Gravely Display added to Ariens Company Museum

November 3, 2016

The Brillion News 

Historical display is a throwback to original plant

BRILLION – Ariens Company has renovated its Museum in Brillion, to include a new display dedicated to the Gravely brand of professional outdoor power equipment, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the original “Gravely Motor Plow” patent awarded in 1916. The newly renovated space includes a 3,000 sq. ft. of display area filled with refurbished vintage equipment, historical wall murals and memorabilia that provide a glimpse into the company’s 100-year history.

“It’s important for us to tell the story of this iconic brand and the man who had a vision for improving upon the laborious “horse and plow” method of tackling work on the farm at that time,” says Dan Ariens, Chairman and CEO of Ariens Company, producer of the Gravely brand of equipment. “Ben Gravely received more than 60 patents in his lifetime and we continue to honor his legacy of innovation today in the products we design for professional landscape contractors.”

The central feature of the new display is a replica of the red brick façade and entryway to the original Gravely factory built in 1922 in Dunbar, W.Va. Visitors pass through the “plant” door to view several unique items and historical wall murals of the inside of the factory in the early 1900s.

On display are several milestone products from the company’s history including a working replica of Ben Gravely’s original “Motor Plow” built by local metal artist, Paul Kaufmann of Manitowoc.

“We searched but we could not locate an original motor plow,” says Mel Edinger, Museum Curator Extraordinaire, who works with other members of the museum team to track down and purchase vintage equipment. “We were able to get the blueprint from the U.S. Patent Office, and Paul used the print to create a working model.”

Please see the complete story in the November 3, 2016 edition of The Brillion News.