Our 65 Years in Business

A Company History

In 1957, Elmer F. Stucky built and installed the first cabs on three Gleaner A model combines and hit the custom combine trail from Oklahoma to North Dakota. Late in September of that year, Elmer’s outfit stopped for coffee in Great Bend, Kansas. Before long, Elmer noticed a crowd gathering around his cab-equipped combines. An admiring farmer exclaimed, “that cab sure has full vision!” The idea for a business began that late September day in 1957. 

In 1958, a cab manufacturing business named Full Vision began with two employees at an abandoned skating rink in Moundridge, Kansas. The business quickly grew and moved to Newton in 1960. A new plant was built in March of 1965 along US 50, west of Newton, where Full Vision is located to this day. 

In the 1970s, a second generation of the Stucky family began to manage the business. Elmer’s son, Jim Stucky, joined the business eventually becoming President and General Manager. Jim recognized changes were coming to the agricultural equipment market and adopted the business philosophy of “change or die.” 

1958 - 1970 

Full Vision’s first products were combine and tractor cabs that were seen as frivolous “luxuries” to people who had not operated them. But for the man who operated a combine or tractor in the heat and dust of summer or the early flakes of fall snow, they became an instant necessity. Full Vision not only pioneered the combine and tractor cab but also pioneered heating and air conditioning systems
to go with them.  

1970 - 1990 

In the 1970s, major manufacturers of agricultural equipment began developing cabs in their own factories. At this time, the aftermarket cab business began shrinking, and the need for Full Vision to develop other products became obvious. Coincidently, about this time, the concept of protection for tractor drivers came along and the need for a “roll bar” was recognized. Again Full Vision was an early leader in the design and development of Roll-over Protective Structures (ROPS) and began providing Operator Protective Structures to agricultural and construction equipment manufacturers in the mid-1970s. This unique ability became a mainstay of Full Vision’s business success for the next forty-plus years. 

Having added Operator Protective Structures, Full Vision developed the ability to form structural tubing used in ROPS and cab components.  The idea of cold forming tubing was at first considered “impossible.” This did not stop Full Vision’s engineering team from developing a tube bending machine. From this first machine came the roll bar formed from a single piece of tube now seen as standard on agricultural and construction equipment. This technique to form tubing opened up unrealized sales potential in the agriculture and construction equipment industries as well as unrelated markets such as the architectural and the fitness equipment industries. These potential untapped revenue sources and the mantra of “change or die” had a direct impact on Full Vision’s ability to survive the economic challenges that were to come. 

1990 – 1997 Expansion and Change  

In the late ’80s, Full Vision saw the need to physically expand. Our customers wanted to see new facilities and capabilities so manufacturing space was doubled by adding a 100’ X 400’ steel building. During this time, manufacturing technology took a significant leap forward with the invention of industrial lasers. As a result, customers demanded higher accuracy at a lower cost. The answer for Full Vision came in 1992 when we purchased our first laser sheet metal cutting machine. This technological advancement led to a higher quality mindset. Full Vision set itself up for a “continuous improvement” program that resulted in our first ISO 9000 quality certification on June 10, 1997.  

By the mid-’90s, the next step for Full Vision to grow had to be a big one. That step was to diversify into a product line not associated with the agricultural or construction markets. Peter and Patty Benson were the perfect match, as they were looking for ownership of a company to produce their growing Trackmaster Medical Treadmill line. The ownership transition was completed on December 1, 1997. Full Vision has grown significantly since 1997 – sales have increased from $33,000 in 1958 to a multi-million dollar operation sixty years later and employment has grown from the original 2 people to nearly 100. 

2008 and Beyond…. 

The Bensons continued to show their commitment to Full Vision’s workforce, and the Newton community, by selling 100% of their company to the employees. A process known as Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) began in 2015 and was finalized in December of 2019 making each Full Vision employee an owner with a personal financial stake in seeing the company grow.