By Douglas Stephens
Sponsored by PBI Parlor Systems

With the philosophy of manufacturing the most durable and lasting milking stalls and equipment for dairies throughout the world, Steve Peacock, owner of PBI Parlor Systems (www.PBIParlorsystems.com), and his employees are committed to improving dairy profits and providing top-notch customer service.
This philosophy and commitment have been the foundation for the Portales, New Mexico, firm that Steve first started in a small welding shop in Anthony, New Mexico, in the late 1980s. Now 64 years old, Steve says he has been involved in the business world, specifically in construction since he was 20 years of age. “I started in a blacksmith shop at age 20 and was an industrial welder in the steel mills. Later, I had a construction firm that remodeled corrals and barns, and even built a couple of barns.” The turning point in his career came in the form of a friend. 
Steve recounts, “He was a dairyman, and he asked if I would design a parallel stall for his dairy barn. Well, I’d never done this and had no clue, so I just said no!” The word “No” evidently wasn’t in the dairyman’s vocabulary, because he came back. Finally, he relented and said, “Ok.” But he had to do his research, because “I was coming in cold turkey. Luckily, the good Lord gave me the gift to be able to work through mechanical things, and I began to experiment.”
Still, Steve had a lot of trial and error before designing his “first” parallel stall system. Long story short, when the trial and error period was over, he had hit a homerun with his parallel stall design. Word of mouth, and PBI Parlor Systems became a thriving business. 
Now, over 25 years later, PBI Parlor Systems sets the standard for milking stalls and related equipment. PBI stalls are engineered to be the best solution for maintaining cow safety and dairy efficiency. When asked about this success, Steve discussed three factors. “First, the good Lord took an old country boy and led him to this business. He has been my leader. Over the years, we have been blessed with great workers and devoted employees. They are all very supportive of the company. In the early years, we kept tweaking and making little changes, going out and addressing problems. Now, in the last few years, our construction hasn’t changed much, because it hasn’t needed to. Our goal is to manufacture a fail-safe product.”

Over the years, Steve has brought together an excellent group of installation professionals. “When I first started in this industry, I saw that it sometimes took crews several weeks to install or remodel a milking parlor. Well, I came from the construction business, where we were ready to rock and roll. We simply came in, worked long hours and got the job done. I remember a remodel job at a dairy in California. We tore out the old and installed a new Double 20 in 18 hours instead of taking weeks!”
Testimonial to the years of building positive customer relationships and repeat business comes in the form of multi-generational dairy farmers. Mitch Horton, a third-generation dairy farmer and owner of Las Uvas Valley Dairy shares his story. “I consider it an honor to work with the same great people at PBI Parlor Systems that my father and grandfather worked with. We have their Elite Parallel stall systems in all of our dairy barns and as expected, they work every day without exceptions. I also had the pleasure to work with Lucky (Steve’s son) and his crew this last year when they installed a new Elite Double 20 stall system in a remodel barn project I was completing. Their work was fast, professional and completed with minimal sarcasm. Lucky was even able to save me a little money in the end, by retrofitting some of my existing components rather than replacing with all new ones. If given the choice, I will always choose the amazing people at PBI Parlor Systems.”
David DeJong, owner of Horizon Dairy near Hico, Texas, has ties with PBI going back to his days in high school. “I have been a lifelong purchaser of PBI milking stalls. When I was in high school, we converted our old Herringbone into a PBI Parallel Parlor and have not looked back. Every parlor since has been constructed using PBI stalls which are extremely reliable, durable and trouble-free. The staff is professional, knowledgeable, prompt and a pleasure to work with when you may need replacement parts or a new install. PBI is the first and only number I call when it comes to milking stalls.”    
That’s the track record of PBI Parlors over the past 25 years. The philosophy and commitment remain the same: to help improve dairy profits, while offering superior customer service. From the free consultation and quote, through the installation and the subsequent customer service, PBI Parlor Systems is there for the dairy producer. It’s all about quality assurance. Steve adds, “Our systems are designed and made for the specific needs of each dairy, no matter the size. Our cabinet design is compatible with all brands of milking equipment. In addition, heavy duty galvanized and stainless steel are used to provide a durable yet sleek stall with no rough edges.” 
Of all the products, the Elite Stalls are PBI’s signature stalls. A powerful hydraulic cylinder operates an entire row raising the headstalls to clear the cows. The Herringbone Stalls are offered on several different size centers, which make it much easier to meet the individual needs of the dairy producer. 
No matter the product, they are all designed to meet the needs of today’s dairy farmers. Innovation is what started PBI Parlor Systems, and innovation is what makes it a leader in the manufacture of milking stalls and equipment for dairies around the world!