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Professor Jessica McKinley

Corinne Tew

COM 2286.100

6 December 2022

Safe-Grain and Maxi-Tronic Market Research

Safe-Grain and Maxi-Tronic are two linked companies that supply helpful equipment to

commercial, agricultural farmers. Some of these products help with temporary grain storage,

aeration, grain temperature monitoring, and hazard monitoring. Both companies sell

agricultural equipment but are somewhat different. For example, Safe-Grain sells tools to help

protect farmer’s grain with products like grain temperature and aeration systems, dust control,

and the SafeTrack Wireless System. However, Maxi-Tronic sells tools to help protect your

equipment with hazard monitoring systems, sensors and controls, predictive maintenance, and

the RadarMax and the Maxi-Tronic wireless system (Safe-Grain and Maxi-Tronic.

https://safegrain.com/?page_id=277). Zach Carr, President of Safe-Grain and Maxi-Tronic as of

recent, believes the company to be outdated and is working to update everything, specifically

the company’s marketing content. Currently, the company owns very little social media, and

what they do have is extremely old. The website’s graphics are simple, and the information

dates from many years ago. Carr wants to give the whole company’s branding a face lift,

through recreating their pamphlets and flyers they hand out at trade shows, redesigning the

website, and creating social media accounts that are active and recent. Zach has recently been

contacting other companies and customers to strengthen our partnerships in hopes of doing
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some co-marketing campaigns with the larger grain bin companies including, Brock, Chief,

Sukup and more. However, since Carr has only recently bought the company, he has not been

able to work on this significantly, other than starting to work with a professional marketing

agency. In addition, the company first switched presidents in 1984, and many of their

processes, graphics, etc. have not been changed since then (Zach Carr). In the long-term, Carr

wants the company to be self-sufficient. He eventually wants the company to be able to run on

its own. First, however, he wants the company to expand into other markets like oil, fracking,

spirits, distilleries, sugar, etc. (Zach Carr).

The internal environment of Safe-Grain and Maxi-Tronic is also outdated. Most of its

employees are 50 years plus in age and software is inefficient. Currently, the entity is adding

internal staff, updating Software to make things simpler, and the sales force is expanding. When

asked about the mission of the company, Carr stated, “This is a really good question and

something the professional marketing agency is helping to develop.” (Zach Carr). Some options

the marketing agency was “Watching where you can’t” for both(Arend 23). For only Safe-Grain

they were thinking “It’s in the name” or “Trusted. Tried. True.” (Arend 36 and 31). Additionally,

for just Maxi-Tronic they considered “Always on guard” or “Automatic. Alerted. Assured.”

(Arend 36 and 33). However, the motto before Carr became President was, “we help feed the

world.” Safe-Grain and Maxi-Tronic help customers protect their grain and equipment from

dangerous fires. Although, Safe-Grain and Maxi-Tronic do not have any public customer

reviews. If someone wants to find information on whether they can trust the company, product

reviews are only reviewed by former President Scott Chant (Grain Journal, July/August 2019,

Volume 47, No 4). However, the company has been selling product more than 65 years and is
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still thriving (“Company Celebrates 60 Years in Business and Helping to Feed the World in the

Process”. Grain feed Equipment) This long-lasting company is therefore reliable and trusted in

the commercial agriculture business. Customers most enjoy how they can call in and receive

help and expertise concerning their equipment(Arend 5). This customer service is integral to the

companies’ public relations.

Most customers of the company are similarly long-lasting family businesses who have

history with the company. Most customers of Safe-Grain and Maxi-Tronic are commercial

farmers that have been with the company for a while and rely on the trustworthiness of Safe-

Grain and Maxi-Tronic and its history. Competitors include 4B, AGI, Electro Sensors and more.

Both AGI and Electro Sensors have active social media, updated websites, and easy to find

information about them (AGI. aggrowth.com/?

gclid=CjwKCAjwp9qZBhBkEiwAsYFsb8rKHXmyb18pGgQW6zScRftqsuvgAqxERhwGXYBaB and

Electro Sensors. PM0UU_nYx75jRoCgI0QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.dshttps://www.electro-

sensors.com/).

Safe-Grain and Maxi-Tronic work with various clients. These publics are typically people

involved with agriculture. But someone like me, and most average urban Americans, does not

understand or is not interested in their products. Stockholders are also a part of Safe-Grain and

Maxi-Tronic’s publics as well. Indirectly, people that eat the grain grown by these agricultural

companies are also affected. Clients need their equipment to be reliable, for their grain to stay

secure. Targeting this demographic of adult farmers between the ages of 20-40 years old is the

best option for the company. Farmers who are ready to update their processes to simplify

things are ideal. These young farmers want to use technology to improve their business without
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compromising their business. Consequently, updating the company is necessary to attract this

audience. If the company was able to gain helpful feedback from this audience, it could attract

more. A way to gain feedback from Safe-Grain and Maxi-Tronic’s public could be to send people

to trade shows, not just to hand out flyers, but also to converse with the farmers. Learn about

who they are, what they want for their farm, what is helpful, and where they need help. Safe-

Grain and Maxi-Tronic should create a short survey and incentivize farmers to complete it at

trade shows by giving away free merchandise or gift cards. Some examples of questions you

could use would be: In the aspect of working with and storing grain, what is the hardest aspect?

Or what is helpful or hypothetically would be helpful about Safe-Grain or Maxi-Tronic’s

products?

When working with clients, if any problems arise, these farmers need to be able reach

out to the company, to solve any problems that arise. Because if something goes wrong, grain

can be lost, causing detrimental effects to the farmers and therefore, the world. With clients

scattered across the globe, possible grain shortages could occur even outside of the U.S.,

hurting many farmers. Big agricultural companies, provide food to many people. If problems

were to occur, the public could find out, severely damaging Safe-Grain and Maxi-Tronic’s public

image. These companies need Safe-Grain and Maxi-Tronic to be trusted and provide prompt

help. Safe-Grain and Maxi Tronic must build strong relationships with its customers and publics

to preserve the company’s image. Which is what many clients value about the sister companies.

Therefore, ethics are extremely important in this interaction. False advertising, “…promotions

that exaggerate claims or misinform audiences.” Are unethical (Roberts Chapter 3, 17). If the

company unethically published misleading advertisements, the effects could be detrimental,

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and no one could buy and eat grain that is lost (Roberts Chapter 3, 17). Additionally, it is

integral that the company is strategically honest in its communication with the publics. In the

online press book, Writing for Strategic Communication Industries, Jasmine Roberts states, “…

transparency is key to maintaining or regaining the public’s trust. Lack of transparency can have

devastating effects that sometimes leave a permanent stain on a company or brand’s image…”

Therefore, keeping their customers up to date on their products and any possible crises is

necessary for a successful public relationship (Roberts Chapter 3, 16).

Safe-Grain and Maxi-Tronic need to update their whole digital marketing brand.

President Zach Carr made this clear. The goal for the company should be to develop their social

media and grow their followers. When asked about building social media, Carr stated he

wanted to focus on one platform and work to build followers there. Therefore, the company

should focus on Instagram and reach at least 150 followers in one month. Posting at least once

a week, at a consistent time would be a successful goal for the company. If the company can

gain followers, and receive comments, likes, and other engaging interactions with their

followers, they would cultivate relationships with their publics. Building these relationships is

the key to success. When Carr visited the class, and introduced us to the company, he

emphasized the out-datedness of the company. Creating a new website design would help the

company and is something that should be second priority, after developing the Instagram.

Through the website, social media, trade shows, press releases, and others the company should

work to get the word out about the new ownership and updating. This new turn could grow the

company produce necessary relationships with publics. Public relations are all about

trustworthy relationships and Safe-Grain and Maxi-Tronic need to cultivate theirs.

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Works Cited

AGI. https://www.aggrowth.com/?

gclid=CjwKCAjwp9qZBhBkEiwAsYFsb8rKHXmyb18pGgQW6zScRftqsuvgAqxERhwGXYBaB&gclid=

CjwKCAjwp9qZBhBkEiwAsYFsb8rKHXmyb18pGgQW6zScRftqsuvgAqxERhwGXYBaB

Arend, Cassie Jo. Shiftology Communication. “Qualitative Research Report & Branding Concepts”. 2022.

file:///C:/Users/corin/Downloads/Marketing%20Presentation.pdf

Electro Sensors.

https://www.electro-sensors.com/

Grain Feed Equipment. “Company Celebrates 60 Years in Business and Helping to Feed the World in

the Process.” Reprinted from Grain Journal November/December 2014 Issue.

https://www.grainfeedequipment.com/profiles/safe-grain-inc

Grain Journal. “Product Review: Hopper Aeration System.” Grain Journal, July/August 2019, Volume 47

No 4, page 189. Grainnet.com

https://edition.pagesuite.com/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?

pubname=&edid=c82845fa-f0f8-4fe7-b832-94cb1fc541d1&pnum=189

Roberts, Jasmine. Writing for Strategic Communication Industries, Columbus, Ohio, Ohio State

University Libraries, 2016.

Safe-Grain and Maxi-Tronic.

https://safegrain.com/?page_id=277
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Zach Carr. December 5, 2022.