A year ago, Brazil wasn’t even part of the plan.
That still sounds crazy for me to say out loud considering how much it has changed my life, our company, and honestly the way I look at agriculture and opportunity.
On April 16th, 2025, a text message came in asking about our products and whether they would work in Brazil. At the time, I didn’t know much about the Brazilian market. I knew it was big, but I didn’t truly understand the scale, the people, or the opportunity that existed there.
But something about that conversation stuck with me.
Less than 10 days later, I was boarding a plane to Brazil with no real roadmap, no business structure, and no guarantees. Just curiosity, belief, and the feeling that I needed to go see it for myself.
That trip changed everything.
Walking Into Agrishow for the First Time
I still remember walking into Agrishow for the first time.
I was blown away.
Not just by the size of the show—which is massive—or how organized everything was, or the sheer number of people attending. It was the energy that hit me the hardest.
Agriculture in Brazil is different.
There’s a passion and intensity there that is hard to explain unless you experience it yourself. Farmers are constantly pushing. Trying to improve. Trying to get more efficient. Trying to solve problems.
And I realized very quickly that what we were doing at Thunderstruck could make a real impact there.
That show also introduced me to people who would completely change the direction of my life and our company.
That’s where I met Cleyton Endo, who would eventually become our Sales Director in Brazil. Paulo, who would become our Operations Director. Vancley, who somehow became both our company administrator and my “man Friday” all at once. Denis and Marta Mann, who would become our manufacturing partners in Brazil.
At the time, none of us knew exactly where this would go.
We just knew there was something there worth building.
Learning Brazil the Hard Way
Over the next year, I traveled across 9 states in Brazil.
Some days were incredible. Some days were exhausting. Most days were both.
We spent time in the fields with farmers. We listened more than we talked. We learned about crops, harvest conditions, machine setups, logistics, language barriers, and the realities of farming in different parts of the country.
One thing became very clear early on: grain loss was a much bigger issue than most people realized.
That became our mission.
Not just selling concaves—but helping farmers actually understand where they were losing grain and how to fix it.
The ScherGain Drop Pan became one of the most important tools we brought into the market because it allowed farmers to finally measure losses properly. And once you can measure it, you can improve it.
Then we paired that with the Razor’s Edge Concaves and started helping farmers dramatically reduce grain loss while improving grain quality and machine performance.
Those results spread fast.
Farmer to farmer.
Conversation to conversation.
Field to field.
Launching Thunderstruck Ag Brazil
On October 1st, we officially launched Thunderstruck Ag Brazil.
Looking back now, I honestly don’t think I fully understood how hard building a company in another country would be.
The language barrier alone has been one of the biggest challenges of my life. There were meetings where I barely understood what was happening. Long nights translating messages. Days where simple tasks became complicated because I couldn’t communicate the way I wanted to.
And then there’s production, logistics, hiring, legal structures, inventory, partnerships, culture, and trying to move quickly while learning everything at the same time.
There were absolutely moments where it would have been easier to walk away. But the people kept pulling me back in.
One of the biggest turning points came through my friendship with Lorenzo Roos. During a really important moment for our company, he stepped in and basically said, “We can do this together.”
And he meant it.
I spent Christmas in Brazil with Lorenzo and his family while also helping farmers in the field. That experience meant a lot to me because it reminded me this journey had become about much more than business.
Brazil stopped feeling like a market.
It started feeling personal.
One Year Later
Fast forward to today.
We now have a team of 9 people in Brazil.
Since launching in October, we’ve sold over R$2,000,000 worth of product in the Brazilian market.
And 2 weeks ago we headed back to Agrishow as an exhibitor and to launch another major North American product line into Brazil focused on helping farmers plant more efficiently and improve profitability from the moment the seed enters the ground.
That part excites me a lot because it shows how much trust has been built in just one year—not only from farmers, but also from manufacturers who believe in what we are building.
And honestly, I’m more fired up today than I was a year ago.
Not because it’s easier.
Because it’s still hard.
But now I know what’s possible.
The Biggest Lesson
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last year, it’s this:
Your life can completely change in one year if you are willing to move when opportunity shows up.
Not every opportunity comes with certainty.
Sometimes it starts with a random text message.
Sometimes it starts with getting on a plane before you have all the answers.
Sometimes it starts with simply being willing to listen, learn, and trust your gut.
I’m incredibly thankful for every farmer, every customer, every partner, and every team member who has been part of this journey.