Filling Gaps: The Story of RBR Enterprise
January 13, 2025 
For 2025, RBR Vector spreaders will be equipped with New Leader’s new NL720 spreader boxes.
The story of how RBR Enterprise came to be calls to mind one of the more memorable quotes from the movie “Rocky 2.” In one scene, when a character is asking the famed boxer why he wants to marry Adrianne, his response is simple, yet direct.
“I’ve got gap, she’s got gaps,” says Rocky. “Together, we fill gaps.”
Jason Eaton, RBR
According to Jason Eaton, COO, this way of thinking also accurately describes how RBR started. “Our President, Gary Reid, wanted to fill a product gap in his equipment dealership’s line-up – fertilizer spreaders,” says Eaton. “So, he ultimately decided to make his own to do so.”
Wanting the Right Spreader
However, Reid didn’t just start building spreaders. In the early 2000s, his equipment dealership, Mid-South Ag Equipment, was doing good business primarily working with equipment manufacturers owned by CNH (which includes New Holland and Case IH brands). But he thought a mechanical drive row crop fertilizer spreader was missing from his dealership’s offering. So, after some searching, he reached out to Mertz Manufacturing in Oklahoma.
“In 2006, Mertz was making a fertilizer spreader, but they were having trouble selling it,” says Eaton. “After selling only 15 units, the company decided to discontinue the model. So, Reid purchased the rights to this spreader and set up a factory to manufacture it for his dealership.”
The new plant, located in Byhalia, MS, opened later in 2006 and started shipping Vector spreaders to Mid-South Equipment customers. Since then, the company has expanded its product line-up to include the Venturi and Vortex Sprayer inserts.
According to Eaton, the two words that come to mind with RBR machines are dependability and productivity. “I think that’s something we’ve always centered around,” he says. “Being a mid-sized company, we are able to quickly support our customer’s needs. But ultimately, when it comes to our machines, they are dependable and productive for the customers that count on them every day.”
For 2025, RBR is introducing a redesigned cab for its Vector spreaders.
And RBR is continually improving upon its offerings by filling gaps in products. For example, the company is debuting an entirely new cab design for 2025. “The cab design for these units hasn’t changed in 10 years,” says Eaton. “However, today’s cabs need to have more features and benefits than 10 years ago, plus all the creature comforts for applicators spending many hours working in them have come to expect.”
The company has also entered into a partnership with New Leader to use that manufacturer’s new NL720 spreader boxes on its Vector units for the 2025 growing season. According to Eaton, this product will offer multiple benefits to RBR customers in the long run.
“New Leader is a great company, very innovative,” he says. “In our view, the NL720 spreader box is a gamechanger for the industry. It offers a greater spreading capability and is easy to maintain, allowing operators to achieve more coverage with fewer passes through the field. This will allow customers to do more in the field and have more time for their own quality of life.”
Once again, it seems, RBR is filling gaps. This time, it’s personal vs. work time for its customers.
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