Kinze lays off 193

WILLIAMSBURG — Kinze Manufacturing laid off 193 of the 815 employees at its Williamsburg manufacturing plant Thursday, the company announced on its website.

The reduction was in response to the “ongoing economic downturn in the agricultural sector,” the company said.

“We deeply regret the necessity of this action,” said Susanne Veatch, President of Kinze. “This decision was not made lightly, and it is a direct response to current ag market realities.”

Founded 59 years ago, Kinze Manufacturing, Inc., is a recognized technology leader and innovator of planters for row-crop production, dual auger grain carts, high-speed tillage equipment and technology offerings, the company says.

“It’s going to be a hardship to our county and the people who work in our county,” said Iowa County Supervisor Alan Schumacher during a board meeting Friday.

The layoffs aren’t a surprise, said Schumacher, given the state of the farm economy and recent layoffs by other companies, such as John Deere.

It’s unfortunate, said Schumacher, but it’s “a sign of the times right now.”

The layoffs hit the company’s welders hard, said Iowa County Supervisor Kevin Heitshusen.

Jon Kinzenbaw, a 21-year-old Victor farm boy, opened his own welding shop in 1965 with a small bank loan and $25 in his pocket, according to the company’s website.

Kinzenbaw bought the property along I-80 and moved Kinze Manufacturing to Williamsburg in the mid-1970s.

His welding business grew into one of the largest, privately held agricultural equipment manufacturers in North America.

Kinze still is privately held by the Kinzenbaw family, according to the company. The company’s world headquarters and manufacturing facilities span more than 30 acres on M Avenue north of Interstate 80.

The factory’s display of bright blue farm implements — including a grain cart atop a pylon — has been a landmark for Interstate 80 travelers for almost 50 years, says a Cedar Rapids Gazette article from Sept. 6, 2023.