BRETT BOWMAN RETIRES AT STAR EQUIPMENT

After 50 years of employment in the family businesses, Star Equipment’s Brett Bowman retired on September 29, 2023.  Although Brett officially started after his graduation in the spring of 1973, he had been helping his dad and mom, Max & Beverly Bowman, after school, weekends and during the summers since September of 1968. Brett also helped at Max’s previous employer, All Wheel Drive, remnants of which are part of Titan Machinery.

Over the years Brett has had to rise to the challenges as the company grew.  In the beginning Brett was “boy Friday,” cleaning bathrooms, floors, trucks, and equipment.  As Brett got old enough, additional duties were placed on his plate: painting, diagnosing, repairing equipment, field repairs, running deliveries, loading and unloading equipment. 

Brett helped his parents start a concrete pumping company, Planet Enterprises, in the 70’s and eventually ran the pumping company until the farm crisis and construction downturn of the 80’s forced Star to sell the pumps. Brett and Max pretty much pioneered pumping concrete in Iowa.  Traveling late at night and early in the morning to get to jobs and be ready to pump concrete along with Roger Bacon, Walt McPhee and several others, they were a part of the early history of building the vertical infrastructure of Iowa. Brett pumped concrete for virtually every major contractor in Iowa and those that visited from out of state. Brett liked the concrete pumping industry and left Star to go to work for Schwing American until the end of 1992 when he returned to run Star’s service department, where he has been for the last 31 years.

In late 1992 Star Equipment was looking for a service manager and Brett saw this and decided to leave San Francisco and Schwing and return to Star.  Over the years he introduced many of the modern techniques Star uses today and had continued to stand vigil over the service department as General Service Manager, growing as the company added more products. As time moved on, Brett took on additional duties, the title of Vice President and Treasurer of Star, and oversaw the move from the old service building to its present location on the adjacent lot.   

A retirement party for Brett was held at the Des Moines, Iowa branch.  Friends, customers, vendors, and employees, all were invited to his retirement party and as a testament to his great work and the relationships that he built throughout the years, the event was extremely well attended.