How Hagie Manufacturing grew from a Clarion farm idea

Photo: Bob Adams from Amanzimtoti, South Africa / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Hagie Manufacturing traces back to Ray Hagie, who built a self-propelled high-clearance sprayer in 1947 because he needed one for his own seed corn work. He started the company in Clarion that year.

Hagie’s machines are built to ride over tall crops, so farmers can apply fertilizer and crop protection late in the season. The company also built detasselers for seed corn.

In 2016, John Deere bought a majority stake. Hagie sprayers became part of Deere’s lineup, and the Clarion plant kept building them. The company is one of the largest employers in Wright County, and a fair share of local families have someone who has worked there.

Curt Hanneman writes for Clarion News Online.