Early Farming Years Phil spent the first 20 years of his career as a successful dairy farmer. Using superior genetics and high-quality feed he produced, his herd grew to be one of the top seven producing herds in Manitoba. That mindset continued as his farm transitioned from a dairy farm into a commercial hay business.

The Spark of an Idea On a dairy tour of Wisconsin, Phil observed the inefficient way farmers were spreading small square bales onto their ginseng crops, and he believed he had a better, more efficient solution. Seeing an opportunity and market for his straw, he knew he first needed to get a machine into their hands that could easily spread big square bales.

A Key Partnership Researching what was currently on the market, he soon realized there was no machine that could accomplish what he needed—thus motivating Phil to innovate and create something new. With an idea in hand, Phil sought out Harvey Bergen, a skilled machinist, to help him build his big square bale spreading machine.

When Phil’s visions and ideas were coupled with Harvey’s ability to build and transform those ideas into reality, an incredible partnership was born. Together, they created a machine that provided the ginseng industry with an automatic large square bale processor. While Phil’s initial intent was to simply let farmers use his machine if they bought his straw, there quickly became a demand for the machine itself—as well as his big square bales.

The Birth of PhiBer It was through this venture and opportunity that PhiBer Manufacturing Inc. was born on January 19, 1996, and the StrawBoss was launched into the market. For the next several years, Phil and Harvey continued to pool their ideas and create new machines such as the Bale Grab, the Swath Turner (later renamed the Super Merger), and the 04 Series Bale Accumulator.

A New Generation of Innovation In 2008, with a desire to create more innovative, efficient, and industry-leading equipment, Phil’s oldest son, Derek launched his first project, the Triple Cutter.

From Garage to Global No one could have guessed that what started as an idea and collaboration between two friends in a 750-square-foot mechanics garage in southern Manitoba would one day grow into what is now a global manufacturing company—with 12 machine designs, partnerships with Case, New Holland, and John Deere, and disruptive innovations such as the DASH sprayer loading system.

Built for Farmers The same vision and passion that Phil had all those years ago—to create and innovate an efficient machine and solve a problem on his farm—is still the foundation of PhiBer today. Talented employees, customer feedback and partnership, and daily experiences on the Friesen farm continue to contribute to PhiBer’s success.

The ideas and designs that inspire PhiBer’s innovations are not thought up in a boardroom or on a high-tech computer system, but in a tractor seat—while seeding, spraying, plowing, and harvesting.