VES and Artex Barn Solutions have merged to create VES-Artex, the premier technology solutions provider for environmental systems in agricultural facilities. The combined company will be based in its new Global Headquarters and Innovation Center in Chippewa Falls, Wis., while leveraging both companies’ operations throughout the United States, Canada, Latin America and the rest of the world.

The creation of VES-Artex integrates each organization’s focus on animal wellbeing as the foundation for agricultural success, while strengthening its capabilities to impact agricultural operational performance through connected technologies and the Internet of things (IoT). This research-driven approach brings together veterinarians, designers, product experts, and dairies working together to design and build facilities to optimize animal wellness, reproduction, and productivity specifically for local climates and herds.

“This merger bolsters the industry, as it creates a single expert and resource for every aspect of environmental design and control on the dairy, from calf barns to the parlor, including the controls and connected technologies that bring it all together,” said Ed Paradowski, Chief Executive Officer of VES-Artex. “Our team believes at its core that animal wellbeing is the key to performance, profitability, and long-term sustainability — within each dairy and the food ecosystem as a whole.”

John de Jonge, president of Artex Barn Solutions, commented, “Together, we will simplify the design and implementation of ventilation, cooling, lighting, cow comfort equipment and environmental controls. The best technologies will be available in order to raise the total performance, efficiency and reliability of every system in the facilities we provide. We have made extensive investments in technologies and now have powerful development capabilities to drive the transformation of design for generations to come.”

Terms of the merger were undisclosed. While the companies are merging, industry partners will still work with the same sales and support personnel they’ve worked with in the past — and both companies’ product lines will remain intact. The VES-Artex team will work to merge each company’s products into a cohesive offering that will ensure the best performance, efficiency and reliability of each designed environment. 

VES-Artex is owned entirely by Turntide Technologies — the creator of the Smart Motor System, the world’s most efficient and connected motor system.

“Turntide is committed to developing and applying innovative technologies to help customers achieve more while reducing their environmental footprint,” said Ryan Morris, CEO of Turntide Technologies. “The new scale of VES-Artex powered by the Smart Motor System and DairyBOS will establish the clear leading platform to help dairies achieve sustainability and drive animal welfare.”

DairyBOS cloud platform

The newly deployed DairyBOS cloud platform will serve as the foundation of each VES-Artex installation. As the industry’s most comprehensive ventilation, lighting and cooling control system — compatible with both VES-Artex solutions and competitors’ technologies — DairyBOS is built on the connectivity and performance of the Smart Motor System.

DairyBOS provides unparalleled control of the dairy environment through any phone, tablet or computer with internet or cellular connectivity. Through the easy-to-use interface, dairy farms now have the tools to automate control of real-time environmental conditions based on factors both inside and outside of the facility, setting a new standard for systems management. DairyBOS drives measurable improvement in cow comfort, health, and productivity, while providing sustainability metrics and improved operational efficiencies.

“The future of dairy, and of the entire food ecosystem, is in connected technologies that allow farms to demonstrate the conditions in which they produce food, that animals were provided optimal care, as well as an environment that encouraged health, comfort and wellness,” said Paradowski. “The power of this merger, matched with our technology capabilities and our product roadmap, will set the standard in quality, productivity, and accountability to consumers.”