The Weight Transfer System can be used in several different ways, depending on the front attachment being used.  Its most important benefit is found when mowing steep slopes.  In fact, use of the Weight Transfer System is KEY to the outstanding ability of Ventrac to operate safely on slopes.  On slopes, it provides the tractor with increased traction, increased braking, and increased resistance to slipping sideways.  It can also be used to minimize the down force on scraping edges such as blades and snow blowers to reduce the tendency to scratch paved surfaces or gouge gravel driveways.  In a similar fashion, it can be used to minimize the wheel contact forces on a Blower to minimize potential turf damage.  Finally, it can be used to increase the lift capacity of the hitch when using the Slip Scoop or Excavator.

All of these situations are illustrated in the new video.  Take a look now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjG2QnUWuT8

An additional entry has caught my attention, as he appears to be our oldest entry to date. (Although, old is not the term he chooses to embrace.) Charles “Chick” Bittner is an amazing 96 years of age and he uses his Ventrac weekly, if not daily. Chick displays a “young at heart” attitude and gets tons of enjoyment from his Ventrac.  Charles “Chick” Bittner, along with his long-time friend, Scott Shookman recently visited the Ventrac manufacturing plant where, as Scott says, “Charles couldn’t sleep last night from 3 am on as he was that excited to finally meet Ryan and tour the plant from engineering to final assembly.”

The video below follows Quinten, our youngest fan,  during a typical day in his life and how he LOVES Ventrac, or “Entrac” as Quinten says!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRbD6ec1wK8

Here is Chick’s amazing story:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy_JmzzMbZM

If you own a Ventrac and you think you are a bigger fan of Ventrac than Quinten or Chick, post your own video response here for your chance to win a model Ventrac like Quin’s.   Or go to  http://my.ventrac.com/submit.php and fill out the Top Fan Story Submission.  Entries must be received by 4/30/2012. See more competition details at: http://ventrac.com/topfan.

Entries are starting to come in, so don’t miss your chance to win this!

[Show as slideshow]

Vincent Giumenti started VG Lawn Service three years ago at the age of seven.  Vincent is now 10 years old and has turned his passion for mowing lawns into a business he loves.  Although Vincent’s father acts as an on-sight supervisor, Vincent takes care of all the physical aspects of mowing, cleanup and care of the lawns he is contracted to maintain.   Vincent’s father said Vincent was attracted to mowers at the very young age of two.  Vincent would sit on the front steps and watch as his father mowed the lawn.   After his father was done,  his chance came to push the mower back and forth on the sidewalk, which was shut-off, of course.  When Vincent grew older, his father’s gently used White mower helped start the business.

Over the years, Vincent made several upgrades to his lawn mowing equipment and would like to add snow removal services to his business.  The first time Vincent saw a Ventrac, he knew that he wanted one… he was hooked.  Vincent dreams of having a Ventrac…or two…. in his future business plans.    Even at 10 years old, his eye for quality and appreciation for equipment is striking.    He displays a remarkable knowledge of how Ventrac tractors operate.  Vincent even has memorized the model numbers for all the Ventrac attachments!

Before his visit to tour the Ventrac factory, Vincent said, “Last night I could barely get any sleep, because I wanted to come here so bad.”    It was a pleasure to meet Vincent and his parents and we were happy to show them how Ventrac tractors are manufactured.

Watch our interview with this young business owner and be inspired by his story and dreams.

Keep up the great work Vincent!   You will go far!

Since 1999, Ventrac has explored and grown in the world of exports. Expanding worldwide to locations in Europe, Asia, Canada, Africa,  South America and the UK, Ventrac has proven that exports can be an important and stable part of business.  With tools available through the Small Business Administration, Ventrac is able to better understand how to choose the strongest candidates to partner with abroad.

Export Video Contest

Ventrac recently entered a video contest sponsored by the SBA and Visa.  Video entries are to inform other small businesses of the advantages of exporting and to highlight their personal success stories.  The entries are also to increase awareness of the government assistance available from the SBA and to explain how exports have successfully grown or maintained a healthy business.

Our video entry features Dallas Steiner, President and CEO of Ventrac, and describes how Ventrac’s export market has helped create a secure and profitable company.  Strong exports helped Ventrac weather the recession and  the world of international sales continues to grow today.

Sweden’s 1000^th Tractor Sold

Ventrac’s export division continues to expand with many success stories along the way.  One distributor across the seas , LAPAB of Sweden, has done a phenomenal job with Ventrac.  It is exciting to see how they have grown with Ventrac.  LAPAB specializes in the Ventrac 3000 series tractors and distribute quite a few.  Just how many?   Well…in April, 2011, LAPAB helped deliver the 1000^th tractor to a very happy and satisfied customer.  Anders Pettersson and Peter Karlsson from LAPAB, along with Parkmaskiner (one of LAPAB’s dealers) made the delivery to FaBo Falkenbergs Bostader.  This new unit is one of ten Ventrac machines this customer owns!

The 1000th Ventrac Tractor Sold In Sweden

Ventrac knows that exports can provide stability to any growing business.   For more information about Ventrac tractors and where to find, visit www.ventrac.com.

Retired NFL Super Bowl Champ Jeff Hostetler Loves His Ventrac

To be a professional athlete, it takes hard work and dedication.  It takes toughness and durability to reach peak performance.  Preparation requires research and study to stay on top of the game.   Former New York Giants Super Bowl XXV Quarterback, Jeff Hostetler, knows all about what it takes.   We recently spoke with Jeff at his home, where he talked with us about his professional career and how he maintains his home and property with a Ventrac tractor.

Owning and maintaining a sloping hillside property in West Virginia can be quite a challenge for many homeowners.   But for Jeff Hostetler, things got a whole lot easier when he found Ventrac.   His home in Morgantown sits elevated atop a 40 acre property of rolling hillsides and a steep landscape that looks almost impossible to maintain.  The panoramic view is striking, but one might wonder how he tends to such an extreme incline.   Jeff found Ventrac to be the professional equipment that was vital for his property needs.

When Jeff  first spotted a Ventrac, it was at a nearby dealer.  What caught his attention was the tractor sitting on a hillside…wondering how it got there.   Wanting more information on this unique find, Jeff contacted the dealer for a demonstration to see what it could do on his steep property.   And as they say, the rest is history.  Jeff fell in love with the Ventrac, not only for how well it performed and handled on the slopes, but how well it was built.  It did everything he needed it to do and more.   Today, his Ventrac is still performing like the first day he got it.

Jeff uses his Ventrac to mow steep inclines around his home and horse barn as well as many other areas around his property.   He finds the leaf blower saves him days of work in the fall, clearing leaves, and the Power Rake keeps the horse riding arena free of grass and weeds.    Jeff also puts the Power Rake to good use when preparing seed beds on some of the construction projects for his Hoss Foundation.

Jeff sees many similarities in what it takes to be a professional athlete and what goes in to a  professional piece of equipment like Ventrac.   Hear what Jeff has to say in his own words about what Ventrac means for him.   More video on slope mowing can be found on the Ventrac YouTube Channel.

Slope Mowing with Ventrac - Jack Wiley explains why Ventrac all wheel drive compact articulating tractors excel on slopes. Wiley explains why Ventrac is safer and causes less turf damage on slopes than other tractors. This clip also explains safety requirements for slope operation. Wiley is a retired engineer and currently resides in Moline, IL where he manages his property with slopes up to 28 degrees.

 More Than a Mower - Jack Wiley describes how he uses his Ventrac for much more than mowing steep grades. Wiley owns over 35 attachments that he uses with his Ventrac. “It is a hobby,” Wiley says. “It’s a passion. I’m a tractor guy.” Wiley is a retired engineer and currently resides in Moline, IL where he manages his property and helps out his neighbors, church, and a nearby wetland preserve.

To see these and more recent Ventrac video releases, visit the Ventrac Compact Tractors YouTube Channel or click on the links above.

The Rendered Version of the MJ840 Contour Deck

Last week, two employees from Ventrac, Dan Swartz and Roscoe  Lehman traveled to Huntsville, Alabama for the Siemens Solid Edge ST4 Global Launch Event.  The Ventrac Engineering Department currently uses the Solid Edge ST3 CAD system to design equipment, such as the MJ840 Contour Mowing Deck.    Solid Edge hosted the event to introduce new users, as well as current users, to the newest ST4 version of the software.  Packed with tips and ideas, technical training and opportunities to interact with Solid Edge users from around the world, the event helped Dan and Roscoe get a better idea of what the ST4 version can do for Ventrac. 

Dan was sought out by some of the Solid Edge development team who wanted to learn more about how Ventrac uses Solid Edge’s Synchronous Technology software.    Dan Staples from Solid Edge  spoke about meeting up with Swartz and Lehman during the two day event on the Seimens blog.    Staples loved the image Ventrac created using the ST3 software and wanted to work with Ventrac to create an image for the new ST4 splash screen.    The Solid Edge Blog shows one example of a rendered image of a tractor and contour deck along with more from Staples’ interview.

Dan and Roscoe entered the MJ840 contour deck in the Solid Edge Product Showcase and it became one of the featured products during the event.   Dan was interviewed over the course of the two days about how Ventrac uses Solid Edge software in the development of products.    Swartz talks more about how the contour mowing deck moves and maneuvers across uneven terrain, making it an ideal deck for mowing around bunkers on golf courses.   See the interview below and how Dan explains the value of using ST3 rendered images to view equipment.     

It was windy, but  Dan was unfazed by the sign mishap!

It was evident the participants had a great time and it was another successful event for Deerhurst Resort!

If you would like more information about Ventrac, you can visit our website at www.ventrac.com to request a free catalog or find a dealer near you.    You can view more Ventrac videos on the Ventrac Youtube Channel.

We took a trip to visit  a local homeowner who not only loves his Ventrac, but he may love the striping it creates even more.   Or at least he loves the process of creating those stripes.    We just released the video from our visit which showcases Mark Morrison demonstrating how he puts these artistic touches on his lawn.   He learned some striping tips from a friend who had worked for the Cleveland Indians grounds crew and after finding Ventrac, he now enjoys a finely groomed lawn each and every time he mows.    It was a fun shoot that turned into a fun fast paced video.    See what Mark has to say about his Ventrac tractor and why mowing is more like an experience.

SEE THE CAMERA CREW AT WORK

The camera crew did an awesome job with this shoot and here they are on the rooftop wondering just where to set that camera !  Everything worked out great in the end.   The homeowner was more than willing to allow us on his rooftop so we could get the best shots possible.   Thanks Mark!

Meea, Denver, Dustin and Mark...where do we start?

Up on the roof....Where should we put the camera?

See www.ventrac.com for more about finish mowers and

Ventrac compact tractors.

Our first real digital video camera was a Canon XL1 that we bought in 1997. That camera endured many grueling Ventrac shoots including filming wet snow blowing and  getting smacked with leaves, grass clippings, and tire rubber (at a race track where Ventrac was a sponsor).  These first Ventrac video clips were edited using Adobe Premiere on a Pentium Pro 200mhz computer with 80 megabytes of ram, and a 4gb SCSI hard drive.

Camera getting smacked by a wet leaf.

After wearing out our first XL1, a second one was purchased in 2003.  This one was finally retired in 2005.  To this point all our footage had been shot in standard definition. Since then we’ve been using Sony HDV video cameras shooting in 1080i wide-screen High Definition.  However, when producing new sales videos we ran into the several problems in being able to deliver video content in HD:

1. We still had old footage we needed to use that wasn’t in High Definition or even wide-screen
2. In the past, nobody had HD DVD players and we didn’t know if Blu-ray or HD DVD would win (Blu-ray won by the way)
3. Editing HD is more time and hardware intensive

As we enter 2010, things are changing.  Blu-ray players are slowly starting to pop up in our potential customer’s living rooms attached to their HD TVs. One other big change is this past year YouTube has started allowing HD video uploads.  Earlier this past month we released our first video in HD on Youtube:

Ventrac Slope Mower in HD (Make sure you click the “HD” button)

Talk about a quality increase!  Compare this to our previous slope mowing clip.  If you look in Butch Hamby’s glasses, you can actually see my brother, Dustin Steiner, in a blue shirt filming in the reflection of his glasses.  I’m standing beside him in a green shirt and red hat.

High Definition Demo: Interviewer and camera operator viewable in glasses reflection.

Will our next DVD be offered in Blu-ray? Maybe. Maybe not quite yet.  But look to more and more short video clips coming out on YouTube in HD.

~ Denver Steiner
Graphic Designer, Web Developer, and Video Producer