Editing Hesston, Kansas (section)

==Economy==
[[File:Hesston 5670 round baler.jpg|thumb|Hesston 5670 round baler]]
The two largest companies in Hesston are AGCO (Hesston Corp) and Excel Industries (Hustler).

In 1947, [[Lyle Yost]] founded the farm equipment company '''Hesston Manufacturing Company'''.  In 1955, it introduced the first commercially available self-propelled windrower, then in 1967 it introduced the first hydrostatic drive windrower.  In 1978, it introduced the first large square baler, then in 1988 it introduced the first totally automatically large round baler.<ref>[http://www.agliterature.com/emags/hesston/history/index.html Hesston agricultural product history] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160122195848/http://www.agliterature.com/emags/hesston/history/index.html |date=2016-01-22 }}</ref>  In 1974, the Hesston Company commissioned its first belt buckles,<ref>[http://www.bucklesofestes.com/hesston_history.htm Hesston Belt Buckle History]</ref> which became popular on the [[rodeo]] circuit and with collectors.  The company's controlling stake was sold to Italian corporation [[Fiat Trattori]] in 1977. The remainder of the company was purchased in 1987 by the same firm.<ref name="Eagle20120406">{{cite news|last=Voorhis|first=Dan|url=http://www.kansas.com/2012/04/06/2286965/lyle-yost-founder-of-hesston-industries.html|newspaper=The Wichita Eagle|title=Lyle Yost, founder of Hesston Industries, dies at age 99|access-date=29 October 2012|archive-date=10 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140810092401/http://www.kansas.com/2012/04/06/2286965/lyle-yost-founder-of-hesston-industries.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>  In 1991, the American-based equipment manufacturer [[AGCO Corporation]] purchased [[Hesston Corporation]] and later expanded the manufacturing facilities.

In 1960, John Regier founded the lawn mower company '''Excel Industries'''.<ref name="ExcelHistory">{{Cite web |url=http://www.hustlerturf.com/turf_care_leader_mowers |title=Hustler History; Excel Industries. |access-date=2016-02-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160302012549/http://www.hustlerturf.com/turf_care_leader_mowers |archive-date=2016-03-02 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  The company manufactures outdoor equipment, primarily Hustler and Big Dog mowers.<ref>[http://www.kansas.com/news/business/article1118710.html Hesston firm Excel Industries making great strides in global expansion; The Wichita Eagle; July 10, 2013.]</ref> The original Hustler was the world's first twin-lever, zero-turn mower.<ref name=":2" /> In 2021, Stanley Black & Decker acquired Excel.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />