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. He was always thinking of and implementing ways to improve his herd. That mindset continued as his farm transitioned from a dairy farm into a commercial hay business.

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.

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 with years of experience working with farm equipment, to help him build his big square bale spreading machine.

When Phil’s visions and ideas were coupled with Harvey’s inherent 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.

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. In 2008, with a desire to create more innovative, efficient, and industry-leading equipment, Phil’s oldest son, Derek—who had joined the company in 2002—transitioned into a design role and launched his first project, the Triple Cutter.

No one could have guessed that what started as an idea and collaboration between two friends in a 750-square-foot mechanics garage in a small town in southern Manitoba, Canada, would one day grow into what is now a global manufacturing company—with 12 machine designs, partnerships with industry giants such as Case, New Holland, and John Deere, and innovative equipment that is disrupting the farming industry, such as the DASH sprayer loading system.

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 fancy boardroom or on a high-tech computer system, but in a tractor seat—while seeding, spraying, plowing, and harvesting.

PhiBer is made for the farmer, by farmers who are dedicated to creating innovative and efficient designs.