Kinze Manufacturing held a grand opening of the Kinze Innovation Center with Iowa Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds.

The Kinze Innovation Center is located at the Kinze world headquarters on Iowa Interstate-80 and houses all of the major agricultural inventions by Kinze founder and president Jon Kinzenbaw, as well as those made by Kinze engineers. Kinze designed the center to serve as a destination for customers, dealers and friends from all over the world.

Visitors can see the exact size of Kinzenbaw’s first workshop in Ladora, Iowa, as well as explore Kinze tillage equipment from the early years, row crop planters and grain carts on several hands-on, interactive displays. There also is an area where visitors can design their own Kinze planter and grain cart and see how Kinze Autonomy, the world’s first large-scale, truly autonomous row-crop solution, works.

“Kinze Manufacturing is one of the world’s largest privately owned farm equipment manufacturers and we’re proud to have them right here in central Iowa,” said Lieutenant Governor Reynolds. “With more than 750 employees, it’s companies like Kinze that make Iowa a great state to live and work in and I’m glad to be here to help them open this piece of history to the public.”

Jon Kinzenbaw started Kinze Manufacturing in 1965 with a small bank loan and a gifted ability to fix and design machinery. Invention by invention, Kinzenbaw’s small welding business grew into a major agricultural equipment manufacturer.  

“Kinze has invented so many industry firsts in agriculture; we are excited to share this rich history with the public and continue the tradition of innovation my father began years ago,” said Susanne Kinzenbaw Veatch, vice president and chief marketing officer, Kinze Manufacturing.

The Kinze Innovation Center will be open to the public starting in February.