St. Louis – Member companies of the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Assn., which represents 675 businesses in the farm implement industry in the U.S. and Canada, elected four new members to its board of directors today. Hours later, the new board of directors elected officers.

Janea Danuser

Leading the association as president will be Janea Danuser, vice president and co-owner of Danuser Machine Co. in Fulton, Mo. The company manufactures agricultural and industrial attachments as well as OEM parts and assemblies. Janea Danuser is a fourth-generation co-owner of the company, which was founded in 1910.

Marc Ivey

The board of directors elected her to a one-year term beginning immediately. She succeeds Nick Jensen of Thurston Manufacturing in Thurston, Neb. Serving with Danuser in officer roles will be:

  • First Vice President Matt Westendorf, general manager of Westendorf Manufacturing Co. in Onawa, Iowa.
  • Second Vice President Tim Burenga, vice president of sales and purchasing at Worksaver Inc., in Litchfield, Ill.
  • Treasurer Paul Jeffrey, general manager at MacDon in Kansas City, Mo.
  • Secretary Ben Hellbusch, vice president of sales and marketing at Duo Lift Manufacturing Co. and general manager at Busch Equipment Co., both in Columbus, Neb.

The officers will lead a 16-person board of directors. Member companies at the association’s annual business meeting today elected these executives to three-year terms as directors:

  • Marc Ivey, vice president of business development for Dirt Dog Manufacturing in Commerce, Ga.
  • Phil Landoll, vice president of operations at Landoll Corp., in Marysville, Kan.
  • Clair Ellis, president of Ellis Equipment Co. in Logan, Utah.
  • Jon Sherrod, area manager for Bondioli & Pavesi in Ashland, Va.

Clair Ellis

The association represents each link in the farm equipment supply chain. Ivey, Landoll and all of the officers are farm implement manufacturers. Ellis serves as the board representative for equipment marketers, and Sherrod represents the companies that supply component parts and services to manufacturers. Member companies design and produce equipment to complement mass-produced lines. The association serves as their voice, advocate and resource.

Phil Landoll

“These companies are the industry’s innovators,” said Vernon Schmidt, the association’s executive vice president. “They are nimble and respond quickly when farmers’ needs change. They are, for the most part, companies that began with big ideas and modest means, and this Association supports them however it can so they can focus on their next big idea.”