About a year ago, I bought a new Priefert chute. I always want to know everything about a product before I spend ranch money – grew up with a Dad that constantly reminded us that “you should not spend $1 unless it will make you $2” – definitely a hard-working no frills kind of guy. So I went over chute specs – strength – reliability – workability – cost – etc. Then I was told that the Priefert organization was the absolutely best at service – that they would take care of ALL problems expediently. That sounded great and was the deal maker. But it’s easy to talk about service when everything is new and you haven’t started running cattle through that chute.

So everything was going great – until our Fall work – where every cow is loaded in the chute for a thorough examination – vaccinations – and preg testing. Maybe 100 head had gone through when the tail gate would not stay closed – an important feature for a vet palpating – so the next cow does not run into the chute on top of him. We were manually holding the tail gate closed. There was a number on the chute to call for service. We called – a real person answered – and wanted to know if we wanted someone to come out right then. We thought that was admirable but we needed to keep going to finish our work. That was on a Friday. When I came in late Friday night, I made a note to call Priefert again to schedule a service call.

OK – here is where it gets unbelievable!! I didn’t have to call – I got a call on Monday morning – FIRST THING. “Hi – my name is Ivan Zambrano. I am a sales rep for Priefert and I am on my way to see what is wrong with your chute. I am also bringing Robert Quezada our Quality Control Coordinator.”

When they arrived, they apologized profusely for any inconvenience. I took them down into the pasture where the chute was. They knew immediately what had happened – an adjustment screw at the back of the chute had vibrated loose. There was a sticker that was supposed to point to the screw to tighten but the sticker had shifted and was pointing to another screw. Ivan fixed it and went over every aspect of the chute with me – how efficient the chute was to work. Robert was taking pictures to take back to the factory so the sticker could be moved to point to the correct screw to tighten. I have never been more impressed with two young men – polite – friendly – so knowledgeable – solid representatives for the service we had heard so much about. As if prompt attention to our “small” problem was not enough – they offered to come back the next time we worked cows and go over the chute’s working with our cowboys. Now that’s smart!! Those cowboys work so many ranches – they will be the best at marketing Priefert to other ranch owners. But as I learned – that is not a marketing strategy – that is the Priefert way. I wanted to know more.

Courtney Dyer, Assistant Director – Sales & Marketing cordially invited me to tour the Priefert factory in Mt. Pleasant, Texas – meet Bill & Eddie Priefert.

They had just finished a two day training session – “Priefertization” – where dealers send their new employees to tour the production facility to see first-hand how Priefert products are made, witnessing each step of the process from raw material to finished good. This is followed by a hands-on training session where participants learn about a variety of products and ultimately get to work cattle on the ranch, using a Priefert sweep system and squeeze chute. So when you and I go to buy a chute the people we are talking to will have the confidence and credibility to tell us all we need to know before we buy. I am sure it was an exhausting two days of training – but Courtney met me with a smile – welcomed me with enthusiasm.

For those of you who follow Texas Rancher Girl – you know that sometimes my attention to detail can be exhausting. So instead of me telling you the Priefert story – I want you to watch this video and hear the Priefert family tell their amazing story.

But what you can’t see on the video is what I felt in that manufacturing facility. FAMILY – REAL AND EXTENDED!! As Courtney took us around – people smiled and greeted each other – all the employees were courteous – friendly – informative. It didn’t matter the job – from the slitter – the tube mill – the welding stations – powder coat – paint – engineers – marketing and sales – all were engaging. When the first robots were discussed, the Prieferts wanted efficiency but “machines were not to replace people”. Not one person lost their job.

I did not get to sit down with Bill Priefert because family had arrived – aunts and uncles in their 90’s that needed his attention. His priority was his family. (I think that speaks volumes about this man’s heart). But he came in to say hello and visit for a few minutes. Here is a man who runs a company endorsed by so many celebrities – George Strait, Baxter Black – and he was concerned that one rancher had been taken care of. Such humility – but such greatness!!

When I got to sit down with Eddie Priefert – Priefert’s President – I asked him what made Priefert great – his answer was a resounding – the people!! To quote: “The Lord has blessed us. It started with my Grandpa – his leadership – the culture he created. That group of initial people formed the base of the DNA that is bred into our employment. We have good people – people of integrity that take pride in their work. We give our people responsibility – we empower them to cull those that are not doing a good job. People that don’t fit – leave. There are no secrets in our company – it is an open book – everyone needs to know so they can all contribute to making things better. It is always the employees that can tell us what is going on. We listen – no need for whistle blowers – we encourage every employee to speak out. Everyone needs to be headed in the same direction.” No surprise that Priefert was voted Employer of the Year 2011 – 2012 and voted top 5 in the State.

Priefert is quality. Quality control is administered by the over 900 employees. They are given incentives to find mistakes before the products leave the factory floor. For example – if a mis-weld is found – the panel is marked with a welder’s ID – the panel is sent back to the welder who has to stop his current job to repair his problem. The employee who found the mistake gets a bonus and the welder who is paid on quantity loses money by having to stop and repair. This process encourages the employees to balance speed of production with quality. Not many mistakes are found.

Quality is paramount to the Prieferts – reputation – but also animal safety. I like a company that is concerned about the welfare of my animals. No rough edges – rounded corners – escape doors – all just part of animal welfare. So much attention to detail!! Since the Prieferts are ranchers – they know first-hand that you can’t leave anything to chance with horses or cattle. If there is a way for these animals to get themselves in trouble – they will. But the Priefert equipment seems to be constructed through the eyes of the animal and the rancher. Have you ever noticed the round welded end caps on your panels? No plastic cap – it is a durable one time solution so the rancher does not have to worry about rain getting inside to rust and shorten the life of his panels. They don’t “cut corners” – they make corners that last!!

So let’s take a pictorial walk thru of the Priefert manufacturing facility.