Chester

What Chester does

Chester Inc. is a privately held, multi-divisional company founded in 1947 in Valparaiso, Indiana, operating across three core lines of business: Agricultural Systems, Architectural & Construction Services, and Information Technologies. The Agricultural Systems division functions as a Valley Performance Plus dealer — the highest designation from Valley Irrigation — distributing and servicing GPS-guided center pivots, Valley ICON smart panels, Brock grain bins, and Mathews Company grain dryers, with a service fleet covering 1,500+ irrigation systems and a comparable number of grain drying and storage units across Northern Indiana. The Architectural & Construction division delivers design-build-finance services for commercial, industrial, medical, professional, municipal, and religious projects ranging from $150,000 to $10,000,000, using centralized Building Information Modeling (BIM) software, utility-readiness audits, and fiber-path mapping to coordinate engineering data. The Information Technologies division provides network design, cybersecurity, and managed IT services to businesses in Northwest Indiana and South Chicagoland.

Chester's revenue model combines equipment sales and project-based construction services with recurring service contracts on the installed agricultural base and ongoing IT managed-services agreements. The company operates from a corporate headquarters in Valparaiso, an Agricultural Systems hub in North Judson, and a network of three Express Parts Kiosks (North Judson, Mill Creek, New Carlisle). GTM is primarily relationship-based, direct field sales with dedicated sales engineers and project managers as single points of contact; construction projects are won via consultative preliminary feasibility studies and detailed pre-construction planning, while agricultural systems are sold through on-site assessments and custom design with advanced mapping software. Customers span SMB family farms, young producers, corporate agricultural operations, and commercial/industrial businesses in Northern Indiana, Northwest Indiana, and South Suburban Chicagoland.

Name

Chester

Legal name

Chester Inc.

Website

https://chesterinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chester Inc. is a 75-year-old, privately held Valparaiso, Indiana firm operating three divisions: Agricultural Systems (Valley Irrigation equipment, 1,500+ systems serviced), Architectural & Construction Services (design-build projects from $150K to $10M), and Information Technologies (managed IT, cybersecurity). It serves farmers and commercial clients across Northern Indiana and South Suburban Chicagoland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Diversified Construction, Agricultural Systems, and IT Services

NAICS

Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333111)

SIC

Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Farm Finance, Input Procurement & Risk Tools (Budgeting, Inventory, Insurance Links) (AFAAAFAO)

Keywords

• Commercial design-build construction
• Agricultural irrigation systems
• Grain handling equipment
• IT infrastructure services
• Precision irrigation solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Valparaiso

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural & Construction Services: Design-build-finance commercial construction services for commercial, industrial, medical, and professional facilities. Projects range from $150,000 to $10,000,000 with typical ground-up projects taking 14 months or less. Revenue generated through project fees, general contracting, and design services.
2. Agricultural Equipment Sales & Service: Valley Irrigation center pivots, Brock grain bins, Mathews Company grain dryers, and related agricultural equipment. Services over 1,500 irrigation systems and equal number of grain drying/storage units. Revenue from equipment sales, installation, and ongoing maintenance contracts.
3. Parts Sales & Express Kiosks: Valley RealParts inventory sold through Express Parts Kiosks in North Judson, Mill Creek, and New Carlisle. Kiosks operate on honor system with parts invoiced after use. Additional parts available via order with next-day pickup.
4. Information Technology Services: IT infrastructure design, implementation, and ongoing support for businesses in South Chicagoland, Northwest Indiana, and Valparaiso since 1979. Services include secure IT environments, cybersecurity, and technology consulting.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Chester Inc. is a multi-divisional company that provides commercial and industrial design-build construction services (architectural design, pre-construction planning, general contracting, and project management for projects ranging from $150,000 to $10,000,000), agricultural systems including Valley Irrigation center pivots, Brock grain storage bins, Mathews Company grain dryers, and related handling equipment for farmers across the Midwest, and information technology services (network design, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, and managed IT support) for businesses in South Chicagoland, Northwest Indiana, and Valparaiso.

Product overview

Chester Inc. operates three divisions offering distinct product and service portfolios: Agricultural Systems (irrigation and grain handling equipment), Architectural & Construction Services (design-build construction), and Information Technologies (IT services). The Agricultural Systems division serves as a Valley Performance Plus dealer offering Valley center pivot irrigation systems, Brock grain storage bins, Mathews Company grain dryers, and related handling equipment. The company services over 1,500 irrigation systems and a comparable number of grain drying and storage units. The Architectural & Construction division provides design-build services for commercial, industrial, medical, and professional construction projects. The IT division offers technology consulting and infrastructure services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Valley Irrigation Center Pivot Systems

Quantifiable outcome

• Services 1,500+ irrigation systems and 1,500+ grain drying/storage units
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Valley IrrigationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChester Inc. is a Valley Performance Plus dealer - the highest designation from Valley Irrigation. They resell Valley center pivots, linears, and corner equipment with state-of-the-art remote control and monitoring technology. Valley has been The Leader in Precision Irrigation since 1954. Chester's technicians hold top 10% national rankings in Valley service training.
• Brock Grain SystemscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChester partners with Brock Grain Systems to provide complete grain handling, grain bin storage, and grain handling turnkey solutions. Brock is a division of CTB, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway Company, known for Leadership Through Innovation in grain facility solutions. Brock grain bins offer the tallest eave heights in the industry.
• Mathews CompanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFamily-owned global manufacturer of high quality, innovative agricultural equipment located in Crystal Lake, Illinois. Specializes in manufacturing continuous flow grain dryers and multi-crop shredders. Products exported to more than 160 countries worldwide from a 240,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility.
• Kifco Water-ReelsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKifco Water-Reels are designed for portable irrigation with B-series reels ideal for irrigation areas up to 35 acres. Machines are simple to operate and provide efficient irrigation. Ag-Rain branded machines can irrigate areas up to 123 acres with one inch of water in five days.
• John DeereminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJohn Deere has been dedicated to those linked to the land - farmers and ranchers, landowners, builders, and loggers - since 1837. The partnership provides access to John Deere agricultural equipment and implements.
• Hutchinson Manufacturing Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFounded in 1958 in Clay Center, Kansas. Original product line included utility augers, belt drive portable augers, and roller mill for grain handling and related equipment.
• Shivvers ManufacturingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeader in Grain Drying Industry for over 45 years with high efficiency and large volume Continuous Counter-Flow Grain Drying Systems. Committed to providing innovative equipment with real value.
• Bazooka FarmstarminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorManufacturer of manure handling equipment for over 20 years, dedicated to providing high quality, long-lasting products to the agricultural market.
• Bruning Enterprises, Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDedicated to customer satisfaction from sales to installation to service. Designs custom pneumatic grain handling systems, self contained seed blowers/vacuums, and Air Boom planter fillers.
• Tuholski Farms Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHosts Express Parts Kiosk location at 5702 E 100 S, Mill Creek, IN. Kiosk is open daylight hours including weekends and holidays for Chester account customers.
• Randy SzczypiorskiminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHosts Express Parts Kiosk location at 52505 Spruce Road, New Carlisle, IN. Kiosk is open daylight hours including weekends and holidays for Chester account customers.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• CropX: Precision agriculture software and soil-sensor analytics provider serving row-crop farmers in the Midwest. Overlaps with Chester's GPS-guided irrigation and remote management capabilities on the digital agronomy layer.

Broad incumbents

• Trimble Agriculture (AGCO): Precision agriculture hardware and software platform (now part of AGCO) offering guidance, telematics, and farm management tools. Comparable in serving the same Midwest row-crop precision agriculture customer that Chester's ag division supports.
• Valley Irrigation (Valmont Industries): The dominant precision irrigation brand and Chester's primary brand partner. Operates broadly as a global manufacturer and dealer-network orchestrator, of which Chester is a top-tier Performance Plus dealer; comparable irrigation technology and end-markets.

Direct peers

• Lindsay Corporation (Zimmatic): Public company that manufactures Zimmatic center-pivot and lateral-move irrigation systems and FieldNET remote management, directly competing with Valley Irrigation. Comparable precision irrigation technology stack and dealer channel economics relevant to Chester's ag division.
• Weigand Construction: Northeast Indiana-based design-build construction firm serving commercial, healthcare, and industrial clients. Comparable regional design-build scale and project size to Chester's $150K–$10M commercial construction work.
• T-L Irrigation Company: Manufacturer of hydrostatically driven center-pivot irrigation systems competing with Valley, Reinke, and Zimmatic. Directly comparable product and end-customer to Chester's precision ag offering.
• Heartland Ag Systems: Multi-state ag equipment distributor and service provider for irrigation, grain handling, and application equipment in the upper Midwest. Closest peer to Chester's ag division as a competing regional Valley/ag equipment dealer with service and parts footprint.
• Tonn and Blank Construction: Northern Indiana design-build general contractor serving commercial, industrial, and institutional clients in a similar regional footprint. Closest peer to Chester's Architectural & Construction Services division in scale, geography, and delivery model.
• Reinke Manufacturing: Manufacturer of electric and hydraulic center-pivot irrigation systems that competes head-to-head with Valley Irrigation for pivot share among Midwest dealers and farmers. Comparable product category and customer base to Chester's core ag irrigation offering.

Regional players

• Hasse Construction: Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland commercial design-build contractor serving healthcare, education, and industrial clients. Comparable regional design-build positioning to Chester's construction division across adjacent Chicagoland/Northwest Indiana submarkets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chesterinc_
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCBcLMctqzaRb4uh_ehvFe5A
• Facebookfacebook.com/Chesterinc555
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chester-inc.
• Instagraminstagram.com/chester.inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 records

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 Chester