But really, compressed air is in products we use all the time and is used in pretty much every factory. It’s almost like the fourth utility that we may take for granted. Vacuum pumps and air compressors are used on farms frequently.

The factory I toured was with Quincy Compressor in Bay Minette, Alabama. Here they design and manufacture rotary screw and reciprocating air compressors ranging from one-third to 350 horsepower, with their “QR” and “QSI” products being the most popular.

Farmers, if you could wave a magic wand and had anything you could dream of in this realm of your business, what would it be? Do you have a “wishlist” or problems you’d like solved? At Quincy Compressor, they’re big on innovation and always looking for feedback to do something different. One of their favorite slogans is, “The last air compressor you’ll ever need to buy,” and reliability has been their number one focus since the company began over 100 years ago in Quincy, Illinois. They pride themselves on custom engineering and are not afraid to develop and test new products; some of which may have never been done before!

Personally, I won’t claim to be an expert on air compressors, but it was so neat to see and learn about how they’re made in all different shapes and sizes — from small, portable compressors at your local Lowe’s up to one of their larger custom-made products called the “QGV -Badger.” Employees construct the product partly by hand with different kits, and I got to learn more about rotary vs. reciprocating compression, and variable capacity, as well as how some are gas- or diesel-powered, pressure or splash lubed, how the oil works its way through the crank case and cylinders. Of course, I had to see how tall some of this equipment was up close by comparison!