CALF_News_August_September_2019

22 CALF News • August | September 2019 • www.calfnews.net Dodge Mfg. Offers High-Tech Cattle Handling THE OF THE ART DEAL W hile smartphone technology continues to blow us away, it is not the only electronic revolution that will astound us in our daily life. Although it is sad to see people being replaced by technology, it is a fact that there are fewer young people returning to production animal agriculture and, as an industry, the drain on our labor force has become our No. 1 problem. Matt Ulrich of Dodge Manufacturing Company, Brute Cattle Equipment in Dodge, Neb., recognized this chronic need for dependable labor. He is out in the field on a regular basis and owns a cattle operation himself. A little background Dodge Manufacturing was founded by Ulrich’s uncle, Lumir Kampschneider, in 1968. A successful family enterprise, the factory has employed Dodge citizens for 50 years. Kampschneider specialized in building squeeze chutes, incorporating hydraulics from the start. During this time, his nephew Matt Ulrich grew up at the small factory. According to Matt, he was,“a little kid pushing a broom” and soaking in all aspects of the business, like a youngster could. When Kampschneider passed away in 2006, the business went to Ulrich’s mother. During this time, Ulrich was finishing college, graduating with degrees in business administration and marketing, and a minor in chemistry. He returned home after school, to the relief of his mom. Ultimately, the young entrepreneur purchased the business in its entirety and is now fully in charge of the company; he no longer sweeps floors. Ulrich describes his job as being boots-on-the-ground daily. Sales and production are primary responsibilities, and he fills in where needed when an employee may be absent. An expert welder, Ulrich designs of new products, meets with clients and oversees installation of Brute Cattle Equipment products at feedyards. The company attends about 16 trade shows per year, and Matt handles two or three himself. The manufacturing facilities moved to a new location six years ago in order to facilitate expan- sion; however, they remain in Dodge. The company is committed to their commu- nity. All products made by the company are sold in-house. What is Brute Stealth A.C.E.? The original Brute Stealth Chute was initially marketed in 2011. It has always been a heavy-duty product, designed to withstand abuse by any size livestock operation. Made to match the shape of cattle, the hydraulics were also an origi- nal feature. The technical aide of Brute Stealth Autonomous Catch-Chute Elite (A.C.E.), took seven years to develop. Recognizing chronic labor issues, Ulrich set about to make working cattle an easier process, with better cattle flow and additional safety features for both people and livestock. As a visionary idea, he saw a need for the chute to be “hands-off,” enabling the operators to pay better attention to their chuteside and vaccination protocols. He got this idea from seeing Global Positioning Systems (GPS) in tractors and thinking, “Why not?” What‘s the problem here? Farm fields are predictable and cattle are not. Anyone who’s broken in a new employee knows that people aren’t predictable, either. Additionally, cattle are not all the same size and shape. Time and effort were used to develop laser sensors, code work and development of all possible scenarios of animal behavior. Of pri- mary importance was the catching and restraining cattle. The operator is strictly hands-off, and the chute reads the move- ment of the animal. Its body is caught or restrained first, slowing the stressful hit by cattle on the headgate. Continued on page 24  By Patti Wilson Contributing Editor Brute Stealth Autonomous Catch-Chute Elite (A.C.E.) is currently the only high-tech, hands-off cattle-handling chute on the market.