2016 marks 80th anniversary for McGavin Farm Equipment

Jul 28, 2016

Q&A with Jeff McGavin

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

In 1936, Gordon McGavin renovated a small shed and started selling farm machinery at the McKilltop Township farm where he grew up.

In 1957, Neil McGavin joined his father and became the sales manager in 1963 when Gordon entered politics as a member of the Liberal party.

Eighty years after Gordon McGavin renovated that shed, McGavin Farm Equipment is still entrenched in its family’s history as Neil’s sons, Brian and Jeff run the business as the third generation of McGavins to do so.

Farms.com sat down with Jeff McGavin about the development and experiences of an established, family-run business.

Farms.com (FC): What does being part of a family run business that’s been around for 80 years mean to you?

Jeff McGavin (JM): It definitely gives you a good feeling that with all the amalgamations and larger complex stores that a single location can survive in today’s marketplace. We are very proud of our family’s past and look forward to what the future has in store.

FC: What are some key components that contribute to McGavin’s success?

JM: We have been blesses with having great long-time employees who know what we expect in terms of customer service in all the departments. This lessens some of the burden of everyday operations.

FC: In 80 years, people have grown to know your grandfather, your father, and now you and Brian. Do you feel any pressure being part of the third generation of McGavins to operate the business?

JM: There is always underlying pressure on Brian and I because we want to keep the same ethics and business strategies our grandfather and father used. But as times change and suppliers demand more from you, it can be difficult to balance the old strategies with new business models.

FC: In 80 years, technology has come a long way. How challenging is it to keep up with changing trends in ag-tech?

JM: Technology is moving so fast that it makes it difficult to keep up with the training required to repair the new machinery we sell. It puts a lot of stress on the staff to maintain the level of service our customers have been accustomed to receiving from us.

Farms.com extends its congratulations to McGavin Farm Equipment on celebrating its 80^th anniversary in 2016!

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.