Bushel Plus to rebrand to BranValt

Bushel Plus has announced a major rebrand that will see the company transition into a new global umbrella identity called BranValt.

The rebranding marks a milestone as the Manitoba-based agricultural technology firm completes its first decade in business and prepares for its next phase of international expansion.

Owner Marcel Kringe said the decision to rebrand stems largely from the company’s global growth and the limitations of its original name.

Kringe said the term “bushel,” while widely understood in North America, does not translate internationally.

“In Europe, nobody knows what a bushel means,” he said.

With expansion accelerating, he said the company opted to make the change now rather than later.

The new name, BranValt, is designed to reflect both the company’s origins and its agricultural mission. Kringe said that “bran” reflects both Brandon, Manitoba, where the company was founded, and the agricultural concept of grain quality and vitality; “valt” represents protection and preservation of every kernel and value created in agriculture. He added that the name also carries a subtle nod to his German heritage and forestry background.

A strategic partnership with agricultural manufacturer John Deere also influenced the timing of the rebrand.

Kringe said the company approached Bushel Plus after recognizing the value of its SmartPan system for combined calibration and efficiency.

“They approached us and said, ‘We believe you have the best system on the market … and we want to endorse your product and add it to our training and dealer network,’” he said. With that level of global exposure, Kringe said aligning the brand structure became a timely next step.

Despite the rebrand, Kringe emphasized that the company’s core identity will remain unchanged. The logo, ownership, team and product offerings will remain consistent, with Bushel Plus becoming one of several product lines under the BranValt umbrella, alongside SmartPan, MAD Concaves, MiniCombine systems, and the company’s Harvest Academy educational division. “It’s just one of those steps of evolving to the next level,” he said.

Kringe said both challenge and rapid growth have defined the journey since founding the company in 2016.

“Entrepreneurship is a roller coaster of very high highs, excitement, and then very low lows,” Kringe said.

Originally from Germany, he immigrated to Canada in 2012 and described a steep learning curve that included not only farming operations but also language and technical communication. “I had to learn English mostly over here in Canada … then you have legal language, insurance documents, so the learning curve was rapid,” he said.

From those early beginnings working on farms in Ontario, Bushel Plus grew from a single product idea into a global agricultural technology company now operating in 45 countries with close to 30 employees across Canada, the United States, Australia and other regions.

Kringe said early support from farmers played a crucial role in the company’s growth. “Farmers supported me. They liked the products … they said, ‘Marcel, you should quit your job and do this full time,’” he recalled.

At the core of the business is the SmartPan system, a magnetic drop pan designed to measure and reduce grain loss during harvesting. Kringe said that inefficient combine settings can lead to significant waste.

“A combine can be set up in a way where there is a lot of loss … grain that falls back onto the field and is not captured,” he said. “We can quantify that grain loss and change settings in the combine to reduce it — from five or six per cent down to one percent.” He said that the impact extends beyond profitability for farmers to broader food production efficiency.

The company has also expanded through acquisitions, including MAD Concaves, a manufacturing business based in Heming, as well as a German-based combined training and optimization company.

Kringe said those acquisitions were driven in part by succession planning.

“Three really good gentlemen … wanted to retire, and we took on their legacy,” he said, noting that the company continues to invest in training and operational expertise across markets.

Looking ahead, Kringe said the company’s next decade will be guided by continuous innovation, farmer success, technical excellence and consistent customer experience.

While opportunities for further acquisitions remain, he said the focus will stay on strengthening current products and supporting employees.

“We want to make sure we service our customers with the current products as good as we can,” he said, adding that the ultimate goal is to ensure each innovation delivers measurable value on the farm.

He described the broader journey as proof that persistence pays off.

“It was 10 years of really hard work … and that is the proof that bringing the right values to farmers can pay off,” Kringe said.

» aodutola@brandonsun.com

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