Ron Lange spent the summers of 1989 through 2005 following the harvest run with the custom harvesters and the John Deere Harvest Support Team.

The night Ron was inducted into the Hall of Fame, he was introduced by his good friend and coworker, Mike Barnett. Mike’s speech was the highlight of the evening and best describes Ron:

TONIGHT, I HAVE THE PRIVELGE AND THE PLEASURE OF GETTING A GOOD FRIEND AND CO-WORKER INDUCTED INTO THE U.S CUSTOM HARVESTERS HALL OF FAME.

IT IS AN HONOR TO BE RECOGNIZED BY YOUR ORGANIZATION IN SUCH A MANNER. AND THE BENEFICIARY OF THAT HONOR TONIGHT IS RON LANGE OF JDHW.

I FIRST MET RON BACK IN 1990. AT THE TIME I WAS WORKING WITH THE JOHN DEERE KANSAS CITY BRANCH. AND CHARLIE GAUSE OFFERED ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF THE HARVEST CORPS PROGRAM.

THIS WAS OUR PARTS SUPPORT PROGRAM THAT BEGAN FOLLOWING THE WHEAT HARVEST. YOU ALL REMEMBER CHARLIE, HE WAS A BIG FAN AND BIG SUPPORTER OF CUSTOM HARVESTERS AND HE IS ALSO HONORED IN YOUR HALL OF FAME.

SO WHEN CHARLIE GAVE ME THIS OPPORTUNITY, I JUMPED RIGHT ON IT.

NOW…I CAN’T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHEN IT WAS OR EXACTLY WHERE I WAS THE FIRST TIME I MET RON. AND I THINK RIGHT AFTER I DID MEET HIM, I FORGOT HIS NAME.

SO AT THE TIME, THE GUY OBVIOUSLY DIDN’T MAKE THAT BIG AN IMPRESSION ON ME. BUT AS THE YEARS ROLLED ON HE MADE SEVERAL BIG IMPRESSIONS ON ME. SOME OF THEM GOOD.

SO WHILE I WAS DOWN IN TEXAS OR OKLAHOMA SELLING PARTS … RON AND BILL JARRARD WERE OUT GALAVANTING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY SIDE WORKING ON COMBINES.

AND WHEN THEY WEREN’T OUT RUNNING AROUND FIXING COMBINES, THEY WERE AT THE TRAILERS MAKING A LOT OF UNREASONABLE PARTS DEMANDS OF ME AND MY GUYS.

SO WE ROLLED LIKE THAT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. HARVESTER GUYS TOOK CARE OF THE COMBINES. KANSAS CITY GUYS TOOK CARE OF THE PARTS.

THEN BILL JARRARD DECIDED TO TAKE A WELL DESERVED RETIREMENT. BILL IS ALSO A MEMBER OF YOR HALL OF FAME AND WAS AND IS STILL A BIG SUPPORTER OF YOUR ORGANIZATION.

AFTER BILL RETIRED THE TORCH WAS PASSED TO LANGER. ALSO ABOUT THEN WE DECIDED TO COMBINE THE PARTS PROGRAM WITH THE SERVICE PROGRAM AND THAT’S WHEN RON AND I BECAME BONA FIDE PARTNERS.

SO WE BEGAN TO BUILD ON WHAT BILL JARRARD HAD STARTED. AND RON WAS AN INSTRUMENTAL PART OF GETTING OUR CUSTOMER SUPPORT TEAM BUILT UP TO WHAT IT IS TODAY.

RON SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN MEETINGS WITH PEOPLE THAT HAD A WHOLE LOT BIGGER LUNCH BOXES THAN WE DID.

HE WAS ALWAYS IN THERE WORKING TO CONVINCE PEOPLE OF WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO AND WHY WE WERE TRYING TO DO IT.

IN BUDGET MEETINGS HE WAS ALWAYS IN THERE SWINGING, TRYING TO GET US MORE OF WHAT WE NEEDED. MONEY, TRUCKS, TRAILERS, MONEY, ETC. AND GETTING WHAT WE NEEDED WASN’T ALWAYS AN EASY TASK.

BECAUSE OF RON‘S EFFORTS WE NOW HAVE A FLEET OF 7 SERVICE TRUCKS, SEMI TRAILERS AND OFFICE TRAILERS TO FOLLOW THE HARVEST EVERY YEAR.

HE WANTED OUR CUSTOMER SUPPORT TEAM TO BE THE BIGGEST AND THE BEST. HE WANTED TO PROVIDE THE HIGH LEVEL OF SUPPORT THAT OUR CUSTOMERS DEMAND AND DESERVE.

BILL JARRARD TOLD US ONE TIME THAT IT TAKES A “SPECIAL KIND OF MAN” TO DO THE JOB WE DO. HE WAS RIGHT.

IT TAKES A BIG PERSONAL COMMITMENT TO BE A MEMBER OF OUR CUSTOMER SUPPORT TEAM. THERE IS A LOT OF TIME SPENT AWAY FROM HOME AND FAMILY.

RON MADE THIS COMMITMENT FOR A LOT OF YEARS.

LIKE YOU ALL WE PUT IN A LOT OF LONG HOURS, LONG DAYS AND LONG WEEKS.

ALSO LIKE YOU ALL, AT TIMES WE WORKED UNDER QUITE A BIT OF PRESSURE.

WHAT MANY CUSTOMERS DON’T REALIZE IS THE AMOUNT OF EXTRA TIME RON PUT IN. HE SPENT MANY HOURS ON THE PHONE WITH FACTORY MARKETING AND ENGINEERING PEOPLE TRYING TO GET ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS.

THIS WAS ON TOP OF THE USUAL 50 CALLS A DAY WE RECEIVED FROM CUSTOMERS HAVING PROBLEMS OR NEEDING QUESTIONS ANSWERED. WE USED TO TEASE EACH OTHER ABOUT HAVING TO HAVE CELL PHONES SURGICALLY REMOVED FROM THE SIDES OF OUR HEADS.

ON OCCASION RON MADE SOME OF THESE DAYS A LITTLE LONGER THAN THEY NEEDED TO BE. HE USED TO SCHEDULE QUITE A FEW “SAFETY MEETINGS” AFTER HOURS. SAFETY MEETINGS SEEMED TO RUN INTO THE WEE HOURS AT TIMES.

THESE MEETINGS WERE USUALLY HELD ON THE TAILGATES OF SERVICE TRUCKS IN A MOTEL PARKING LOT. OR MAYBE AT A LOCAL WATERING HOLE IN WHATEVER LITTLE TOWN WE MIGHT BE CAMPED IN.

BUT REGARDLESS OF HOW LATE THE SAFETY MEETING RAN, WE ALWAYS HAD TO BE AT THE BUMPER EARLY THE NEXT MORNING. SOMETIMES IT HURT A LITTLE, BUT WE MADE IT.

RON ALWAYS TRIED TO LITERALLY GO THE EXTRA MILE FOR CUSTOMERS. WORKING ON MACHINES TIL 2 IN THE MORNING. DELIVERING PARTS TIL ALL HOURS. HE DID IT COUNTLESS TIMES.

ONE FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND HE WAS AT HOME TAKING A LITTLE BREAK, AND WE PRESSED HIM INTO BRINGING A TRAILER LOAD OF PARTS THAT WE ABSOLUTELY HAD TO HAVE OUT TO WESTERN NEBRASKA. SO WE RUINED THAT LITTLE VACATION FOR HIM.

I’M SURE HE WAS GRUMBLING TO HIMSELF A LITTLE OVER THAT ONE, BUT HE MADE THE TRIP AND NEVER COMPLAINED…TO US ANYWAY.

BUT, IN LANGER’S WAY OF THINKING THE CUSTOMER ALWAYS CAME FIRST.

RON ALSO WORKED EXTREMELY HARD FOR THE CUSTOM HARVESTERSORGANIZATION, ESPECIALLY WHEN CONVENTION TIME ROLLED AROUND.

HE WORKED HARD TO MAKE SURE WE ALWAYS HAD A TOP NOTCH HOSPITALITY ROOM, BACK WHEN WE USED TO DO THINGS THAT WAY. THERE WERE A FEW HEADACHES INVOLVED WITH THAT. LITERALLY

HE ALSO WORKED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD TOP OF THE LINE DISPLAYS ON THE TRADE SHOW FLOOR AND NEW AND INTERESTING ITEMS THAT WOULD BRING TOP DOLLAR IN THE AUCTIONS.

NOW…I HAVE BEEN SAYING SOME NICE THINGS ABOUT LANGER FOR THE LAST FEW MINUTES, NOW I’M GOING TO BASH ON HIM JUST A TAD.

EVERYONE AT HARVESTER THAT HAS WORKED WITH RON OVER THE YEARS KNOWS HIM TO BE JUST A BIT OF A PROCRASTINATOR. SOMETIMES IT WAS HARD TO GET HIM MOVING ON A PROJECT OR A DEADLINE.

HE ACQUIRED A COUPLE OF NICKNAMES: THE LATE RON LANGE OR MY PERSONAL FAVORITE, LAST MINUTE LANGE.

WHEN HE DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO GET MOVING ON SOMETHING, THEN HE WOULD PUT IT ON THE BIG SPROCKET, KICK IN THE FOUR BARREL AND EVERBODY HAD TO TRY AND KEEP UP.

HE ALWAYS SAID THAT WE WORKED BETTER UNDER PRESSURE. WHICH IS KINDA TRUE, BUT MY GOD, I DIDN’T THINK WE NEEDED TO WORK THAT WAY ALL THE TIME.

I USED TO CALL HIM AND SAY LANGER, WE NEED TO GET ROLLING ON THIS OR LANGER WE NEED TO GET STARTED ON THAT OR WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE’RE GONNA DO ABOUT SUCH AND SUCH.

AND HE HAD THIS LITTLE SAYING HE USED TO USE WHEN I WOULD START TO PRESSURE HIM ABOUT THIS OR THAT.

HE’D SAY BARNEY; IF YOU WANT A PICASSO…YOU HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL PICASSO IS READY TO PAINT.

I NEVER TOLD YOU THIS LANGER, BUT I’M TELLING YOU NOW. EVERY TIME YOU SAID THAT I WANTED TO CHOKE THE HELL OUT OF YOU.

BUT HE DID WORK GOOD UNDER PRESSURE AND ONCE YOU GOT HIM ROLLING, HE ALWAYS GOT THE JOB DONE OR MADE THE DEADLINE. HE DID MAKE IT INTERESTING.

BUT WORKING AS CLOSELY AS I DID WITH RON OVER THE LAST 16 YEARS, I DON’T RECALL US EVER HAVING AN ARGUMENT. WE HAD SOME DIFFERNCES OF OPINION. FORD VS CHEVY, WALLEYE VS CRAPPIE, STUFF LIKE THAT.

BUT AS FAR AS THE JOB OR THE CUSTOMER SUPPORT TEAM WAS CONCERNED, I DON’T RECALL US EVER HAVING AN ARGUMENT OR MAJOR DISAGREEMENT.

BUT IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO THE FACT THAT LANGER PUT IN A LOT OF HOURS, A LOT OF DAYS, A LOT OF WEEKS, A LOTTA YEARS SUPPORTING CUSTOM HARVESTERS AND THE U.S.CUSTOM HARVESTERS ORGANIZATION.

IN 2006 RON DECIDED TO TAKE A LITTLE DIFFERENT CAREER PATH AND HE IS NOW WORKING OUT IN MANUFACTURING AS A SUPERVISOR ON THE COMBINE LINE.

HE’S PUTTING THE COMBINES TOGETHER NOW, SO I HAVE A DIRECT LINE BACK TO THE FACTORY IF WE’RE SEEING SOMETHING WE DON’T LIKE.

AND THAT PROCRASTINATION THING DOESN’T WORK OUT THERE ON THE COMBINE LINE EITHER, SO HE HAD TO CHANGE HIS WAYS QUITE A BIT.

AND I WILL BET GOOD MONEY THAT HIS NEW BOSS HAS NOT HEARD THAT LINE OF B.S ABOUT PICASSO EITHER.

LAST MAY WHEN WE LEFT FOR THE 2006 HARVEST, IT WAS THE FIRST TIME IN A LOT OF YEARS I HEADED SOUTH WITHOUT MY PARTNER. WE DID MISS HIM HAVING HIM ALONG.

I’M SURE HE WAS SURPRISED THAT WE MADE IT THROUGH THE HARVEST WITHOUT HIM.

I’M ALSO SURE THAT HE WILL AGREE WITH ME WHEN I SAY WE BOTH HAVE SOME GREAT MEMORIES FROM THE PAST 16 YEARS. A LOT OF GOOD TIMES AND A HELLUVA LOTTA LAUGHS.

WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET AND WORK WITH SOME FANTASTIC PEOPLE AND WE BOTH MADE A LOT OF GREAT FRIENDS ALONG THE WAY.

SO LANGER, ON BEHALF ON MYSELF, JEREMY, GARY AND ALL THE GUYS THAT HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH YOU ON THE CUSTOMER SUPPORT TEAM OVER THE YEARS….

CONGRATUALTIONS ON YOUR INDUCTION INTO THE US CUSTOM HARVESTER HALL OF FAME. YOU DEFINITELY EARNED IT.

END

*****************************************

Thank you, Ron, for your intense support, caring and unselfish way of supporting the custom harvester and U.S. Custom Harvesters, Inc. You will be greatly missed!