Belltec holds appreciation banquet

July 17, 2025

By David Tuma

The Belton Journal

Recently, Belltec Industries held its annual employee appreciation banquet at its production site. The local company has a rich history with roots in the Midwest. The Jones family began their journey as pioneers in the machinery business at the height of the Great Depression. While farmers suffered from plummeting prices and high debt, Glen Jones saw an answer to their troubles. He realized that agricultural mechanization was a labor-saving solution for farmers, and with this realization, he set off on his quest to develop products for the agriculture industry. Jones established his first company, the New Method Equipment Company, out of Indianola, Iowa, producing the hay master and mechanical front-end loaders. A few short years later, he founded the Continental Farm Machine Company out of Minneapolis, Minnesota, manufacturing another type of agricultural product, a universal tractor-mounted post hole digger. At the Belltec banquet was Joe Eggertsen, who lives in Northwest Iowa. Belltec has employed him for the past three years. “The Jones family has roots going back to Iowa. My father has farmed for the past 50 years. I have farmed for the past six years. I am very glad I made the move to work for Belltec. I was their first out-of-state remote employee. They are movers in the industry. Supporting the community is a big deal to them,” said Eggertsen. By 1946 the company’s success led Glen Jones to establish yet another company. This time he sent his son Clyde to Belton, to assist in the startup of the Continental Belton Company. They were to produce a more refined model of the post hole digger, and by 1950, Clyde was General Manager. Under Clyde’s leadership, Continental added more products to its lineup, and after several years Clyde was ready to branch out to start a venture of his own. In 1958, Clyde founded the Mohawk Equipment Company in Temple, producing rotary cutters, rear blades, chisel plows, and other agricultural equipment. At one time, some 100 models and variations of equipment were manufactured and sold by Mohawk. This company and the Continental Belton Company were both sold sometime in the 1980s. Soon after, Clyde was ready for the next step in his career. In 1988, Clyde, along with his two sons, Donny and David, founded Belltec Industries, Inc. in Belton. The company began by producing the TM48 Post Hole Digger, a unique, patented post hole digger that uses the weight of the tractor to apply pressure to the bits. The TM-48 drills through rock, concrete, and other hard surfaces with ease, unlike other 3-point posthole diggers. Joe Dosson grew up in Temple. He is a flight press operator at Belltec. “I have been doing this for four years. I started out as a welder here. They take good care of me. I am going to retire here,” said Dosson. “I couldn’t say enough good things about this company. I love it here. Working here has been a real treat,” said Daniel Aguilar.