Farm Equipment reached out to a few contemporaries of Degelman founder Wilf Degelman, 2024 inductee into Farm Equipment’s Shortline Legends Hall of Fame.

Frank Chvatel of Beaver Valley, Beaver Valley Supply, Atwood, Kan. (rep firm)

The 90-year-old Chvatel knew Degelman well, from the earliest of days. He also entertained Farm Equipment with several colorful stories of days spent with Wilf, especially out on the road together.

Chvatel recalls heading up to Saskatchewan in the early days and making a deal on the spot for his business to rep Degelman’s products in all the southern plains states – a relationship that still exists today across Beaver Valley’s 11 states and 900 dealers it calls on. 

“Wilf is a very sharp individual. He could look at something and instantly tell you it ‘isn’t going to be strong enough. It isn’t going to hold what these new tractors will pull.’ And so he’d change the design – this was indicative of all the quality equipment he made.”

When asked to describe Wilf’s personality, Chvatel shared an allegory. “Think about a farmer out by his barn and the neighbor shows up and says, ‘Hey, you’ve got one of my milk cows over here.’ It’d be just like Wilf to say, ‘No problem, and I’ll milk it for you before I bring it back to your place.’ He was a good person; he’d do whatever needed to be done to make everybody happy. He understood friendship, had a very good wife in Eileen, and we and my wife all became great friends.

“He was just an old farm boy, and if Wilf said something, he did it. And if I called him with a problem with something, he’d ask what was needed to fix it, and he’d say, ‘Frankie, just do it and and send me the bill.’ He kept up on his equipment and inventions. He did everything the right way. And when he built something, it was built to last; it didn’t fail.

“His plant was very neat, they have really good people working there. Wilf is a truthful and likable gentleman. He treated people like they were his own family and his boys, Jack and Paul learned to treat people the same way.”

Frank’s son, Scott Chvatel, echoed much of what father said Wilf and his company, which remains in their top-5 of OEMs repped. “Wilf overbuilt the equipment; he had to be confident it was the toughest implement out there. If a machine did get torn up, then you knew something really went wrong.” 

He adds that Degelman’s manufacturing plant remains among the cleanest and most impressive he’s seen.

He described Wilf as “very outgoing; a hardworking fun guy who was a blast to be around.” And if anyone came to him with an idea, Wilf was known to take a look.

Bill Sowa, Wheatbelt Sales, Wadena, Sask. (rep firm on dozer blade lines)

“Wilf was very innovative, inventive and aggressive in sales. He was different as a farmer, equipment tinkerer and salesperson, and a very hard worker not only in his manufacturing business but on the farm. The company grew because he took chances and they were aggressive, starting from their dozer blade work for John Deere. He was very aggressive and always put on a good show at the Farm Progress Show.”

Gerry Bourgault, Bourgault Industries, St. Brieux, Sask. (fellow Canadian wholegoods manufacturer)

“Wilf was a generation older than me, but I’ve known the company since 1972. He always manufactured really good high quality products. I’ve never seen a poor quality product out of their factory.”