Home Grown: Local company hand-crafts custom farm equipment

News 11 examines the fine art of farm implements

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Some may view the equipment sold by Keithly-Williams Seed as tools. But those in the know will tell you, it's more than that, it's craftsmanship.

The Yuma company makes hand-made fabrication, such as custom tractor frames, and much, much more.

Vice President and Fabrication Manager Tim Frank says he has customers all across the Desert Southwest. Some take advantage of Keithly-Williams Seed and nursery department, but many come in search of something specially made for their farm's needs.

Frank says his team can make everything from thinners to weeders to ground prep equipment. But, he says the company's planters and transplanters are most in demand.

"Our custom equipment is built by hand. That is to say with welders and settling torches and other types of equipment that is found in any normal fabrication shop, but a lot of our equipment is bought as a whole good meaning all the planter units, the transplanter units are bought as individual units and they're bolted onto the frames that my technicians built," Frank explained.

Keithly-Williams starts from scratch. Fabricators begin with medal rods and work their magic. They can even meet a farmer's color requests, because who doesn't want to work in style?

They start the process from scratch out of metal rods. They even have the ability to paint the metal by using the farmer's custom design colors.

April Hettinger gives you a closer look at the process Tuesday on News 11.