds, was walking around a home and garden show in nearby Des Moines. His modus operandi? To find a mower to cut the seven acres of turf at the headquarters facility in Pella.
"The Walker caught my eye," he tells, "because it was so small and was so easy to service. I looked it over from top to bottom. It was made in America and I didn't find any tin on it, no springs or rods and it was such a simple design."
The next day, Cook compared notes with one of the company's owners who had also seen the mower at the show. "We agreed it looked like the machine for us," tells Cook. But agreement wasn't enough. Both wanted to see the mower in action. So they brought in five mowers, including a Walker, for a hands-on demonstration. Each was put through its paces, mowing a strip of turf adjacent to the other so results could be easily compared. Cook said the demonstration showed the Walker excelled in finish of cut. It also outperformed the others in ease of operation and serviceability, he adds. The following day, Precision had a new Walker.
Today, the superintendent says he can't say enough about the Walker. As he tells it, the mower has cut mowing time between 40 and 50 percent. In fact, one operator can cut all seven acres at Precision in one full day of operation, from Thursday noon until Friday noon. That includes mowing around flower beds, curbs, walks, pine trees and other landscape elements that provide a colorful setting. During the three years the company has owned the machine, there has been no down time except for a starter solenoid that shorted out (under warranty and a new one was in his hands within two day, says Cook). The mower still has the original belts. It also receives a bath at least six times a year with the power washer and the underside, including the mower deck, receives a coating of oil before winter storage.
Cook, a retired general contractor, has been with Precision nine years. As his title suggests, in addition to keeping the exterior of the three Pella plants in shape, he's also responsible for the interiors, including construction of a new 15,000 sq ft addition to plant number one this year. He also travels frequently to the company's other facilities around the state.
When he says he looked at the Walker from top to bottom before making the purchase decision, you can rest assured he did. Cook has a technical background, enjoys reading blueprints and just plain gets a kick out of equipment. He has an old Massey Furgeson garden tractor at home, completely redone, and another at Precision, also totally redone - both by his own hands. The one at work is used to mow the rough areas behind the plants.
"Having a machine that's quality built is extremely important to me," he relates. "We have no plans to ever trade the Walker. It should last forever." Indeed, mowing once a week around the plant won't stress the 16-hp Kohler engine and 42- inch grasshandling deck it powers. Still, Cook services the machine every 25 hours - more often than the factory specs call for. Three sets of sharpened and balanced blades sit in wait back at the shop.
It's easy for Cook to get sidetracked when talking about the service side of a mower, or about anything mechanical for that matter. He talks drum-pulley vernacular like he's a design engineer. And construction? You would almost think he's still in the business full-time. Yet that's only part of his life. He enjoys operating equipment, too, including the three Arctic Cat snowmobiles he's owned over the years. He also owns a small ranch and enjoys riding. In fact, he still works horse shows in the Pella area. So how a machine- or a horse - handles is important to Cook.
"I gave my wife a two-minute lesson on the Walker and within 10 minutes she was mowing proficiently," he tells. "Since buying the Walker, I've been paying more attention to zero-turn riders and I literally see nothing out there that compares, especially in terms of serviceability, case of operation and maneuverability. Sure there are machines that do a great job for specific applications, e.g., wide-area mowers are better suited for large expanses of turf, but nothing compares to a Walker for overall use.
"I can't say enough good about the machine. Anybody who buys a zeroturn rider should buy a Walker." Then he pauses... "If I owned a lawn maintenance company, I would have a Walker, too."
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