BEEMER, Neb. — For nearly a century, Mighty Giant has been building heavy-duty grinding equipment in Nebraska. Today, Owner and President Rod Giese is focused on keeping the company competitive while maintaining the quality and relationships that have defined the business.
Mighty Giant was founded in 1929 after Les Jones and Louis Dinklage developed a machine to improve how hay was processed for cattle. What began as a solution for a Nebraska feedlot eventually became a manufacturing business, with the company continuing to build grinders and operate its own commercial grinding service.
Giese has spent about 30 years with the company and purchased the business around 2014. He said his decision was driven by loyalty, the company’s history and the people who had become a part of his life.
“This isn’t a job to us. This is life. This is what we do,” Giese said.
Today, Mighty Giant employs roughly 35 to 45 families and has produced as many as 42 machines in a year. The company sells directly to customers and is working to expand its dealer network, while also growing its presence internationally.
Giese said Mighty Giant’s advantage comes from building and using its own equipment. Through its commercial grinding operation, the company sees firsthand how its machines perform and what customers need.
“We build the best tub grinder in the world, plain and simple,” Giese said.
The company has also had to navigate many of the same challenges facing other small manufacturers, including rising material costs, supply chain disruptions and difficulty finding employees in a tight rural labor market.
Giese said the period following the COVID-19 pandemic was particularly challenging. Lead times that once ran six to eight weeks stretched to as long as 24 to 36 weeks, creating challenges for production schedules and cash flow.
Despite those challenges, Giese said his focus remains on his employees and customers. He sees the growth of the people working at Mighty Giant as one of the most rewarding parts of owning the company.
“It isn’t always about the dollars and cents of everything, but it’s watching people grow, watching people have a good life,” Giese said.
Mighty Giant is planning additional growth, including a potential building expansion, but Giese said finding enough skilled workers remains one of the biggest factors determining how quickly the company can expand.
For Giese, continuing the company’s legacy ultimately comes down to refusing to quit.
“You never quit. You never stop because you know you’re the best and you have a standard that you have to keep,” he said.
Powered by the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
