Krone News Room Krone News Room Krone North America News Room GLOBAL OPERATIONS NEWS IMAGE LIBRARY RESOURCES CONTACT US FIRST-EVER KRONE BIG M NOW “RETIRED” IN NEBRASKA! You are here: HomePress Release December 4, 2018Press Release Back in 1997, Mike Olson, of Lyons, Nebraska, heard about a significant hay-cutting innovation—The BiG M Self-Propelled Mower Conditioner—that the renowned German company, Krone, was preparing to launch to the world. Mike, who was the Operations Manager for Morrison & Quirk, Inc., an alfalfa dehydration-pelleting operation in Lyons, talked to owner Ken Morrison about the BiG M. He and Ken quickly agreed that this Innovative new mower conditioner could significantly improve their operation’s return on investment. Soon thereafter Mike traveled to the Agritechnica international farm machinery exhibition in Europe, where he was able to see the new BiG M in action and meet the engineers who designed it. The following spring their operation was running the first Krone BiG M ever sold into the North American hay and forage market. Now, 20 years later, Mike talks about this game-changing experience. “Ken and I really got excited when we heard about the new BiG M because it was clearly a radically-different, and potentially much better way to cut hay. With our growing alfalfa dehy operation, we knew we needed something different, a better way to cut more hay faster. We could see this new BiG M was clearly a great concept. So, we took the leap and brought that first BiG M to our operation in Nebraska.” Mike says having that first BiG M was not without some challenges. But he said that Krone’s German engineers and the Krone North America sales and service people provided him with tremendous support, making the experience a good one. “This was and is a great concept,” Mike says. “And the Krone support was great as well.” Morrison & Quirk ran the BiG M for 15 years, and during that time Mike estimates that original BiG M covered over 250,000 acres of hay. And while Mike has run several newer BiG M’s since, he still has a soft spot in his heart for that original BiG M. Says Mike, “In this part of the country, with all the rocks and hills, we are tough on hay equipment. This first BiG M went through a lot. But it sure could cut a lot of hay. It helped us grow and make it through.” Related posts New Krone Forage Harvester Head Adapter August 27, 2018 Krone North America Earns Prestigious Dealer’s Choice Gold Level Award July 10, 2017 Krone Top 10 Dealer Awards June 1, 2017 Krone® Introduces New Generation of Disc Mowers April 5, 2017 The Krone News Room is a resource for members of the media to gain information and content about the hay and forage industry. If you have specific questions about the industry, have the need for high resolution images featuring hay and forage production or need resources for an article you are writing, please contact us. Contact Information: Krone North America 3363 Miac Cove Memphis, TN 38118 901-842-6011 Media Contact: Kristine Walker Manager, Marketing Communications and Public Relations Latest Updates First-ever Krone BiG M now “retired” in Nebraska! December 4, 2018 New Krone Forage Harvester Head Adapter August 27, 2018 Krone North America Earns Prestigious Dealer’s Choice Gold Level Award July 10, 2017 Krone Top 10 Dealer Awards June 1, 2017 Krone® Introduces New Generation of Disc Mowers April 5, 2017 Like Us On Facebook Unable to display Facebook posts. Show error © 2015 Krone NA, Inc. Global Operations News Image Library Resources Contact Us ——— Global Operations News Image Library Resources Contact Us