It’s one of those announcements you never expect to see, and it left me stunned. On Monday, May 18th, Mid America Trenchers announced the passing of its president, Jason Brown.
Jason is gone far too soon, but the impact he had on his family, friends, customers, and the industry was greater than most people ever achieve.
I first started working with Jason due to his vision of NACADE. The idea behind NACADE was—and still is—to combine a major equipment trade show with a concurrent educational event. I was grateful when Jason asked me to help connect with speakers. From the beginning, he made it clear that the event was not meant to promote any one company, but to move the industry forward.
Even with the usual glitches of a first-year event, the inaugural NACADE showed there was real appetite for this kind of showcase. Once again, Jason asked me to be part of planning the second edition. As part of that work, I met him at Mid America Trenchers headquarters in Dexter, Iowa. Even though I was disappointed that the Rusty Duck was not open for lunch, I left even more impressed by what a tremendous resource Jason was. He gave me a tour of the factory floor where he knew all the details of fabrication, mechanics, electronics, and even software design.
During my two hours at Mid America Trenchers, Jason never missed a beat, even as he answered at least five calls from customers seeking troubleshooting advice. He was never stumped. Each time he offered guidance across the full range of issues contractors faced in the field.
Jason believed the industry needed bigger conversations—not only about helping the public understand the importance of drainage, but also about where the industry itself could improve. That included bringing the CEOs of Central Iowa Water Works and Des Moines Water Works onto the Farm4Profit podcast during the height of the Des Moines metro lawn-watering ban.
Jason did far more than I can capture here, as shown by the number of members from across the country who reached out to make sure I had heard. He had a way of elevating every interaction, making people feel important—or at the very least entertained by his sense of humor. As I sat down to write this, I found myself smiling as I thought about the good times we shared. For a moment, I caught myself looking forward to working with Jason again, before reality set in and reminded me that will not happen.
It is my hope that ADMC and others across the industry continue to push ourselves to learn and grow by following Jason’s example. To my friend Jason: thank you for the good times, your generous spirit, and your willingness to take risks for the betterment of us all.