Our story
Don Wright
Started custom cutting in 1947
Where it started
It was no surprise Don took to combining.
He followed in the footsteps of his father, Joe Wright, who had built a 26-foot pull-type combine from a threshing machine and two headers in the early 1920s.
Although the living accommodations were a bit rough as Don started his life on the road, he cut a lot of wheat considering the breakdowns and the size of the equipment he had at the time. He used his innovative streak to make the work better, and to make the frigid fall days bearable.
“Let his legacy live on in heart and spirit.”
Timeline
Seventy-some harvests and counting.
1920s
A homemade combine
Joe Wright builds a 26-foot pull-type combine from a threshing machine and two headers. After 12 years of work it becomes scrap iron for the World War II scrap drive.
1947
Don starts custom cutting
Don Wright buys an Oliver Model 30 pull-type and crosses into northeastern Colorado for his first custom cutting job.
1952
Self-propelled | and south
Don trades up to a new Oliver 33 self-propelled. With a dry spring, he and a few others head south to Oklahoma and cut their way back home to make the combine payments.
1955
Gleaner A
A new Gleaner “A” proves a lot more productive as Don journeys south once again.
1958
Corn picking begins
Don and his brother buy two new Gleaners and two-row corn heads, the start of picking corn.
Winters
Homemade cabs
As harvest stretches into the cold months, Don builds cabs from angle iron, masonite and glass with a fresh-air heater, good for 15 to 20 acre days per machine.
Growth
Montana & Arizona
Gleaner A's give way to C's, diesel G's and N7's, and the business expands into Montana and Arizona, routes we still run today.
1983
Green ever since
Don and his son Kent switch to John Deere 8820 combines. Wright's Trucking & Harvesting has run green ever since.
2003
Losing Don
In the middle of the 2003 harvest, the family loses Don at age 77 to a sudden illness. We carry on as he would have wanted, with the same pride and work ethic.
Today
The third generation
Modern John Deere iron, a fleet of Kenworths hauling cattle and equipment, and a regular clientele built up over generations.
What we stand for
Built on a handshake.
We're an open-minded company, always working to further our industry. Our customers have come to expect the very best from us, and we've built a regular clientele over the years by earning their trust and forming real friendships.
Sidney & Bridgeport, Nebraska
Family-owned. Still on the road.
Now hiring
Combine operators, truck drivers, cooks and shop hands. Housing and meals on the road. Applying takes about 5 minutes.
For farmers & ranchers
Custom cutting for wheat, corn, milo, beans and more, plus cattle and equipment hauling across the Midwest.