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OXBO International

From modest origins in Byron, Oxbo grew into international company producing high-tech farm equipment

By Howard B. Owens
oxbow hawley factory tour 2023

During a drive down Byron Road, you might spot a group of low-slung buildings and figure it's some small ag-related business, maybe even a dairy farm.

You would never guess that it is a sophisticated manufacturing plant producing high-tech farming equipment that generates $65 million in annual sales.

Not bad for a company that started out repairing pallets a half-century ago.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley paid a visit -- and invited the press -- to Oxbo International's plant Thursday, and the company's first location, to highlight the importance of agricultural-adjacent businesses in the 139th Assembly District and in New York State.

"There are many different types of enterprises that highlight the fact that agriculture is not only the number one industrial employer in this area and ag-related businesses like this, not just farming, are critical to our economy," Hawley said.

Plant Manager Chris Chadbourne provided Hawley and reporters with a history of the company before escorting the group on a tour of the facility.

The original pallet repair company became Byron Equipment after filing for a patent on a corn head -- a mechanism to attach to the front of a combine that picks ears of corn off of stalks, leaving the stock behind. 

The company then grew through mergers and acquisitions.

In 1998, Byon Equipment acquired a competitor in Wisconsin, and the new management team settled on the name Oxbo, after an oxbow that yolks and ox team together, to symbolize the concept of the new two integrated teams pulling together.

Both plants stayed in production.

In 2003, Oxbo acquired a pea-picking combine company in Illinois and moved that manufacturing operation to Byron.  Oxbo is the only manufacturer of a pea-picking combine in the U.S.  

In 2004, Oxbo acquired a fruit company in Washington state, and this past June, the company acquired another company in Wisconsin.

One of the biggest mergers came, however, in 2009, when Oxbo merged with its largest customer in Europe and the company's headquarters were moved to the Netherlands.

The company also operates plants now in Brazil, the United Kingdom, and France.

In total, Oxbo employs about 1,200, with 700 employees in the U.S. and 140 in Byron.  Gross annual revenue exceeds $400 million for the entire company.

"And one of the founders still lives in the same house he's lived in forever, right up here," said Hawley, pointing to a house on property adjacent to the plant. "Richard 'Lefty' Glazer."

Chadbourne explained that working for Oxbo takes more than a bit of brawn to tighten bolts.  The equipment the company makes is sophisticated, exacting, and high-tech.  Oxbo needs employees educated enough and smart enough to do the job right.

"The equipment we make is simplistic and what it does, but it's not simplistic and how it acts and what it does on the shop floor or in the field," Chadbourne said. "We need high-quality people that are technically savvy, that can understand and read schematics and understand how things function and work together. It's not just, 'Hey, there's a lever and a clutch' in here anymore. 'We're going to bolt three parts together.' There's a lot of tech that goes into these machines."

Oxbo has been fortunate, Chadbourne said, to have good partners in Genesee County and throughout the region.  BOCES and other institutions provide a pathway for students to learn the necessary skills, and they can participate in job training and job shadowing. There's a welding program at Alfred State that helps supply workers. 

Employees for Oxbo come to Byron from through the GLOW area and Erie County but Chadbourne thinks the company needs to attract more talent from Monroe County.

"We have some really phenomenal schools in Western New York, and as we continue to grow, we need more of those technical guys," Chadbourne said. "We've got great colleges and universities in Rochester. We need to pull from there."

Photos by Howard Owens.

oxbow hawley factory tour 2023
oxbow hawley factory tour 2023
oxbow hawley factory tour 2023
oxbow hawley factory tour 2023
oxbow hawley factory tour 2023
oxbow hawley factory tour 2023

OXBO International of Byron comes to the rescue of rescue squad's ambulance

By Billie Owens

Photos and story by Pat Iamon, Byron Fire Department.

OXBO International of Byron stepped up to help the Town of Byron help others! The Byron Rescue Squad ambulance was showing its age. At 12 years old it was in dire need of some care.

“Our rescue squad has many dedicated members; we have, in this time of closing ambulance services, expanded ours," said EMT Captain Brad Nickerson. "Our team consists of some Advanced EMTs along with EMTs and regular firemen who happily pitch in when needed.

"Our team has dedicated over 1,000-man hours of their personal time answering calls, plus hundreds of hours in trainings to keep their skills current when every minute counts!”

Although the Byron Fire Department pays for the squad’s insurance, lodging and fuel which helps greatly; the squad runs on donations to keep up on education, supplies and maintenance. That maintenance is the costing the department more and more each year due to the aging of the ambulance.

“Our annual fund drive covers the bills only, but saving to replace our rig with donations seems unreachable, so for now we are just trying to keep it going,” Nickerson said.

This is where OXBO, Byron’s local industry, stepped in.

The running boards on the rig were hanging on by a thread; they were unsafe. Also, the back bumpers were in rough shape, one was being held in place with a bungee cord!

EMT Laura Platt thought she would ask her husband, Doug, who works at OXBO to ask his boss, Chris Chadborn, if OXBO could help. Chadborn did not hesitate, he said.

“Bring it down!” Assistant Chief John Durand and Platt drove the rig the couple miles to OXBO and a team immediately came out to access it.

The team determined that they could make new running boards and steps using the old ones as patterns.

Not wanting to keep the rig out of service, Steve Lockner, another Byron firefighter, along with Durand removed the parts and Platt’s husband took them to OXBO on his next work day.

When Platt asked Chadborn about the cost of replacing those parts, he said, "One hand washes the other."

“Our ambulance looked a little rough as we continued to answer calls while the parts were in the process of being replaced by OXBO,” Platt said. “But it wasn’t long before my husband, Doug, came home from work with the new shiny black running boards and bumpers.”

Both Lockner and Durand installed the new parts immediately.

“Our rig was safe once again, and how great it looks with the new parts made to perfection!” Platt said. “This Holiday Season the Byron Rescue Squad is very thankful to OXBO International for the gift of their expertise in metal works, which has allowed us to continue helping our little community.

"Next year’s wish is to somehow secure funding to start the process of replacing our 12-year-old ambulance. A new ambulance would cost $200,000 to $300,000, not including the equipment. A new ambulance would give our dedicated and willing volunteers even more ways to come to the aid of our community.”

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