About Us
With
over 45 employees, Braun Electric, Inc.—Total Farm Systems
is the second largest employer in St. Nazianz—and still
growing.
Though the family-owned
company began in 1964 as a residential electrical contractor,
it has since expanded its operations to include not only electrical
service but all aspects of farm service as well. Among its
customers are farms that vary in size and milk between 40
and 1,000 cows or more. No matter what size, however, Braun
Electric, Inc.—Total Farm Systems can take care of all
aspects of a farm’s business.
Besides barn equipment,
ventilation and sprinkler systems, their turn-key installations
include manure systems, feeding systems, and nutrient management
systems. Having their own concrete crew and excavation equipment,
they can handle the entire job from start to finish without
hiring sub-contractors. The concrete crew can do any flat
work as well as pour small walls. And besides doing more common
excavating jobs, the 60’ excavator can also clean manure
pits and dig or clean ponds.
When a farm project
is undertaken, one of four salesmen go right to the site to
answer questions and give advice on what design would work
best for that farm’s operation. But even after the contract
is signed, the salesman is there during construction to oversee
the work, making sure that the project ends up exactly according
to plan.
This year, customers
can take advantage of rebates through Focus on Energy and
W. E. Energies. One program involves one large fan up to 24’
in diameter manufactured by Big Ass Fans, which circulates
as much air as 16 barn fans measuring 48” each. These
are great energy savers and will pay for themselves. Call
Braun Electric, Inc.—Total Farm Systems for more information.
Employee R. C. Ludke,
hailed the “manure guru” in Manure Manager Magazine,
designed and installed the manure systems for Lake Breeze
Dairy, Cottonwood Dairy and the new sand lane system at Soaring
Eagle Dairy to name a few. Because each farm comes with its
own set of needs, R. C. is on hand to design systems individual
to each customer, systems that include separators, manure
pumps, and the JOZ alley scrapers. This new log chain style
alley scraper is capable of cleaning a 400’ alley with
one blade and withstands sand bedding. Many farmers are looking
at the cost effectiveness of switching to sand bedding, which
Braun Electric Inc. has been influential in developing.
They also have a couple
of new tricks up their sleeves – a portable manure separator
mounted trailer system that can be driven to sites for demonstrations
or temporary separation if a stationary separator needs to
be repaired. Also, a new truck mounted manure pump with a
57’ boom to pump out slurry stores with maximum agitation
capabilities.
A new and exciting
product that Braun Electric Inc has been instrumental in bringing
to dairy farmers nationwide has been the addition of an organic
polymer to their separation units. This allows the separators
to function at a much higher standard, separating the manure
solids from liquids clean enough to go back into the dairy
farms’ water supply.
Braun Electric Inc.—Total
Farm Systems does custom manure hauling but accommodates farmers
who want to do it themselves, too. They have rental equipment
and also sell new and used spreaders and tankers, pumps and
agitators.
And when repairs are
involved, the cows can’t wait for business hours, so
the company is available night and day, seven days a week.
At the service counter, Braun Electric, Inc.—Total Farm
Systems sells parts for the farmer who prefers to do his own
repairs including plumbing, electrical, feeding, milking or
manure system repairs.
At the same time,
the company continues its residential, farm and commercial
electrical projects. Recently, they worked as the electrical
contractors for the new Bethlehem United Church of Christ
in Kiel and are currently involved in a large expansion project
at Heritage Aluminum and Brass Foundry. They are W.P.S. and
W.E. Energies certified for farm rewiring programs.
Over the 40 years
since the company has been operating, it has built up an impressive
list of achievements and awards. Not content to merely maintain
the services they offer, however, Braun Electric, Inc.—Total
Farm Systems plans to further expand, helping farms in any
way they can. The motto “All you have to do is ask”
seems a very fitting slogan for this progressive company.
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