Heider

In Carroll, Iowa, Heider Manufacturing pioneered a distinctive range of tractors, distinguished by their innovative friction-drive mechanism—a mechanically smooth, continuously variable transmission. Production commenced in 1911, and within a year, these tractors were being distributed nationally through the established network of the Rock Island Plow Company. Though Rock Island formally acquired Heider Manufacturing in 1914, the legacy of the original brand endured, with tractors continuing to be marketed under the combined 'Heider - Rock Island' designation for a considerable period thereafter.