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Article published in the Draft Horse Journal Winter of 2004-2005

J.W. Schut Co. Celebrates 45th Anniversary

by Cecil E. Darnell
Harley Schut built his first wagon when he was 16, working around his duties as an onion farmer. During his early years, he built wagons during the winter months and raised onions during the summer. As the seasons changed, the switchover from wagons to onions continued, but became more demanding each season.

It was during this period that a neighboring farmer stopped by and suggested that he rent their farm. That timely offer was accepted. The onion farming became a part of their history and wagons became their future. For those who are wondering about the "J" in the name of the company, Harley's sons include Jake, Jack and John.

Jake and Harley Schut next to their
wagon working studio in Hopkins, Michigan.

Jake built his first wagon when he was 14 years old, so he got started earlier than his dad.

How did an onion farmer know how to build that first wagon? Actually, Harley credits the basic skills of a blacksmith; the sensitivity of a carpenter; and the ability to learn by studying the work of others for allowing J.W. Schut Co. to become known as a wagon builder who places quality products in first place.

Harley has always been a student of the Studebaker Company (the only wagon builder making the successful transition to horseless carriages) and honored the slogan of "Always deliver more than is expected." Jake Schut adds, "Studebaker was our mentor just by doing what they did." While this "Always deliver more" concept was coined by another company a century earlier, it does embrace the J.W. Schut Co. objective as well.

As Harley developed the basic skills required for the wagon building craft, he also worked to really listen to what people wanted. He knew that quality was a part of a product that never went out of style. He credits the quality of the J.W. Schut Hitch Wagons with the long term success of the company.

How many complete wagons have been produced by the J.W. Schut Co. in their 45 years of business? That total count is nearing a thousand now, counting the smaller ones as well as the larger hitch wagons.

At the 2004 Michigan Great Lakes International Draft Horse Show (MGLI) this past fall, Jake Schut spent time checking out the wagons on site. He was on number 18 as he smiled, waved and continued counting the Schut Wagons being used in the various exhibits. Just how many Schut Wagons were there? It is difficult to say exactly because there are various classifications of building a wagon. Doing work on a wagon is figured differently than building the entire wagon.

The wagons used at the MGLI are beautiful and exhibitors take great pride in them when they use them for hitch competitions. The big hitches hauling the most impressive wagons attract people from everywhere.

Jake Schut comments on the people that building wagons has put them in contact with. "The hitch horse people have a pride and an energy, along with an integrity of spirit that is in harmony with our own." He adds, "We have ended up selling various operations four and five different wagons as their needs and expectations changed over time. There was a period when we expected the bigger hitches to go through a seven year cycle. Over that time frame, the hitches would build up, receive a lot of attention and investment, and then the interests would change, and the attention and interest in the animals would reflect a lesson learned in their equine involvement."

Jake mentions, "The hitch people who last the longest in the industry are the good old family boys who started out with a single horse and built up to a hitch. They know the value of things and conduct their business accordingly. We enjoy working with them. We understand each other."

It usually takes the J.W. Schut Co. about six weeks to complete a large hitch wagon. They like to have enough work lined up so that they are booked for a couple of months in advance. They prefer to not be overwhelmed nor to be too slow either. If they can keep a steady work pace it better fits with their quality goals. Their wagons are located throughout the Midwest and the Eastern Seaboard, with lesser representation on the West Coast. Delivering the finished wagons has become an interesting experience for the Schut family. Jake also drives their six Haflinger hitch whenever the situation permits, on whatever wagon is available at the time.

Within the manufacturing community, production in western Michigan has kept the work force employed during periods when other parts of the state have suffered economic downturns. This area is especially well known for office furniture and also has a number of manufacturing plants that sell parts assembled into automobiles in other parts of Michigan.

Wagon building has changed over the years. There was a time when all the various parts had to be manufactured and then put together into the final unit. Today many of the individual parts are available on the market. The same techniques used in automobile manufacturing are now incorporated into wagon building by making use of suppliers. For example, the Amish are now building the wheels that the J.W. Schut Co. puts on their wagons. Henry Ford was a sharp dude with his interchangeable parts, or was that Eli Whitney?

Wagons to Trucks
Before the automobile began providing transportation for people, there was a carriage or buggy shop in about every town. The livery stable was the early "Enterprise Car Rental" that accommodated those traveling from place to place. While trains moved folks from one major area to another, local transportation required other arrangements.

Moving people and supplies from one place to another required a lot of horses and wagons until recent times. From supplying food and merchandise to the populated areas; to helping people move west; from helping the military establishment move troops and the tools of war; these were major demands before the internal combustion engine made an appearance.

We have only lived shortly more than a century since the Civil War (or the War between the States, depending on where you live) and neither World War I or World War II were a hundred years ago. Those who are mature enough will recall the TV series with Ward Bond leading Wagon Train westward, or the films that captured the contributions made by draft animals, caissons, wagons, and such devices used for mobilizing people and supplies for them and for war. The history of traveling and moving goods is our history.

The manufacturing of freight wagons was big business during the 1800s. Government contracts were important to wagon builders. The build up to and the Civil War years (1861-65) “made” some wagon manufacturers, Studebaker being one of them. Historians will note that once this struggle was completed, the western migration paced the next leg of our national development and the expanding need for wagons.

As the early companies who built freight wagons hit their zenith and then gave way to cars and trucks, there was very little carryover from the horsedrawn to the motor powered conveyances. Studebaker managed to hang on to affix their name to an automobile.

The Studebaker car is often remembered by the "Bullet Nose" design that came out immediately following WW II and was produced through the early 1950s. It is interesting to note that in 1963, Studebaker quit producing automobiles in the United States and that was also the last year the Michigan State University had draft horses (until just recently). Still, the demand for the horse drawn wagons continues even today.