When you run a dairy operation, there’s one thing you can always count on: the milk is on its way. Hour after hour, day after day, week after week, those cows keep producing. And that means the work never stops.
Keeping pace, says Eldon Marrs, who serves as logistics managing partner for Longs Peak Dairy in Colorado, requires “reliable equipment and dependable people.” He gets both from Caterpillar.
Marrs is a second-generation dairyman. His dad got things started in 1939 with three cows and a little patch of land. Now Eldon, his brothers and other business partners run a three-facility operation with 7,000 cows and more than 100 employees. Cat® machines have played a big role in their success.
The loader fleet has been especially critical. The dairy relies on loaders for a variety of tasks including feed management, which requires a high degree of precision and accuracy. Marrs has seen the Cat loader line evolve over the years and is now happily using the 926M.
“I’ve always been impressed with Caterpillar and its innovation,” he says. “With the 926M, we’re able to go up a size in buckets, so we can handle more material. Cycle times are improved too. It’s a fast, efficient machine. Easy to operate. Quiet. It lets my staff do their jobs.”
The M Series machines feature simple maintenance, great visibility and comfortable cabs. And because they’re so reliable, work gets done quickly and efficiently so Marrs can “go home to my wife and boys instead of fixing issues at the dairy.”
Support from Cat dealer Wagner Equipment Co. helps boost efficiency too.
“With drop boxes, will-call pickup, after-hours pickup and direct shipping, we always get the parts we need.”
Though the job never ends at Longs Peak Dairy, Marrs is quick to point out that family and tradition always come first.
“I’m proud to continue the work my family started in the 1930s,” he says. “Dependable equipment is a big part of our success. Caterpillar delivers on that.”
