Innovative harvest platforms and Midwest Fabrication go hand-in-hand, which stems from the manufacturer’s philosophy to continually improve
Since the manufacturer’s inception nearly 30 years ago, Midwest Fabrication has always strived to remain ahead of the pack.
Midwest’s harvest platforms have constantly been innovative – with the company being the world’s first to offer a 60-foot (18.3m) width proving just one example of this – and a large network of Australian farmers have been along for the ride.
Adapting and evolving its products as farming needs change, Midwest’s story is that of a manufacturer who is a market leader engaged with its customer base, but which also remains a family-owned operation which is passionate about Australian manufacturing and agriculture.
Midwest’s story can be traced back to a tyre blowout experienced during harvest by company founder Martin Schutt.
The impact of this, and the desire to improve, ultimately led to the creation of Midwest’s first ever harvest platform that was launched in 1998.
Testing for this took place on Martin’s farm in Queensland, something which remains the case today.
Using the family farm as a testing ground for new products and innovations shows the grounded nature which is at the heart of Midwest’s work, while also giving a clear example of why its end products are proven and ready for Australia’s tough conditions.
Martin’s daughter Amy Schutt is now the CEO of Midwest Fabrications, and her own farm acts as another testing ground for the company’s products.
She describes agriculture as being “soul deep”, having grown up on a grain farm and worked in various roles at Midwest since its inception.
“I was born and raised on the farm and was out there when we made the first front, and I actually bolted the guards onto that front,” she says.
“I have been at Midwest for 26 years, so I’ve seen it come the whole cycle and we’ve certainly got plans to keep developing and growing into the future.”
Keeping it simple
With more than a quarter-century of manufacturing behind them, along with continuous innovation rather than waiting to see what others are doing, Midwest has a strong feel for what Australian farmers need and want.
“We’re keeping it really simple, and I think that KISS principle for Midwest is vitally important while everyone is raging forward with complex technology, that doesn’t necessarily improve the outcome at harvest,” Amy says.
“Farming input costs have faced significant increases in fertilisers, fuel and labour. The combination of rising costs and volatile output prices puts significant pressure on farming profitability.
“For farmers that are broken down in paddocks and can’t operate due to technology issues, waiting for a service person to be in field and plug in a computer is something we are seeing that has become more frustrating for operators, and very costly.”
As active farmers who understand the problems caused by downtime during harvest though, Amy adds that simplicity and reliability are the traits which Midwest puts above all else – knowing its products will continually perform during the pressure of harvest season, with increased capacity and ease of operation while reducing input costs being vital for today’s farmers.
“We’re absolutely invested in keeping abreast of the current technology in the market, we have invested significantly to ensure our new Legacy models integrate seamlessly with the new X9 and S7 Series and all brands of combines, but we keep the machine as simple as possible, as we know this minimises breakdowns and maintenance costs, and keeps operating the machine as easy as possible,” she says.
Standing out
The company uses simplicity to develop a reliable product which can handle Australian conditions – with proof of this being shown through some of the earliest fronts produced by Midwest still being used for harvest now, over 20 years later.
“The strength, the durability, the ease of operation, service and maintenance is way more advanced than the competitors,” Amy says.
“Yes, we keep it simple, but the life cycle of our product is double any of the competitors.
“When they’re operating Midwest fronts, they will turn over the header but keep the same front – and so they’ve got a much longer life cycle with our product.”
Resale on Midwest machinery is much higher on capital investment when it’s time to sell.
Crucially, Midwest also offers ongoing parts and support for the company’s oldest machines, which Amy says is another major point of difference over its competitors.
“The first fronts are still operating today – 26 or 27 years later – and we are still manufacturing parts to support and supply to those customers,” she says.
“We support parts for a product that’s 27 years old whereas our competitors often only support their product for a short life cycle.
“We’ve talked about doing the same thing strategically, and the team just throws it out every time. I think that’s a major part of what sets us apart. We will always put the farmer’s needs first and prioritise their harvest requirements.”
Tailor made
Midwest’s current product range can be split into two main platforms – the Legacy and Durus – both of which are built for peak performance but tailored to different needs.
The Legacy – which is Midwest’s newer addition – is purpose-built for John Deere X9 1000 and X9 1100 Series combines, while the Durus integrates with all other combine harvester brands.
The Legacy features an upgraded frame and centre mount designed to handle greater loads delivered by larger Deere combines, while preserving balance and agility in the field.
Durus is described as Midwest’s workhorse and is popular with farmers chasing efficiency over multiple crop types.
Both Legacy and Durus offer smart harvesting solutions like fully integrated cross augers for fluffy crops, and exceptional active ground-following performance, even in melon hole and contoured country.
Both are also available in widths from 30-feet up to 60-feet (18.3m), a size which Midwest is proud to have been the pioneers of.
Constant growth
For all the pioneering innovation which it is rightly proud of, Midwest Fabrication is also a company that refuses to rest on its laurels.
Despite its products having stood the test of time, Midwest is continually innovating – both in-house and through maintaining frequent contact with its network of customers.
“We’re trialling new product right now this year at harvest out at our farm and we’re always advancing,” Amy says.
“One of the magic things about being a small manufacturer in Australia is we are very fast to market.
“If we have something out there which we know can be tweaked and improved, we do it straight away through our factory and it can take us 30 days.
“It’s not something that has to be three to five years in development in massive teams of R&D like many of our competitors.”
Midwest has an engineering department that knows where the company wants to be placed in five years’ time, and their work is enhanced by the ongoing testing behind closed doors on the Schutt family farms.
For all its in-house expertise, Midwest is far from insular.
“We also work heavily with a number of customers nationally around product development,” Amy says.
“We take customer feedback very seriously.”
Midwest also has a substantial dealer network around the country, and with customers actively wanting Midwest platforms to be mounted on their combines, Amy says working with these dealers enables ongoing trialling and testing to occur.
With technological updates in combines such as John Deere’s X9 series, including new intellectual property, ensuring Midwest’s platforms can handle the external changes which have been forced upon them has allowed for another avenue of knowledge gathering.
“That has forced us to work with companies that are very educated in that space,” Amy says.
“They’re coming to us saying ‘let’s do this, let’s change that, let’s improve this’, and it’s a really good alignment.
“To have that high level critical thinking coming from external companies who are already working in our industry and aligning with dealers on other products has been fantastic.”
Ready to go
Midwest has floor stock ready to be delivered for this harvest. They are also offering an early order program for 2026 machines, which is designed to align with combine early order programs offered by dealers now.
“Right now is when the dealers release their early order combine programs, and we want customers to understand that we have an early order program at the same time,” Amy says.
“We want the customer to get the very best deal on the best machine setup for their operation, and as they lock in their combine sales in the next few months, they will be able to lock in their Midwest fronts at the same time.
“We want them to be making educated decisions and not just buying a package that doesn’t suit them.
“If we want manufacturing and agriculture to grow and thrive in Australia then Aussie farmers need to buy Australian made machinery. It’s that simple.”
While the early order program means now is a perfect time to secure a Midwest product, Amy emphasises that the company is here whenever customers need them.
“We build all year round, so there’s never a point where we don’t have product. We’ve got stock on hand now in every size, so depending on your farming requirements, we offer 30-feet and 36-feet right through to 60-feet,” she says.
“We manufacture so much in-house, and I think that’s important too, because we’re supporting apprentices trade development and building Australian skills and teams.
“We want to support Australian jobs, Australian manufacturing, and support Australian suppliers.
“We could take product offshore and build it cheaper, but we choose to keep it in Australia to build superior products, offer superior fast customer service and be able to deliver fast.”
To speak with the Midwest team, visit www.midwest.net.au or call (07) 4662 2137.