Like a boss: Iowa CNC table manufacturer focuses on simplicity, cost

Jan 29, 2024

When a part breaks on a tractor, sometimes it can take weeks for it to come into the shop.

Why wait for it to come in when a farmer can make it for themselves, sometimes in 10 minutes, asks Chris Vroom, director of sales and marketing at Boss Tables.

The company manufactures and sells CNC plasma tables and tumblers. They also sell hypertherm power units, Castair compressors, and the EZ Sander by Apex.

They will be one of more than 50 new companies to be making their debut at the Dakota Farm Show in Vermillion Jan. 4-6.

Started in Decorah, Iowa, by brothers Travis and Mitch Schluter six years ago, the company has since moved to a 32,000-square-foot facility in Calmar, Iowa, a town roughly 11 miles southwest of Decorah.

The move provided them with bigger and better tooling for manufacturing quality products while maintaining a small town atmosphere, the company's website states.

They are excited to start expanding westward by making connections with producers at the farm show, Vroom said.

All of Boss Tables manufacturing is done in-house in their Calmar shop, keeping production costs low, with the savings passed on to the customer.

Boss Table's CNC Plasma Table is manufactured and designed to withstand abuse and heavy use for many years, but costs under $20,000.

During the Dakota Farm Show, the company will have their Pro Plasma table on hand. While the 4- by 8-foot table won't be in operation at the show, the software that runs the machine will be, giving visitors a chance to see the machine's varied capabilities along with how simple it is to run.

"One of the main functions of it is simplicity so anybody can really learn it," Vroom said, though an understanding of how to run CAD is necessary unless the user is simply looking to make shapes.

Vroom encouraged Dakota Farm Show attendees to stop by their booth to see it for themselves.

Those that walk by won't know how easy it is to run and all the things they can do with it, he added.

It's great for anyone interested in bringing work into their shop so they don't have to wait on parts and people.

The table is able to cut most metals including steel, brass, copper and aluminum. Each table comes with a two-year warranty, along with lifetime tech support.

"As long as you own the table we will continue to support your needs to keep you cutting," the website states.

Vroom said he's looking forward to hearing what projects visitors are working on and see how Boss Tables can help.

Melisa Goss, Assistant Editor for the Tri-State Neighbor, is a South Dakota farm girl whose love of travel has allowed her to see ag's vital impact around the world, from America's heartland to the rice paddies of Southeast Asia and many places in between. She makes her home in Hartford with her husband, daughter and miniature schnauzer. You can reach her at [email protected].

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Tri-State Neighbor Assistant Editor