G.E. Baker ltd, best known by its trading name as Quality Equipment, or QE, was founded by Glyn Baker in 1965. Based in Woolpit, a small Suffolk village, QE is a third-generation family business, and its family nature is an integral part of its culture and a major attraction for many customers. Over the past six decades, it has become well known for supplying the pig industry with innovative ways of managing the breeding, rearing and housing of pigs. It has won a reputation for working in partnership with customers and forging long-lasting relationships.
For generations, it was usual for most farmers, large and small, to keep at least a few pigs. Traditionally, they were kept in sties, fed on agricultural by-products like skimmed milk, produced manure for fertiliser, and were generally sold for bacon curing. They did not have the same importance as cattle or sheep, so numbers remained largely unchanged for many years. However, after the end of WW2 in 1945, the continuing government support for British agriculture played its part in the rapid rise in pig numbers that reached nearly 6 million by the early 1950s.
Pig farming has always been popular in Suffolk, and the county likely had the highest density of pigs in the country post-war times. The industry’s war expansion during the 1960’s and 1970’s propelled the growth of Glyn’s fledgling business. At first, Glyn’s work was primarily machinery repairs and general maintenance, but he soon began to broaden his commercial horizons.
As an enthusiastic innovator, Glyn Baker was always ready to back new ideas. This enthusiasm led to the eventual development of QE’s most commercially successful and innovative product, the Transition Feeder. The TF was launched at the pig & poultry fair in 1999 and won several awards. The feeder remains successful to this day, having gained a reputation as the most efficient and effective feeder on any pig farm. Today, it is sold in 25 countries across the world, from Europe to Asia and the Americas.
Two years before the launch of the Transition Feeder, QE introduced the Belgian–made Paneltim polypropylene building panel to the UK market. The panels were an easier and cleaner alternative to PVC planking for constructing pig housing. The panels had many advantages, including being completely recyclable, easy to clean, well-insulated, robust, non-corrosive and easy to install.
Now QE provides a wide range of products and services. Products in our range include drinkers, loading ramps, gates, and posts, as well as feeders. The construction team offers a comprehensive service from the initial design to the complete construction. They take the hassle out of projects as they offer complete construction packages with well–proven pig building designs as well as the ability to purpose–build designs according to individual pig farmer requirements. Manufacturing services enable Quality Equipment to tailor–make systems and essential kits according to individual farmers’ needs. The company maintains its reputation internationally through the continuing success of the transition feeder and the constant interest in innovating and diversifying within the agricultural sector.
Quality Equipment, or QE, was founded by Glynn Baker in 1965. Based in Woolpit, the small Suffolk village, QE is a third-generation family business, and its family nature is an integral part of its culture and a major attraction for many customers.
At Quality Equipment we pride ourselves on our excellent bespoke designs and customer service. Below are a few of our recently designed and tested products, which have been crucial pieces of equipment for reducing manual labour on farm and improving efficiency and accuracy.
The Mini Transition Feeder (MTF) is an innovative solution designed to support early gastrointestinal tract development of piglets, consequently producing healthy and uniform litters with greater vitality and high weaning weights.