Worksaver of Litchfield, Illinois, was incorporated in 1980 and faced a steady stream of challenges after Tom Burenga signed on to turn around a manufacturer that was already on life support -- BEFORE the ag recession of the 1980s hit.

In today’s “Conversations with Ag Equipment Entrepreneurs” podcast, I met up with Tom and his son Tim in Texas to talk about how their business survived the 1980s and later, the bankruptcy of a customer that represented one-third of their business.

We'll also dive into how they, and co-owner Mike Kloster, transitioned the business from a supplier to farm stores to establishing their own Worksaver brand in dealerships and securing the OEM work starting with John Deere’s Frontier Division.

This podcast is supported by Ingersoll Tillage, specialists in disc blades and coulters. Today’s recording features a special bonus interview with Ingersoll’s Roger Murdock in our offices in Wisconsin.