Barreto Manufacturing

Did you know home store rental departments across the country are stocked with landscaping machines produced by a company based in Oregon?

From the beginning, Barreto Manufacturing has been designing and manufacturing landscape and outdoor equipment developed to last in demanding rental and industrial environments. After learning firsthand which components failed first in rental use, Greg Barreto built an industry-first all-hydraulic tiller. Now, over 40 years later, the company offers a wide range of hydraulic-powered machines.

As demand for the built-to-work machines grew, so did the company’s workforce and footprint. Barreto now employs about 160 workers across their production facilities in La Grande, Oregon and Horseshoe Bend, Idaho, as well as a distribution warehouse in South Carolina.

Developing a responsive safety program

In a demanding manufacturing environment, employee safety is vital to maintaining the quality customers have come to expect from Barreto equipment. As the company grew, leaders recognized the need for a safety program that could quickly identify and address concerns across all areas of production.

At the center of their safety program is a safety committee with six employees from across the company’s eight departments. They serve one-year rotations on the committee alongside two permanent members from the management team. The committee meets every month to review recent incidents, hear concerns raised in individual departments, and consider future training opportunities to address workforce needs.

HR Manager Dave Tierce says the employee rotations bring fresh perspectives on operations and frontline working conditions.

Following the monthly safety committee meetings, each member of the committee calls a meeting back at their department to share what was covered. These department meetings encourage participation from all employees in the safety process and provide space for specialized discussions about their operations.

“The culture within Barreto Manufacturing has always been an open-door policy for all employees,” Tierce says. “But these meetings allow for an additional opportunity in a smaller setting for people to freely speak up if they want.”

Investment in employees and community

When spring arrives and people are ready to take on their next garden project, Barreto’s employees have already been hard at work to fulfill orders for rental companies, home stores, and contractors across the country and overseas.

To meet the need, the company prides itself on recruiting and keeping workers for the long haul. Barreto’s first employee, now the general manager, recently celebrated 40 years with the company. Building a work environment that rewards hard work and loyalty requires recognizing employees as the greatest asset and extending support when needed.

“When they and their families are supported, everyone wins—the employee, their family, and the company,” Tierce says.

This commitment goes beyond the workplace with an ongoing investment in projects and organizations that train the next generation of workers. The company regularly supports local agricultural education programs like 4-H and the Future Farmers of America, as well as STEM programs that provide learning opportunities.

“Over the past 42 years, we have been incredibly blessed, and we want to honor that by continuing to practice generosity,” says Tierce.