For the past 5 decades, Ricky Brown has built more than just innovative farm equipment — he has built a reputation that will outlast him. Known throughout the ag equipment industry for integrity, leadership and a commitment to doing things right, Brown has helped shape the industry through products that solved challenges and relationships built on trust. 

“Ricky Brown is one of the kindest, most humble men we have ever met,” says Benjamin Land of Atlantic and Southern, a large multi-store AGCO dealer based in Tifton, Ga., that also carries Brown Mfg. equipment.

That sentiment is repeated by many throughout the industry. Dealers, suppliers and fellow manufacturers recognize Brown not only for how he grew Brown Manufacturing, but also the way he conducts business. 

Following his parents, Paul and Sara, Brown has spent his career advancing the family business while leaving his own mark on the industry. He became a respected industry leader, developing products that helped to reshape the market and was an integral part of the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Assn. (FEMA, serving on its board from 1998-2010 and its president from 2008-2009) 

Today, the family legacy continues with his daughters: Summer Elkins, who serves as office manger, and Paige Brown, who manages the purchasing of steel and components. 

Early Years

Brown Manufacturing was founded by Ricky’s parents in 1944. While the company would eventually become known for farm equipment, its beginnings were different. The Browns first started by selling small furniture items before transitioning into building equipment designed to help farmers as farming became mechanized. 

Growing up alongside Brown Manufacturing, the company was part of the everyday family existence. Long before Ricky took over, he was learning every part of the operation alongside his older brother, Billy. 

Ricky says he and Billy often joke that they weren’t so much born as “found” at Brown Manufacturing, as they have been a part of the family business since a young age. 

At just 7 years, fresh out of second grade, Brown remembers his father allowing him to go with the truck drivers to deliver a load of peanut diggers, taking the 700-mile trip to Dallas. 

Those experiences continued as he got older. Ricky remembers being called to deliver machinery into Georgia before he was legally able to drive. The immersion gained Brown firsthand knowledge of the customers and equipment that would define his career.

Taking Over the Company

Ricky always knew he was going to be a part of the business and carry on the legacy from his parents. That time came sooner than expected, however, when Paul abruptly retired in 1974. 

Ricky was only 19 years old when he needed to leave college to take over the business along with Billy. They found themselves responsible for keeping the family company moving forward. 

The brothers quickly found a way to divide their roles and strengths. Ricky gravitated toward administration and sales, while Billy was wired for manufacturing and engineering. Together, they created a partnership that balanced the business and technical side of the company. 

“I guess you could say if you combine the two of us, we would make one decent human being,” laughs Ricky. 

For more than 3 decades, Ricky and Billy worked alongside one another and brought complementary strengths to the business. In 2007, the brothers decided to separate the business. Billy created a new business focusing on outdoor power equipment, while Ricky continued with the agricultural and utility equipment segments of Brown Manufacturing. 

Innovation Starts with Listening

For Ricky, innovation has always started with listening and observing. Rather than designing equipment only for ideas created within the factory, he spent time with dealers and customers to understand what challenges they were facing and where improvements could be made. 

Even after a half-century, Ricky remains actively involved in meeting – in the field – with customers. 

“I’m out there, I have my hand on the pulse and I see what they’re doing, what they need and how we can improve it and make it better for tractor dealers,” Ricky says. 

That connection with the customer and dealers has helped Brown Manufacturing develop products that addressed real needs in the marketplace. The Brown Tree Cutter, for example, came from the need to manage the heavy brush and small trees that grow beneath power lines across the Southeast. Industry partners say Ricky has always had a talent for recognizing where the industry was headed and creating solutions before others saw the opportunity. 

“Ricky is always on the cutting edge of what’s next in the industry that we’re in,” says Kris Yancey of Implement Sales Company, a distributor of Brown Manufacturing’s equipment. 

Strip-Tillage Contribution

One of Brown’s early contributions to agricultural innovation came from working with Leo and Jerril Hardin, who wanted a better way to protect their soils. This led the pair to develop what would eventually be one of the first commercial strip-till machines. The Hardins had discovered that crops grew better where the soil was loosened only where the seed would be planted, creating a need for a machine that did not till the entire field. 

Ricky worked with the Hardins to turn their idea into equipment, building a two-row strip-till unit in 1972 and a four-row version the following year. In 1980, Brown redesigned the machine, developing a system that Ricky says was about 20 years ahead of its time. Ricky also partnered with Auburn Univ. to demonstrate the system through research plots and grower meetings throughout the Southeast.

Although Brown Mfg. eventually moved away from producing the equipment, selling the patent to Bush Hog Corp. in 1981, the work helped lay the foundation for modern strip-tillage practices. Today there are 26 wholegoods manufacturers supplying a practice whose time is arriving after relatively small acreages to date.

“We were the pioneers,” Ricky says. “You can always tell the pioneer because he’s the guy with his face in the mud and the arrow in his back.” 

Ricky is quick to recognize that the creation of the product was a team effort, giving “eternal thanks” and credit to the Hardin family for their vision. 

“They built the first prototype," Ricky says. “They helped us build prototypes for years. I can’t thank them enough for what they did.” 

The Brown Tree Cutter

Among the 7 products Ricky Brown has developed, the Brown Tree Cutter stands out as one that has changed an industry.  Ricky was at the forefront of this innovation. 

Summer Elkins, Ricky’s daughter, notes, "That’s immediately the product people talk about most. They ask, 'Are y’all the Brown Tree Cutter family?'"

While the cutter was born out of a need in the Southeast, its impact expanded far beyond this area. Today, the Brown Tree Cutter is recognized as a foundational tool globally. Most major transmission and distribution lines worldwide have had a Brown cutter mowing vegetation beneath them at some point. 

Ricky Brown, Shortline Legends Hall of Fame 2026

“Nobody else can cut an 8 inch tree the way we can,” Ricky says. 

Along with seeing the success of the product from customers, many industry partners bring up just how important this product is.

"It changed the way transmission and distribution lines were mowed," says Yancey.

The Brown Tree Cutter allowed crews to clear larger trees and heavier vegetation using an 80- or 90-horsepower farm tractor, rather than relying on more expensive, specialized equipment. Its ability to cut trees up to 8 inches in diameter expanded what crews could accomplish with a rotary cutter while providing a more economical way to maintain power-line right-of-ways.

Whether it is the workload it manages or the durability that keeps these machines in the field for decades, the Brown Tree Cutter remains a great example of Ricky Brown’s innovation and commitment to heavy-duty performance.

The Importance of Quality

Behind every Brown Manufacturing product is the same principle that has guided Ricky throughout his career: Quality is not negotiable. Ricky expects his equipment to be reliable, creating something that his customers can depend on for decades. This expectation has been passed down through the Brown family, starting with Ricky’s father.

“That was what my grandfather taught my dad,” Elkins says. “He always stressed that we aren’t going to build junk.” 

That commitment became  a defining part of the Brown Mfg. name. Industry partners say Ricky’s refusal to compromise has helped establish the company as a trusted manufacturer and has shaped the way he approaches every decision. 

That philosophy meant resisting a trend that Brown saw across the rotary cutter industry: manufacturers looking for ways to lower costs, whether by using cheaper driveline components or gearboxes, reducing materials or finding other ways to cut manufacturing expenses. Ricky took a different approach, choosing to protect the quality associated with the Brown name rather than compete by making a cheaper machine.

“He knows the importance of quality, and he takes that personally,” says Jon Sherrod of Benzi America Inc., a distributor of Brown Manufacturing.

“If you treat your equipment with our name on it correctly and maintain it, we hope it’ll last for more than just one lifetime,” Elkins says. 

Industry Relationships & Accomplishments

Ricky Brown’s influence on the equipment industry extends beyond Brown Manufacturing. For decades, he has been committed to strengthening the industry as a whole through his involvement with FEMA. 

He served on  FEMA’s board of directors before becoming president in 2008-09. However, his impact on the organization went beyond his time in leadership. On behalf of the entire industry Ricky built relationships with other manufacturers, suppliers and industry partners while sharing his own knowledge.

“If it hadn’t been for FEMA, we wouldn’t have some of the vendors that we have because we would not have met them in such a timely fashion,” Elkins says. 

Those relationships also allowed Ricky to become a trusted source of guidance for other industry leaders. As a past president, he continued offering perspective and support to help guide the organization forward.

Hall of Fame Digital Extras

• [Video] ‘Precision Applied Tillage’: The Story Behind the First Strip-Till Rig 
• A Strip-Till Origin Story

“He would sit patiently through the meeting, but when something would come up that the current president needed some guidance on, he was very helpful with that,” Sherrod says. 

For the Brown family, FEMA became more than a professional organization. It became an integral part of their lives. Elkins recalls years of traveling with her father to conventions, where the relationships built through the association went beyond business. Her daughter even took her first steps while the family was staying in a cabin for a FEMA board meeting, one of many memories created through Ricky’s involvement with the organization. 

Ricky has also been deeply involved with the Sunbelt Agricultural Expo in Moultrie, Ga. This expo is among the largest outdoor farm show in North America. He has been a part of Sunbelt Agricultural Expo for 20 years, and has been serving as the board president for the last 8 years. 

Bryan McDonald with Lassetter Tractor got to know Ricky very well through the Sunbelt Agricultural Expo, noting that he has been exhibiting there since the expo’s beginning in 1978. 

“He was there every year, and he was very hands on,” McDonald says. “A lot of people jump in and out of events like that, but he’s been there since the start.”

Legendary Legacy

Ricky’s legacy is shown through all his work and involvement in the industry, but also how he presents himself and treats others. In discussions with his peers, the same words bubble up: genuine, humble and trustworthy. 

“I can say without hesitation that this recognition reflects not only his achievements in the farm implement and agricultural industry, but also the character and values he brings to everything he does,” says Brian Sherwood of Sabel Steel, Brown Manufacturing's steel supplier.  

Whether it was dealers who have worked with him for decades, or the suppliers, fellow manufacturers or those who relied on his guidance through FEMA, each person pointed back to the same simple but uncommon traits. While his equipment is noted for its quality and durability, those who know Ricky say his character is what will leave the greatest permanent impression. 

His character shines through personal, meaningful relationships. He knows the names of many customers’ spouses and children, cultivated through relationships spanning more than 30 years.

“That relationship-driven approach is a major reason for the company’s long-term success and outstanding reputation throughout the agricultural community,” Sherwood says. 

Ricky often returns to the lesson his father taught him at a young age: “Your reputation is the only thing you’ve got.” 

His impact on the industry is noticeable through the success of the Brown Tree Cutter and the deep industry relationships he has created throughout his association and trade show work. These contributions show his true success is built both on innovative products and meaningful connections.