The HTS Ag Story
It’s time to tell the HTS Ag story and reflect on some of the painful lessons learned on this journey. Back in 1995, a neighbor and friend Tom Schmitz, was willing to join a crazy conversation around creating a business focused on using technology to support farm growers.
We settled on the name Western Iowa GPS and incorporated the company in February of 1996. GPS technology was just getting started, and there wasn’t much out there at the time, but we both felt it was a growing area with potential, so we dove in with both feet. We were focused on:
- Computerized mapping
- Data archiving
- Consulting
- Soil testing
- Information management
We hired three agronomists and decided to pursue aerial imagery as a part of our focus. We called it Mile High Aerial Imaging. I convinced a friend to let us cut a hole in the bottom of his airplane so we could mount a high-end camera and lenses to capture images flying across fields in the Midwest recording the pictures on CDs and creating mountains of data which we learned no one would pay for. It was a beautiful solution that cost a small fortune to develop at the time but didn’t have a market fit because no one knew what to do with the information. I had a willing friend with a plane, who also had a part time pilot we could ‘borrow’ – what could possibly go wrong? A whole lot of money and time later we figured out that we missed the mark and had a very expensive lack of market fit learning or timing.
We managed to grow the business a bit and got up to four folks before we decided to merge it with SCCI which was my IT company at the time in June 1998. That gave us a bit broader solution set and a lot more resources to help get things off the ground. The name became SCCI Precision Technologies, and the focus moved more from the agronomy and imaging side to precision hardware as Ag Leader had a yield monitor that was gaining steam and farmers were beginning to understand some of the value the new technology could deliver. We became an Ag Leader Master Dealer in 1999.
Along the journey I had a couple other brainchild ideas that didn’t pan out too well. That’s the curse of being a serial entrepreneur – lots and lots of ideas and unfortunately not all of them turn out to be all that good. We started a company called Midwest Ag in 2000 which was a sister company that focused on selling farm machinery that would leverage GPS technologies to plant or spread product.
There is a major difference when you get into the farm machinery world. First there are a lot of very big companies that are competitors, and secondly it takes a lot of money to have inventory that you can sell. I hadn’t quite comprehended the size of that investment, so we managed to sell some things and start growing, but it was obvious that my tolerance for financial risk was not going to allow us to continue so we shut things down in 2002. I learned the importance of getting all the facts before diving into the deep end.
Another brainstorm created a farm repair shop where we hired a full-time mechanic who would take care of and maintain equipment used in the precision ag field by other companies. We learned how difficult it was to schedule and keep the shop busy, while dealing with the continual field calls for equipment that had died or stopped working while in use. Ralph was constantly trying to get work done in shop while be called to field service which disrupted his efforts. We got into installing GPS fleet management for companies to track their mobile assets and did installations of all things GPS for people. The SCCI Maintenance division lasted a couple years in the 2000-2002 time frame before we determined it was another idea that didn’t turn out as expected.
We’ve been heavily focused on hardware ever since but continue to try and move to a more balanced solution that includes services and support as it is no longer even leading-edge technology – it is mainstream, and if it isn’t working farmers aren’t moving. Same exact path that IT took about 10 years earlier, so that makes this journey a bit more predictable. But equally frustrating since I know what needs to happen but that doesn’t mean I can snap my fingers an bring the different parts together. The industry must mature at its own pace, and we have to be patient in moving it along.
In 2003, when HTS was formed, we changed the name to HTS Precision Ag Solutions – a division of Heartland Technology Solutions. Our focus was completely different, and we were heavily invested in Ag Leader technologies among some other things. We hired a couple key leaders, led by the GM of the division – Adam Gittins, to help us take another stab at growing the business and it operated as a successful division until HTS was sold the end of 2012.
At that point, I retained the precision ag division, and we renamed it as a standalone company to HTS Ag. It operates under that name today. We expanded the ownership group and made investments in our team and organization. We’ve got a great team of 10 talented and motivated people that provide products and services across the Midwest. Our offerings today are primarily in three areas:
- Precision ag GPS based technologies
- Grain bin management systems
- Drones for both ag and public safety use
It has been such a blessing to work with a strong team that wants to achieve more.
As we wound down 2023, brother Brad and I decided it was time to hand things off to the next generation. Sons Pete and Dean remain as minority owners, but the majority owner became Adam Gittins on January 1, 2024 having been with the company for 18 years and having progressed through the ranks to serve as GM for a number of years.
We are excited about the future for the HTS Ag team. They are positioned as industry leaders and will continue to serve farmers and those that serve agriculture well for decades to come.
Here is the press release about the sale:
HTS Ag Sells to Long-Time Employee
By Tom Robinson
Jan 2, 2024 | 11:25 AM
HTS Ag, Harlan IA, precision agriculture technology dealer, announced today its purchase of long-time employee and current General Manager Adam Gittins.
Adam Gittins started his career in college with Ag Leader Technology, headquartered in Ames, IA. He was assisting and troubleshooting Ag Leader customers with their precision agriculture equipment.
After graduating from Iowa State University, Adam returned to Neola, IA, to his family farm. Still wanting to stay connected to the exciting and growing precision agriculture industry, Adam joined HTS Ag as a technician and salesman. After expanding the territory covered by HTS Ag and adding more vendors, he grew into Sales Manager and then General Manager of HTS Ag.
“I couldn’t be more excited for Adam to launch forward with majority ownership in HTS Ag. He’s done a masterful job building the company over the past 18 years and will take it to new heights in the years ahead. A big thanks to all the customers we’ve served over the years that have brought us to this day.” said Arlin Sorensen.
“Arlin has taught me a great deal about business through the years, and I look forward to carrying the company into the next chapter,” said Adam Gittins. “With a great team in place, we are positioned well for growth as we continue to help farmers turn technology into tools for their farming operation.”
Adam will assume the role of President of HTS Ag and continue to manage the day-to-day operations of the company as well as setting strategic direction.
HTS Ag is headquartered in Harlan, Iowa, and now has 13 employees with several remote locations in Iowa.
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