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Our Story

The endeavor that became Exapta Solutions was founded by Matt Hagny in 1998, with the simple vision of providing better tools for no-till seeding. Exapta also relies on the necessity-driven innovation of many farmers and researchers to find solutions for high-performance planting and production. To this day, Exapta’s forte is in understanding how plants grow, and how the no-till seed-installation process can be more effectively accomplished. We strive not to sell you some device, but to provide useful information so that you can get the most out of your seeding equipment—more acres, better emergence, higher yield, and greater profit. Once armed with knowledge, we hope you will see the value and wisdom of our products.

Consistent performance is no accident. Exapta stacks the odds in your favor.

Our Mission

Consistent performance is no accident. Exapta stacks the odds in your favor. We build & supply farmers with top-shelf seeding tools for no-till conditions. Read More >>

Our Values

Matt Hagny

Matt Hagny, who grew up on a grain & cattle farm in S. Dakota, migrated to Kansas in ’93 to set up shop as a consulting agronomist for no-till systems. He also offered a custom no-till seeding service during the ’94 to 2001, which led to many frustrations and insights for better methods of no-till seeding. Matt traveled the globe, both as a consultant and a student of no-till, and learned from some of the best. Matt conducted highly acclaimed Seeding Schools every year to assist producers in better understanding all aspects of no-till seeding equipment, ranging in subject matter far beyond Exapta products. Matt passed away August 24, 2019. He was the life and blood of Exapta and will be tremendously missed. His knowledge and expertise immensely impacted many producers worldwide. Exapta will move forward in honor of his legacy. Learn more about the Matt Hagny No-Till Scholarship Foundation.

Emilie Hagny Downs

CEO & President

Emilie Hagny Downs grew up on a grain and cattle operation with her brother, Matt. She has been with Exapta since the inception, tackling the the marketing and branding for the company.

Emilie has since taken on the role of President & CEO after her brother’s passing in 2019. Emilie is passionate about helping no-tillers find success in their operations with better seeding equipment and tools.

Kim Stute

Kim grew up in a small town in central Kansas on a family farm, growing milo and wheat. She joined the Exapta team in 2022. Kim firmly believes every client deserves excellent customer service!  She is a strong believer in the importance and benefits of No-Till farming.

 kim.stute@exapta.com

Chris Horton

Chris Horton brings 25 years of management with him. He grew up on his grandparents farm in Reno County Kansas where they mainly grew wheat and cattle feed. He worked on feed lots as a pen rider and cow-calf operations before moving to Southern California where Chris started a new career in the transportation and transport logistics, eventually managing the western region for a large commercial vehicle leasing company. Chris moved home to Kansas, to manage a local Farmers Coop and then eventually the service dept for a tractor dealership. The opportunity to join the Exapta team came up, and he knew he wanted to be a part of this team.

Chris Sauerwein

R&D Manager

Chris Sauerwein joined Exapta after 23 years in various roles at AGCO Engineering, from field test validation, to design and prototype manufacturing. Growing up on a grain and livestock farm in SC Kansas, he found it easy to understand the benefits of no-till, and later implemented a total no-till program on the family farm operation.

Chris joined the Exapta team after seeing the vision, along with the honest intentions to help the producer, that led to Exapta’s product offering. Chris looks forward to continuing development of new and improved products to help raise the bottom line for Exapta customers.

Jon Zeller

Current Product Engineer

Jonathan Zeller joined Exapta excited to return to working with no-till planting equipment. He supported research of no-till planting and other ag related projects for 7 years with Kansas State University’s Agricultural Engineering Department after getting his engineering degree. He later worked 3 years for Landoll Company, LLC. where he gained experience in a design engineering role. Jonathan grew up on a small family farm in NE Kansas working with row crops, hay and cattle. Jonathan enjoys solving engineering problems and improving or creating products to be robust and easy to install and service.

Tony Downs

Installation Crew Chief

Tony Downs heads up the installation crew for Exapta’s UniForce downforce monitoring systems. No stranger to the open road, his work took him to 20 states last year alone. He enjoys visiting the farms and farmers and seeing their operations.

Jake Strawn

Warehouse Associate

Jake brings a can-do attitude to everything he does in the warehouse. He’s a big help when it comes to equipment installation as well.

Tayln Huff

Warehouse Associate

As our newest warehouse member, Tayln brings integrity and enthusiasm to everything he does in the warehouse. Tayln works diligently to prep orders and get them out with speed and accuracy.

Guy Spragg

Sales & Service 

Guy grew up in Missouri surrounded by farming. His grandpa was a farmer, and Guy likewise obtained a passion for farming from an early age.  After graduating from Pittsburg State University, he worked at AGCO for 9 years in various technical type roles. He then worked with CNH as a Precision Technology Specialist. He is excited to now be working with Exapta as they support and seek to improve no-till seeding and planting operations!

guy.spragg@exapta.com

Ethan Begle

Sales & Service Rep

Ethan Begle has been no-till farming in Indiana on his own since he started farming in 2013. When buying his first planter, he immediately installed the full Exapta system of products. After farming a couple of years and seeing the perfect no-till stands he was achieving, Ethan became a strong believer in Exapta products and joined the team in 2017. He continues to experiment and gain experience to help improve no-till planting.

ethan.begle@exapta.com

Bob Pagel

Sales & Service Representative

Prior to joining Exapta, Bob Pagel was an Agricultural Territory Sales Manager for Ritchie Brothers, serving parts of MN, WI and IA. He continues to support his family farm in SE Minnesota.

Levi Metzger

Sales & Service Rep

Levi Metzger grew up involved in agriculture in Northwest Iowa, and has been passionate about farming since a young age. After graduating from South Dakota State, he decided to join the team at Exapta Solutions. When he’s not working with Exapta, he can be found at home working on the farm with his uncle, who has a row crop and cow-calf operation. He enjoys talking to, and learning from, other farmers, not only about the agronomic systems they use, but all aspects of their businesses.

Pauline Oropesa

Administrative Assistant

Pauline, a Kansas native, has recently settled in Moundridge. She is currently on track to earn her marketing degree at Wichita State University. Pauline helps with running Exapta’s social media pages and increasing brand awareness. She also helps the warehouse and sales teams with various tasks. Her knowledge of photography, social media, and organizational skills makes her a valuable member of the team. 

Carl Christopherson

Sales & Service Rep

Carl Christopherson grew up on family farm in northwest Minnesota. He began seeding his own Red River Valley operation in 2004, with hoe drill, switching to no-till drill a couple years ago. Carl is excited to adapt more no-till into his operation. 

carl.christopherson@exapta.com