It all started in 1974 when Max Jantz bought one tractor and one scraper in the Gray County town of Montezuma.

“My dad tells the story about when he was working at the local co-op, a guy pulled up and asked if he wanted to buy a tractor and a scraper. Dad went to the bank, got a loan, bought the equipment and started building terraces,” Aaron Jantz, says. “Over the years, he wanted to do a little bit more and a little bit more.”

That ‘little bit more’ turned into understanding the appropriate slope of land required for feedyards, then learning how to pour concrete and build fences. This knowledge in one place conjured MJE, LLC. – Max Jantz Excavating.  

“He kept seeing people doing these different jobs sort of as piecemeal and thought, ‘I can do all of this for my customers,’” Aaron says, who is now the chief executive officer of MJE.

CUTTING OUT THE MIDDLEMEN

Like some of us shop at Walmart because of its convenience and one-stop-shop amenities, MJE provides a similar complete purchasing experience to its customers, but without self-checkouts.

“We’re what we call turnkey construction,” Aaron says. “You give us a piece of land, we’ll design it, build it, have it completely ready for operations. You’re only communicating with MJE through the entire process.”

The one-stop-shop approach wouldn’t be possible if they didn’t have the manpower behind the scenes. They’ve grown their team to 250 employees who construct every phase of construction for feedyards, dairies and some public projects.

Gray County is home to the first wind farm in Kansas, the aptly named Gray County Wind Farm, built in 2001. MJE was part of that project, and worked on the Horsethief Reservoir in Jetmore when it started construction in 2008.

MJE’s western Kansas location lends itself to several agricultural construction projects due to the landscape and proximity to feedyards and dairies. The company has worked on several feedyards in the area such as Wilroads Feedyard in Dodge City, Midwest Feeders in Ingalls, Innovative Livestock Services in Great Bend and Hy-Plains Feedyard’s research and development facility in Montezuma.

“The Hy-Plains Feedyard facility was a neat project for us,” says Heather Jantz, chief operating officer of MJE, and Max Jantz’s daughter. “They’re committed to educating youth about the agricultural industry in southwest Kansas. Half of the facility is what I would call an open educational space with all the technology you need for presentations. And the other half is a processing facility for cattle, but with an observation deck above it to allow research scientists, clients and students to see cattle being processed. It’s a great educational facility.”

LAYING THE GROUNDWORK

The initial road paved by Max has been preserved by Aaron and Heather through the years – the importance of laying a solid foundation for companies to build on never wavering.

“Dad early on figured out how important dirt work is for a feedyard,” Heather says. “He was able to develop solid relationships with feedyards because of this and we maintain those relationships today. I would say 95 percent of our business is from customers we’ve worked with before.”

The Jantz duo have a deep understanding and love for the western Kansas landscape, recognizing the importance of the work they do and the people they impact.

“We want our customers to be profitable,” Aaron says. “In order for them to be profitable, we have to provide them with the best build. When they make more money with quality construction, they come back to us for an expansion. That’s the goal anyway.”

Eventually, the work of MJE impacts the products that come from the construction sites – like the beef enjoyed in spaghetti or hamburgers or the milk, yogurt and sour cream necessary for many recipes. When MJE provides quality construction work, cowboys and dairy farmers provide quality food.

“Because we’re building a quality facility the animals are fed in, there’s quality meat and milk coming out of those facilities,” Heather says. “I’m proud our team takes that seriously because ultimately, we are helping feed the nation. We are a part of that.”

GROWING THEIR OWN

Skilled labor and living in western Kansas are two key elements for many of the employees working at MJE. Heather, Aaron and the entire MJE team are passionate about creating and sharing a positive impact on both.

“There’s a lot of knowledge in this area,” Aaron says. “Instead of letting that knowledge go somewhere else, we work to keep those people here in southwest Kansas. That is why we’re part of the Grow Your Own initiative where we communicate the opportunities students have in western Kansas. We also offer scholarship programs for skilled trades like welders and diesel mechanics.”

“On the housing front, which can be an issue in western Kansas, we are working with our local pharmacy and applied for a moderate-income housing grant for Montezuma,” Heather says. “We just completed six new housing units and filled them up right away.”

DIVERSIFYING THE COMPANY

MJE is a company of builders – building construction projects, its employees and in 2019, livestock equipment. Diversification and technological advancements are important to Aaron and Heather, so they started a retail side of their brand called MJE Livestock Equipment (MJE LE).

MJE LE offers a wide range of products including livestock handling equipment, modular fencing and supplies, waterers, dairy equipment and more. Their dedication to helping farmers and ranchers work efficiently and safely is evident in the quality products they offer.

The manufacturing building, also in Montezuma, features impressive engineering and technology, including a robot welder.

“Being in the forefront of technology and innovation is important for us,” Aaron says. “We’re always trying to improve by diving into technologies, which at the end of the day enables us to grow and make us better.”

A product they patented for the dairy industry was the epitome of what the “sharks” on the TV show Shark Tank look for – a product that solves a problem.

“Calf hutches in the dairy industry can be difficult to protect from high winds,” Heather says. “We designed a latch and tether system that holds the hutches in place very securely and protects calves when there are high winds or storms.”

The system was named a Top 10 Product of the Year at the 2020 World Ag Expo and has sold more than 100,000 units.

“We’re constantly researching innovation because that’s where the world is going,” Heather says.

FAMILY TIES THAT BIND

The siblings reflect on working together, remembering the lessons from their father to always listen and care about their employees.

“My dad set the tone in the company regarding equality,” Heather says. “Every employee had the ability to climb the ladder regardless of gender, race or religion. This is a value Aaron and I continue to hold at MJE.”

Although Heather is a female in a male-dominated industry, she doesn’t let that bother her.

“My dad always treated me just the same as my brother,” she says. “I would work alongside my dad in the field, making sure the project was being built correctly. I had developed those relationships, so I was respected. A lot of times I’m the only woman in the room, but it doesn’t intimidate me. I have a pretty strong personality. My dad set that tone, and it has allowed me to grow in this industry.”

Aaron and Heather present a united team but understand they may disagree sometimes, as siblings are prone to do. Their communication styles and trust in each other to do what’s best for MJE and its employees prevent discourse.

“I don’t like it when people just agree with me all the time,” Aaron says. “If you don’t agree, I want to hear why. Being narrow-minded gets us nowhere so you have to have those discussions.”

Max is now retired and enjoying life in sunny Florida, but the brother-sister team reminisce about growing up with a dad like Max.

“We’d go out and survey and write everything down, then go to a drafting board and design everything by hand,” Aaron says. “Everything was calculations so maybe that’s why I love math so much.”

“And maybe that’s why I was scared of math,” Heather jokes.

Aaron and Heather’s math skills combined with the care of their employees, projects and ultimately, grocery buyers would hands down get them a deal on Shark Tank.

For more information about MJE, visit mjellc.net. 

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