Slimline Manufacturing
“I’ve been working on improving the efficacy of sprayers since 1986,” says Kim Blagborne, Vice-President of Penticton-based Slimline Manufacturing Ltd. “In that time I’ve seen a lot of development and learned a lot about farming.” Blagborne has been around the farms and orchards in the Okanagan all his life. He began his career with Okanagan Turbo Sprayers and formed Slimline Manufacturing in 1991, customizing the Turbo-Mist airblast sprayer for local farmers. Since then his manufacturing space has doubled and Slimline Manufacturing products can be found on farms all over the world.
Much of Slimline’s patented Turbo-Mist airblast features and technology were designed and developed in Blagborne’s own orchard. “I test everything on my crops. I’ve been a farmer since I was 15 years old, but I’m also an engineer so I like technology and need proof,” he explains. “Having the Okanagan as a testing ground is instrumental. We’ve got a variety of crops and weather patterns and having my own farm means I get to be home on Saturday trying things out. When you can look at a client and assure them you’ve got a farm yourself so you identify with their challenges, a bond forms there.”
Across the various models, Slimline’s Turbo-Mist Agricultural Sprayers offer improved efficiency in multiple crop applications as a result of the uniquely engineered air delivery system. Sprayers are designed to eliminate drift, reduce operating costs, decrease ecological footprint and improve yield. The patented airblast technology maximizes airflow while restricting chemical recycling and waste, creating precision coverage while protecting crops.
“I’m in the middle, practicing all the farming rules and regulations and working with regulatory boards, horticulturalists and experts,” says Blagborne. “A lot of improvements are made to our products because I have insight into where the industry and requirements are going. It’s a continual quest to improve and develop upgrades and solutions that growers need, before they know they need them.”
Darcy Yergens, Agricultural Sales Coordinator for South Okanagan and Boundary Region with Prairie Coast Equipment, has seen the benefit of this experience firsthand. “I’ve got customers that have owned Turbo-Mist sprayers for 30 years and they won’t buy anything else,” he explains. “In the Okanagan we have 90 per cent of the market with Slimline. They’re not the cheapest but they are the best. They’re built to last and they do last. As a salesman, I like that.”
Education and training is a large part of operations. Blagborne believes in selling a product and sticking with the customer. By educating dealers, offering comprehensive after-sales and market support, Slimline remains in the background, throughout each harvest. The ‘Spray School’ workshop offered to end users, dealers and staff ensures that everyone touching a Turbo-Mist understands the features and is comfortable calibrating to get the best from the product.
Yergens has found, over three years, that he’s got to ask customers the right questions. “I ask about their orchards in terms of size, density and what their turning circles and end rows are like. I figure out what kind of unit and horsepower is going to work best for their property. New growers often don’t know what they need so I can help them assess their requirements and determine what will work best.”
Having a farming background is also an asset in understanding the necessity for profit for the end-user. Yergens farmed for twenty years in Saskatchewan, custom spraying 30,000 acres, so he has the history to address the needs of his customers.
Blagborne is proud to work with Yergens. “Darcy’s success is in his desire to call customers, to follow up with them and see how products are performing. If he sells a product and there’s a problem he knows he’s backed up with support, service and parts direct from the manufacturer. We have to be the champion behind Darcy. This business is all about relationships at every level of the sale.”
“We care about our customers and our products; that’s where the passion is,” Blagborne adds. “My favorite part of this business is getting my hands dirty on the farm. Working with farmers and seeing a need in the field, recognizing the problem and coming home to build something to help is what I love about it. Finding solutions that are going to work for each customer’s needs and then supporting them. That’s the fun part.”
Sprayer season is underway. For more information about the Turbo-Mist or any Slimline products or technology please visit www.slimlinemfg.com or call 1.800.495.6145.