If you do a lot of yard work or enjoy serious landscaping, chances
are you've used a product manufactured by Billy Goat Industries, Inc.,
the premier manufacturer of commercial grade outdoor power equipment
for debris management.
The
company designs and produces industrial strength machinery including
finish mowers, leaf and litter vacuums, wheeled blowers, walk behind
seed cutters, aerators, high weed mowers, truck loaders, power rakes
and over seeders.
Billy Goat started in 1967 as a subsidiary of Clipper Manufacturing
and became an independent company in 1969. Today, the company is owned
and operated by two generations of the Coates family.
In 1974, Billy Goat moved to its current location in Lee's Summit.
Since that time, the company has expanded its facilities three times—the
most recent being a 20,000-square foot addition occupied by welding
and fabrication operations.
The company has a reputation for durability, integrity and innovation.
They not only design for ease of use, but they aggressively test what
they design. It is not unusual to see "old goats" more than
15 years old still in operation.
Billy
Goat has exported its products around the world for more than 20 years.
Some of those markets include western Europe, Canada, New Zealand,
South Africa and Japan. In the U.S., customers include professional
lawn care contractors, asphalt maintenance contractors, rental dealers,
sweeping contractors, hobby farmers, property owners/managers and
homeowners.
Company management will tell you that the firm's greatest asset is
the people who work for it. The business has a family atmosphere and
is committed to continuous improvement. The nearly 90 employees include
several with more than 10 years with the company.
Over the years, staff from Billy Goat had worked with the Central
Missouri State University Small Business Development Center in Warrensburg
on several business management issues. Most recently, the company
worked with Brad Snyder, the center's manufacturing operations specialist,
on a production problem.
After a quick walkthrough of the facilities, a short consultation
with other members of the CMSU SBDC team and some additional research,
Snyder identified a low-cost solution that will save the company thousands
of dollars each year.
Steve
Wilson, Billy Goat's manufacturing engineer, said, "We were so
impressed by CMSU's quick response with both a site visit and providing
a completely workable solution within less than a week."
Since 1993, the company has made significant investments in its benefits
programs, training, tooling and equipment and facilities to make the
business more competitive in the future. At Billy Goat, they are proud
of their heritage, their people, their products and their community.
What impresses Snyder, however, is that instead of resting on their
significant laurels, the company continues to look for ways to make
cleaning up less of a chore!
Billy Goat Industries
1803 SW Jefferson
Lee's Summit, MO 64082
816/524-9666
816/524-6983 (fax)
stevew@billygoat.com
www.billygoat.com
Visit the current Featured Entrepreneur
Billy
Goat Industries—Lee's Summit, MO 
