Raven Event Offers a Glimpse of a Bright Ag Tech Future

By CropLife

Throughout its history, Raven Industries, has always prided itself on being not only a leader in existing ag technology, but an innovator of new technologies as well, writes Eric Sfiligoj at CropLife. Recently, both of these characteristics were on display as the company held its third annual Ignite Event for customers and visitors at its Sioux Falls, SD, headquarters and nearby research facility in Baltic, SD.

Paul Welbig, then-Director of Business Development, kicked off the meeting, explaining the company’s thought process behind Ignite. “We are coming out with new innovations all the time,” said Welbig. “What if we brought everybody together to share best practices and ideas?” The three-day gathering, held in mid-August, attracted 145 attendees, with many in attendance from the ag retail community.

During the event, Raven personnel highlighted several of the company’s existing ag technologies for visitors. This included information on the RS1 steering controller, Viper 4+ display, AutoBoom XRT boom leveling, and VSN Visual Guidance System. Also previewed was the company’s new Sense & Act unit. Developed in conjunction with Augmenta, which was acquired by Raven’s parent company CNH Industrial in March. This system allows sprayers, spreaders, and other ag equipment to proactively scan field conditions and adjust operations accordingly.

Besides simply showing off many of its ag technology offerings, Eric Shuman, General Manager, said the reason Raven Industries holds its Ignite Event is to better connect with the overall industry. “I want ag retailers to recognize us as a key partner for them — one that’s able to bring efficiency and better profitability to organizations and their operations,” said Shuman. “As a business, I want to be viewed as a partner.”