BBI and Rainbow Ag—Customer-centric Innovation through Our Dealer Network

BBI prides itself on customer-centered innovation, and it’s great to see this concept in action in our dealer network through the work of the fine people at Rainbow Ag, with three locations in the California wine country serving Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties.

BBI Spreader News caught up with Rainbow Ag’s Bob Mitrovich, a veteran in equipment sales, to give us the scoop on how BBI has been a crucial asset in their highly-specialized vineyard market in northern California.  Mitrovich discussed the quality of the equipment, its longevity and resulting return on investment for farmers and vineyard operators in northern California, and, most importantly, the company’s willingness to innovate around customer needs in the field.

BBI Spreader News: “Bob, thank you so much for talking with us. Can you tell us why Rainbow Ag started selling BBI spreaders?”

Bob Mitrovich: “Sure. Our connection to BBI actually came to us through one of our customers, who had bought a BBI Cricket spreader at a trade show. I saw his machine, liked it, and got in contact with them not long after that.”

BBI Spreader News:  “What stood out to you about BBI?”

Bob Mitrovich:  “BBI was really willing to work with us, even down to altering their machines to suit our needs. We actually worked with BBI’s head engineer, Steve Owenby, to modify the Cricket specifically to serve our markets better. Our version features specialized conveyors with side-focused deflectors that help move dry materials precisely into the vine rows.

Another modification we made was to the standard ground-wheel system. As it was, the system didn’t provide enough power to move the amount of material we were looking to move, so we upgraded it to a hydraulic system with flow control valves. This allows our customers to apply the precise amount of material they need on their crops.”

BBI Spreader News:  “Have you had any issues with the spreaders you’ve sold?”

Bob Mitrovich:  “Well, no matter what piece of equipment you use, an issue is bound to come up at one point or another. BBI, however, has been very quick to respond regardless of the issue.  Still, we don’t have a lot of problems.”

BBI Spreader News:  “What kind of return on investment could customers expect to see?”

Bob Mitrovich:  “Since the tank is stainless steel, the life span of these spreaders is almost endless. I’d say that anybody could probably get a return on the initial investment in just five years, but this is something that’ll last you for 40 – 50 years. It’s easily the best value on the market.”