What Soil-Max does

Soil-Max, Inc. is a privately held agricultural equipment manufacturer founded in 1997 by Denny Bell in Terre Haute, Indiana, and acquired by Ag Leader Technology in 2012 (Al Myers). The company designs, manufactures, and sells tile plows and related drainage equipment that enable farmers to self-install subsurface drainage tile in their fields. Its product portfolio spans the Gold Digger (the original T1-steel plow), Pull Type and 3-Point hitch plows, the patented Stealth ZD plows (zero-deflection design), the ZD48 for specialty crops, and European-market ZD1200/ZD1600 models, complemented by HD Stringer Carts, the Shaper Pro trench management tool, tile feeders, and other accessories. The plows integrate with Ag Leader's precision agriculture stack — InCommand displays, IntelliSlope control, and the RTK GPS 7500 receiver — delivering sub-inch installation accuracy.

The business runs primarily on one-time hardware sales via a worldwide dealer network of approximately 60 dealers across 5 continents and direct quote requests routed through area representatives. The 2020 launch of the Flow-X mobile app added a recurring software/services revenue stream, providing GPS/satellite-imagery-based tile plan design with a 48–72 hour turnaround for professionally delivered plans. Pricing is quote-based rather than publicly listed, consistent with high-ticket capital equipment sold to family farms and drainage contractors. Customers are predominantly individual farmers (the "self-tiler" segment), with drainage contractors and specialty-crop farmers as secondary segments, and a European farmer base served by dedicated plow models.

Manufacturing is conducted in Terre Haute, Indiana using American steel and labor, and the company operates as a stand-alone subsidiary within Ag Leader Technology. Founder Denny Bell remains involved and continues to farm and tile his own land in western Indiana. The firm holds registered patents and trademarks (Stealth ZD, Gold Digger, Soil-Max) and has expanded its dealer footprint from 18 original dealers to approximately 60 across 5 continents since the 2012 acquisition.

Name

Soil-Max

Legal name

Soil-Max, Inc.

Website

https://soilmax.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Soil-Max, founded in 1997 in Terre Haute, Indiana, manufactures agricultural tile plows and drainage equipment for family farms and contractors to self-install field drainage tile. Products integrate with parent Ag Leader Technology's precision-ag stack and are sold via 60 dealers across 5 continents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Drainage Equipment

SIC

Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523)

akta.pro primary industry

Drainage & Field Water Management (Tile Drainage, Ditches, Water Table Control) (AFAAACAJ)

Keywords

• Agricultural tile plows
• Field drainage equipment
• Agricultural drainage systems
• Precision drainage installation
• Farm water management

Headquarters

HQ city

Terre Haute

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tile Plow Sales: Soil-Max generates revenue through the sale of agricultural tile plows and drainage equipment. Products include Pull Type plows, 3-Point plows, and ZD48 plows. Customers purchase equipment outright for self-installation of field drainage tile.
2. Tile Cart Sales: Sale of HD Stringer Carts for managing and transporting drainage tile during installation. Available in Single Axle, Tandem Axle, and 3-Point configurations.
3. Shaper Pro Sales: Sale of Shaper Pro trench management equipment for closing tile trenches after installation.
4. Accessories and Options: Sale of optional accessories including tile feeders, tandem axles, and other attachments to enhance tiling operations.
5. Flow-X App Subscription: Mobile application for creating custom field tile designs with GPS and satellite imagery. Provides 48-72 hour turnaround for professional tile plans delivered via app or web.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Soil-Max designs, manufactures, and sells agricultural tile plows and related drainage installation equipment used by farmers and contractors to install subsurface drainage tile in fields. Its core product line includes Pull Type, 3-Point, and Stealth ZD tile plows built from T1 Steel in Terre Haute, Indiana, integrated with Ag Leader precision-agriculture technology (IntelliSlope, InCommand, RTK GPS 7500) for accurate grade control. Supporting offerings include HD Stringer Carts, the Shaper Pro trench management tool, and the Flow-X mobile app for field tile design.

Product overview

Soil-Max is a manufacturer of agricultural drainage equipment with a portfolio of tile plows (Gold Digger, Stealth ZD, ZD48, and European ZD1200/ZD1600 models), tile carts (HD Stringer Cart in Single Axle, Tandem Axle, and 3-Point configurations), and accessories (Shaper Pro trench manager, Tile Feeder, Tandem Axles). The company also offers the Flow-X mobile app for field tile design creation. Soil-Max integrates with Ag Leader Technology products including InCommand displays, RTK GPS 7500, and Intellislope for precision-controlled tile installation. Products are built with T1 steel in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Shaper Pro: A trench management tool that makes quick work of soil heave or trenches left behind after tiling. Features 36 blades spinning at 250 RPM with a 24-inch rotating diameter that breaks up soil and moves it back over the center of the tile.

Products and services

• Gold Digger® Tile Plow Original Soil-Max tile plow made of T1 steel offering twice the tensile strength at half the weight, allowing farmers to use their existing tractors for self-installation of field drainage tile.
• Pull Type Tile Plow Pull-type tile plow with 6.5' working depth, single pin hitch connection, single point hydraulic hook-up, and a proprietary down pressure manifold that keeps pipe installation accurate regardless of surface conditions.
• 3-Point Tile Plow 3-point hitch tile plow with 5.5' working depth, compatible with Category III or IV tractors as small as 20,000 lbs, for self-installation of field drainage tile.
• Stealth ZD® Tile Plow Patented tile plow featuring a zero-deflection design that decreases tractive power required by increasing lift in the soil profile; aligns the tile exit point with the pivot point to eliminate pipe deflection and pinching during grade changes.
• ZD48 Tile Plow Compact tile plow designed for specialty crops and lateral installations; installs 2\" to 4\" tile up to 48\" deep with tractors as small as 8,000 lbs; features poly sides that shed dirt.
• ZD1200 and ZD1600 European Plow Models European-market tile plow models designed for smaller pipes and tractors common in European countries; sold with an aggregate box and onboard tile reel developed for European customers.
• HD Stringer Cart Hydraulic-controlled tile cart with optional wireless remote, high flotation tires, large table and stinger, heavy-duty frame, and onboard battery charger for managing and transporting drainage tile during installation.
• Single Axle HD Cart 5,200 lb axle tile cart with 6-lug wheels, steel tube construction frame, 30-foot magnetic controller, 12V DC hydraulic unit, and onboard charging system.
• Tandem Axle HD Cart Tile cart with 8-ply high flotation tires (12.5-15) for reduced soil compaction; features LED brake lights, height-adjusting hitch, and legal highway transport width.
• 3-Point HD Cart 3-point hitch tile cart providing flexibility for tiling operations with easy hookup and additional weight for tractors.
• Shaper Pro Trench management tool with 36 spinning blades at 250 RPM that resizes and relocates tile heave back over the center of the tile; weighs 2,100 lbs with 8-foot working width and two hydraulic-controlled back blades for final contour.
• Flow-X Mobile App Mobile app for field tile design creation using GPS location and satellite imagery; allows users to outline field perimeter, add field parameters and elevation data, and receive custom tile plans within 48-72 hours. Distributed via iOS App Store and Google Play.
• Tile Feeder (Option) Adjustable-speed tile feeder option for pull type and 3-point plows that minimizes tile stretching and maintains pipe integrity during installation.
• Tandem Axles (Option) Tandem axle option for tile plows that maintains surveying accuracy and provides extra stability over rugged terrain.

Quantifiable outcome

• Investment pays for itself within one year with dramatically higher yields
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Ag Leader TechnologycoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2012In 2012, Al Myers (Ag Leader) acquired Soil-Max and Gradient. Soil-Max remains a stand-alone company building tile plows and tile carts while Gradient was incorporated into Ag Leader Technology structure. Ag Leader provides precision agriculture technology (RTK GPS, InCommand, IntelliSlope) that integrates with Soil-Max equipment.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Hexagon Agriculture (Leica Geosystems): Hexagon Agriculture provides precision agriculture solutions including guidance, drainage planning, and field water management. Comparable to Soil-Max's precision drainage offering, though broader in scope including hardware and software.
• Raven Industries (CNH Industrial): Raven Industries provides precision agriculture technology including GPS guidance, variable rate, and spray control. Their precision ag offerings overlap with Soil-Max's precision drainage workflow, particularly through CNH Industrial integration.
• Vermeer Corporation: Vermeer manufactures trenching and underground installation equipment used in agriculture and utility work. Their trenchers and plows serve overlapping customers with subsurface installation needs, comparable to Soil-Max's drainage tile installation focus.

Broad incumbents

• Kubota: Kubota is a major agricultural equipment manufacturer with presence in compact tractors and implements. While not a direct tile plow competitor, Kubota competes in the broader agricultural drainage and farm equipment market.
• Case IH (CNH Industrial): Case IH, part of CNH Industrial, manufactures agricultural equipment including tile drainage implements. Comparable to Soil-Max as a broad-line ag equipment incumbent offering competing drainage solutions.
• John Deere: John Deere is the dominant agricultural equipment OEM and has historically offered tile plows and drainage solutions. While broader in scope, it competes with Soil-Max in agricultural water management and precision drainage.
• AGCO Corporation (Challenger & Massey Ferguson): AGCO is a major global agricultural equipment manufacturer. Its Challenger and Massey Ferguson brands sell tile plows and drainage equipment, directly competing with Soil-Max in the agricultural drainage installation market.

Direct peers

• Topcon Positioning Systems: Topcon provides precision agriculture solutions including GPS-guided drainage and land leveling equipment. Competes in the same precision drainage installation space as Soil-Max, particularly for contractors and professional installers.
• Trimble Agriculture: Trimble's agriculture division provides precision agriculture technology (GNSS, guidance, water management) that overlaps with Soil-Max's Ag Leader-integrated precision drainage workflow. Both target professional farmers seeking GPS and software-driven drainage installation.
• Bron (laser-controlled drainage equipment): Bron is a Dutch manufacturer of laser-controlled drainage equipment for agricultural land improvement. Directly comparable to Soil-Max as a specialized tile plow manufacturer serving agricultural drainage installation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/soilmaxdotcom
• Facebookfacebook.com/DirtyWorkPays
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/soilmax

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Soil-Max