"Since I was 10 years old living on the family dairy farm in Switzerland, I've been crazy about machinery"

- Charles Balmer (As told to Farm Chemicals Magazine)

Charles P. Balmer was born October 14th, 1930 in Bussy Sur Moudon, Switzerland. He was raised on the family dairy farm and received a diploma in Agriculture from Ecole Cantonale D'Agirculture in 1951. It was during this time Charlie's mechanical talent and aptitude began to be recognized.

In August of the same year while working as a mechanic for Massey-Ferguson, he was chosen by the company to be sent to Canada to train at a Winnipeg dealership. Once the training was completed he started on his way home to Switzerland. After a stop in Montreal he decided to return to Manitoba and the spring of 1953 once again found him back on the prairies.

With French as his first language he found himself drawn to the predominantly French speaking community of St. Eustache Manitoba, where he settled for a brief time. A year later he moved to Elie where he remained since 1954.

Charlie was hired as an ag-mechanic at Elie Motors, the local J.I. Case Dealer. It was here that his talent and passion for equipment became more apparent. He identified several engineering problems with a customer's combine and designed and retrofitted that unit with nearly 10 improvements better suited for local conditions. Later the J.I. Case Company came to him to develop similar kits for installation on over 200 of their combines in the Canadian market.

Since Charlie's family farm was located near an Air Force Base, it is not surprising that an interest in aviation and a love for flying led him to obtain his pilot's license. By 1961 he was one of Manitoba's pioneer crop dusters and applying chemicals for local farmers as a sideline to his mechanic's job. This led to the formation of Elie Air Spray, a custom ground and aerial application company that provided service in the Elie area for nearly 20 years. A busy man indeed but not so busy that when a major tractor manufacturer was looking for a person to fill an important position Charlie answered the call.

In 1975 Versatile Manufacturing of Winnipeg needed someone to head up their assembly and repair facility in Algeria so they turned to Charlie. Once there he was responsible for training local residents in proper operation, care, maintenance and repair of the Versatile product line. It was upon his return to Manitoba that his career as an application equipment designer took off.

The Monsanto Company approached Charlie in 1976 to develop a metering system for granular Avadex for use in aerial applications. The idea didn't seem feasible so he set out to successfully design a metering system and tank that attached to a large high floatation ground applicator.

This marked the beginning of his life work as an application equipment specialist and was the foundation of the Valmar Airflo line of granular applicators.

By 1980 Charlie was so busy with his granular applicator line he had to give up his position as a mechanic with Elie Motors and the custom application business. Now he was heading up his own company, Valmar Airflo Inc., and pursuing a new "hobby" designing application equipment.

Throughout the next two decades Charlie's designs would both directly and indirectly affect the agriculture industry. These contributions continue to influence today's trends and will be important for years to come. The Valmar Airflo Granular Applicator, Lor*al and AgChem Air Spreader, AirMax boom spreaders and the Willmar Air Ride SP Sprayer are all highly visible products used throughout progressive agriculture areas.

The Valmar applicator paved the way with its precise metering rates and product placement for granular herbicides that have been used extensively on the Canadian prairies and many regions of the US. These applicators are also widely used for fertilizer, seed, forage preservatives, inoculants and insecticides.

The AirMax and Air Spreader from Lor*al and AgChem are still the choice of custom applicators for their big flotation rigs. Literally millions of acres are covered each year with these spreaders. These machines were from their conception so well designed that little has changed on them to this day.

Charlie designed the Willmar AirRide Sprayer in the late 80's and distribution by Willmar began in 1990. This was the first high capacity, high clearance self propelled sprayer designed and built in North America with all the features the custom applicator needed. This self-propelled sprayer provided the basis for the large sprayers on the market today, most of which contain some of the technology introduced by Charlie's prototypes and the AirRide Sprayer.

Even with the success of these designs Charlie continued to pursue radical ideas and concepts. Maybe its because he was a not formally trained ag-engineer that he looked outside of the agriculture industry for improvements and new technology. For new concepts he looked at automotive design for improved suspension and steering, the trucking industry for new tank and chassis design, the aircraft industry for strength with lightweight, heavy construction equipment for durability and sometimes even household appliances.

For Charlie, a good idea was never put to rest. He continually entertained thoughts of a hovercraft type sprayer, uni-body self propelled sprayer, combination swather - sprayer, cultivator, convertible self propelled chassis for liquid or dry application, a tractor for belly mount tools, a combine, a hydraulic power wheel and ultra light after market sprayer booms to name a few.

Charlie directly contributed much to the agriculture industry.

The Valmar line of granular spreaders, custom application rigs and the high clearance sprayers certainly have made application of fertilizer and crop protection products easier, more efficient, economical and a safer for the operator and environment.

As well Charlie's designs could be said to have had many indirect benefits. Consider the following:

• The air boom spreader has enabled further development in variable rate technology used in custom application.
• The Valmar applicators provided a means to apply granular herbicides, which allowed chemical companies and others to develop certain soil conservation practices.
• Charlie's metering systems have been used in other manufacturers' air seeder designs for developing direct seeding systems.
• The advent of the high clearance sprayer has seen an increase of in-crop post emergent spraying of fungicides, desiccants etc. as well as aiding the development of seed technology by providing a means for application to those herbicide tolerant crops.
• Worldwide sales of his designs continue to mean more jobs not only for the specific manufacturers but equipment retailers, crop input retailers, sales, service, suppliers etc.
• He continually challenged the farm machinery industry to keep moving ahead. His deep bander helped air seeder manufacturers realize the need for improved, more economical seeders. His radical cultivator design spurred companies to step back and take another look at their traditional designs. The superior spread pattern of the air boom systems motivated improvements to spinner type broadcast systems.

Charlie's work has been recognized as an inventor, as an innovator, as a designer and as an entrepreneur.

Since 1982, Charles Balmer has been granted 24 International, US and Canadian patents covering inventions and designs as diverse as spreading particulate matter, a cultivator, sprayer chassis, air booms, self cleaning metering systems, distributing 2 types of particulate, convertible ag vehicle, belly mount tractor, combine, vehicle steering and suspension and boom suspension systems.

As an innovator he received the Honorary Members Award from the Western Canada Fertilizer Dealer Association (now Canadian Association of Agri-Retailers) in recognition of his many innovative contributions in the design of agriculture equipment.

His design work has been acknowledged many times by industry publications. Farm Chemicals (now known as Crop Life), a major US publication of interest to crop input suppliers, did a cover story on Charlie and have done several cover stories and features on his designs through the years. In their 100th Anniversary issue, Charles Balmer was listed as one of the six most influential men that "have been especially creative in advancing equipment and revolutionizing the industry". It is interesting to note that two of the other individuals listed were the head of companies that manufactured some of Charlie's designs.

In Canada, Charlie the innovator has been profiled in several publications such as the WFCDA Communicator (now the CAAR Communicator), the Western Producer and Grain News to name a few.

Valmar has been listed in Manitoba Business Magazine as one of the Top 40 Rural Based Companies and has been profiled in the Business section of several publications including the Winnipeg Free Press.

Valmar Airflo Inc. is also a recipient of the Manitoba Export Award. This award was presented by the Manitoba Department of Industry and Trade Technology to recognize "Outstanding export achievement in the province".

More recently in 2004, Charlie was honoured by induction to the Manitoba Agriculture Hall of Fame for his contributions to the industry.

Charlie studied books - books on equipment, history, business, manufacturing, European equipment and all things mechanical. This gave him an uncanny grasp for what customers wanted, needed and what the future held in store.

He welcomed everyone to visit his shop and see his latest designs and then into his office to the drafting table where sketches, drawings and blueprints could be found stored in what seemed to be unending and unorganized layers. Once there you found yourself surrounded by photos, drawings, newspaper clippings and brochures by manufacturers from around the world. The walls are riddled with holes where pins once held the latest idea.

It did not matter if you were a competitor, engineer, sales person, farmer or president of a Major Corporation, visitors could not help but be engaged when Charlie's enthusiasm took over and the one sided conversation turned to equipment and designs. His only other interest was aviation but there is little doubt that came from a fascination with the mechanics of flight.

If it weren't for his family and his love of flying you would literally find Charlie at the shop cutting steel, drawing or reading every single day. Even at 76 years of age, only the disease that finally claimed his life was able to slow him down.

Charles Balmer could not have been as successful with world-renowned designs and equipment if he was any other way.

Charlie lost his battle with cancer September 14, 2006.

"He's an application equipment genius, a true inventor. He's also the owner of Valmar Airlfo Inc. and the brains behind many of today most popular big rigs"

- Quoted from FARM CHEMICALS (November 1991)