NEWS & MEDIA

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A message from Mark McLaren, CEO of ShockAvoid

That’s My Signature

A number of years ago, as General Manager of a local co-op, I was making one of my late night journeys checking in with operators in the field. These journeys were not to catch them doing wrong, but catch them doing RIGHT. On this night, I found Larry, one of our top operators. He was driving a MERTZ (which tells you how long ago this was). His unit was easy to find. He had rigged it with aircraft running lights. It looked like a power plant going back and forth in the field. The time was midnight.

After climbing in the cab and heading off on the next pass, I asked Larry—“what is it that makes you want to do this? Why do you want to be right here, right now, working your butt off? Doing a good job?” I’ve never forgotten his reply: “that’s my signature on the field.” He knew what he was doing, knew what was right, and was committed to delivering just that. That’s what made Larry – Larry. Over the years, I’ve met many in the business who share that commitment.

When we began ShockAvoid, we set out on a journey much like what Larry did way back then: Know what you are doing, know what is right, do it so that you can look the customer in the eye and know you did your best. It’s your signature.

We began ShockAvoid in 2019 with a vision: Save Lives in Agriculture. Save the “Larrys” of this world. To get there, we HAD to:

• always warn when too close to power lines
• be robust to withstand what field exposure brings
• be simple and easy enough for the operator to embrace it

We started with a system that had been in other markets, but not Ag, for over 20 years. We knew that things would need to be adapted to the rigors of Ag to do a good job. Make it desirable for people in Ag. And always work.

The easy part has been detecting power lines. Always.

Minor tweaks to programs and a switch or two have aided greatly in operator acceptance.

Robust-specifically of the detection sensors- was a challenge.

Maintain a price that is reasonable.

So, after we kicked off with some very supportive and cooperative users, we chose not to push sales until we had our sensors hardened for Ag. It took us a year longer than we had planned. And we have done it. We are offering this system for use by you in 2024. Our prices are the same as when we began— tens if not hundreds of times less than the cost of a single incident. And much lower than you might think.

Today’s ShockAvoid is the best Ag product to aid in prevention of high voltage power line contact in the business. Can tomorrow’s be better? Sure. And it will be. Today and tomorrow, always know—It’s OUR signature in this field.

Give us a call. Let’s get started in protection for you, your team, your company!

"Moving machinery and equipment like sprayers, combines and grain augers around a farmstead or on a roadway in the presence of power lines is common practice. Each year in the U.S., 62 farmers or farm workers are electrocuted.  And in many of those cases, contact between machinery and an overhead power line or utility poll is the cause.... "

"One of the more interesting boom accessories was exhibited by ShockAvoid. This paired two boom arm sensors with an in-cab display to allow operators to monitor if their unfolding/folding booms were too close to power lines while applying in crop fields, preventing a potentially dangerous situation for all involved."