About Us

Art’s Manufacturing & Supply (AMS)

Since Art’s Manufacturing & Supply (AMS) was founded in 1942, our products have been used by individuals, businesses, universities, nonprofits, and government agencies throughout the world for a wide variety of sampling, testing, and monitoring purposes. We primarily serve the agricultural, geotechnical, environmental, and groundwater industries.

We manufacture soil probes, soil augers, soil core samplers, sludge and sediment samplers, soil gas samplers, and more. Since 1994, we’ve designed, manufactured, and supported PowerProbes, our robust and reliable direct push, rotary, and geotechnical drilling rigs. PowerProbes perform comprehensive soil, soil gas, and groundwater sampling, testing, and monitoring, alongside monitoring well installation, remediation investigations and implementations, and geophysical and geotechnical assessments.

From left to right: Braydon Chipps, Marc Chipps, Rick Vollweiler, and Brehn Chipps.

The Beginning

Art Vollweiler opened the doors of Art’s Machine Shop over 80 years ago. His simple philosophy, “Everything is a Work of Art,” became the cornerstone of our growth and development. He considered every product a direct reflection of his work, so every design was developed with purpose and longevity in mind.

Over time, our product line expanded alongside Art’s reputation for innovation. When the US government’s Soil Conservation Service asked Art to develop a tool for soil sampling, he took the task seriously. The soil auger design from that project remains in use today. Over the following years, we developed a complete line of hand sampling equipment, including soil augers, hammer-driven samplers, specialty shovels, and accessories.

The Vision

In 1980, Art’s son Rick joined the company. Recognizing that the future lay in the global market, Rick expanded our vision and helped us grow from a successful local business into a major global competitor. With an aggressive marketing plan and an expanded product line, we grew to more than 20 times our original size.

We’re still driven by the simple philosophy that each product is a “Work of Art.” Our highly qualified team builds custom products to meet your exact needs and specifications. Our efforts to provide high-quality products, together with our strong commitment to technological improvements and customer service, have helped establish us as a major manufacturer serving the global agricultural, geotechnical, environmental, and groundwater industries.

The Legacy

Since then, we’ve taken strategic steps to expand within our core industries. With each new step, we’re reminded of the need to stay true to our founding philosophy. Today, we continue to look for ways to do our work with less impact on the environment while developing partnerships that advance our technologies.

In 2002, Art’s grandson Marc joined the management team, helping us respond more quickly to industry demands. Now, as president of our company, Marc has advanced the technology in our existing products while encouraging the expansion of our product lines and applications.

We’re proud to be a fourth-generation, family-owned business, thanks to Art’s great-grandsons, Brehn and Braydon.

Our Commitment

As we strive to meet and exceed our goals, we’re in it for the long haul. We’re committed to delivering high-quality products backed by excellent customer service. Your suggestions for custom products are always welcome, as they help us create solutions tailored to your unique needs. You and our team are our greatest assets, and we promise to deliver nothing less than a true “Work of Art”!