‘A good spot for us’

OTHELLO — Titus Bowser of TR Reapers says Adams County has become a home for him, his family and the business they run.

“It’s nice,” he said. “When we were looking to move from Ellensburg, (Adams County) was pretty central to a lot of our work. … It seemed like a good spot for us.” 

TR Reapers is a crop harvesting company that services clients from their facility out in the area east of Othello. The facility’s location is advantageous considering the customer base they have and the transportation infrastructure required to ensure their combines make it to the fields throughout Eastern Washington and Northern Oregon, Bowser said. Interstate-90, State Route 17, terminals along the Snake River and even railroad depots are close enough at hand that crops can be taken by TR Reapers-operated trucks to move on to the next stage in their journey to market.

Bowser said he took over TR Reapers in 2006, which was located in Ellensburg at the time. The company’s field-to-bin service coordinates transportation to market as well. The three-combine operation has grown to 13 in the years since it moved to Othello in 2010. 

The move to a central location in the Columbia Basin made sense. At first, the base in the Ellensburg area worked, but as growth started coming, acreage the company serviced in the Columbia Basin outweighed the acreage near Ellensburg. They even began growing their own crops in the area, primarily dryland wheat. 

Grain crops like wheat that are similarly harvested are what TR Reapers is invested in, Bowser said. Those crops include grass, wheat, beans, corn, buckwheat and others. Their equipment is set up to be able to bring in those crops, haul them to a distribution hub, whether that be barge, rail or other transportation means, and move them forward. 

With the variety of crops in the Columbia Basin, it can be difficult for smaller farmers to get the economies of scale needed to pay for heavy equipment such as combines, tractors and semi-trucks, he said. 

“The diversity of crops creates a need for a lot of different pieces of equipment,” Bowser said. 

Serving farms from a central location helps TR Reapers take care of clients, he said. He estimates that the regional transportation infrastructure and convenient placement of their company puts them 45 minutes or less away from about 80% of the fields the company currently harvests. 

It helps that Othello is nearby and offers additional trucks for hire if the company needs more to get crops to harvest.

“We hire a lot of trucks and it seems like there’s a high number of trucks for hire in this area,” Bowser said. 

He said that since moving to the area, the Bowsers have felt like it was the right decision. The lifestyle in the area is what they were looking for with a small community with the right amenities in Othello. Despite the large fields and pastures, town is only a brief drive away. 

Outdoor activities such as boating, swimming, hunting and fishing are close at hand, and the family enjoys visiting Potholes Reservoir, Palouse Falls and other regional attractions and enjoying the area in general.

“One thing I really enjoy is just the weather. In the summertime, there’s a lot of sunny days, and I think it’s a nice climate,” he said.

That climate will help the business grow too as farmers in the area continue to need TR Reapers’ services and expertise, Bowser said. With diverse crops, local infrastructure and the expertise available in the area, he feels the company’s home in Adams County stages the company for growth.

R. Hans “Rob” Miller may be reached at rmiller@columbiabasinherald.com.

    Titus and Rachel Bowser with their children. The Bowsers work together with the children pitching and Rachel serving as the secretary for the company while Titus serves as president of the company. The Bowsers say they enjoy the lifestyle offered in the Othello area.
  

    Titus Bowser said one of his favorite things about being headquartered in Adams County is the pleasant weather that leans toward sunny days and less wind than other places in Washington he’s lived. Above, TR Reapers combines harvest a field in the area. The company also offers tillage services.