Our History

The company was founded in 1958 when Mike and Shirley Brown started a livestock supplies business. It would quickly find the company getting into the milk machine business and starting to manufacture some of their own equipment.

BECO (Brown Equipment Company) was one of the first companies to bring solid state electronic automatic take-off’s to the California dairy industry.

This led to reduced labor and better milking of cows. At a time when parlor automation was in its infancy, BECO led the way in innovation with the introduction of back flush, pneumatic-controlled side opening parlors, air crowd gates, and solid state pulsation controls.

The 1980’s were a time of advancement in automation performance and reliability and BECO saw the birth of its Guarding Milking Center Line. Each unit was an automatic take-off, pulsation, and back flush all in one “plug and play” unit. Computerized milking systems are first introduced in this time period.

Herringbone parlors were the standard of the time. BECO led the way with the development of one of the first rapid exit parlors, which increased cow flow in large parlors.

The 1990’s saw a rapid expansion of herd sizes, and parallel parlors come into existence to make this possible. Once again BECO lead the way with automation that was specifically designed for the unique needs of these parlors.

With the advancements in genetics, nutrition, and computerized management, milk production had risen significantly. This is when BECO recognized the need for a higher capacity milking system.

BECO designed and patented it’s 7/8″ milking system, allowing for stabilization of claw vacuum and allowing cows to milk faster and cleaner.

The 2000’s saw the era of large dairies pop up all over the world. BECO, in the middle of this event, developed an unparalleled reputation for reliable equipment for these 24/7 operations.

Shown in the picture is a D-80 milking parlor fully automated with detachers that collect parlor performance data, no moving parts milk meters, back flush, pulsation monitoring and individual cow ID.

At this same time BECO is supplying equipment for multiple D-75 parlors in the Middle East with the same equipment. Large dairies need reliability and that’s what BECO delivers.

Rotary parlors were not new to this era, but BECO recognized that they will be the barn of choice for efficiency and labor reduction, for large dairies. However, the problem was that the current rotaries on the market were not built for 24/7 operations and a lot of problems existed with those designs.

BECO diligently studied these problems and vowed to correct them and bring reliability that just didn’t exist. This U.S. designed and built rotary has set new standards for reliability. Being made in the U.S. has allowed us to cut out one level of distribution, leading to a superior product that is more economical than others.

BECO improves its line of milking equipment launching the G2 product family.  This new product family takes well proven and respected equipment and improves upon it.

As new technologies have been available, BECO has brought out an entire second generation of automation. The BECO product line has been completely updated to incorporate the newest and most reliable technologies available. Updated products include Immix G2 Detacher, FlowNexus G2 Detacher, ScanNexus G2 Milk Meter, and the PulsNexus G2 Pulsation Monitor.

Along with the updated product line, BECO has designed an entire aftermarket program that falls in line with our “eliminating restrictions” philosophy. The products developed in the aftermarket program include a patented liner (Tango) and patented rotary teat sprayer (Rota-Coat).

Tango Liner:  Developed to enhance milking efficiency and teat health, the Tango liner blends triangle and round liner benefits into one design – promoting faster milk flow while supporting optimal teat condition and long-lasting performance.

Rota-Coat Teat Sprayer:  Designed for rotary parlors, the Rota-Coat automated teat sprayer adjusts to parlor speed while delivering gentle, consistent coverage, providing simple, durable hygiene automation for rotary systems. 

MAX-Trak Rotary:  Introduced as BECO’s next-generation rotary milking platform, the MAX-Trak combines heavy-duty construction with cow-focused comfort and operator-driven efficiency.  Its precision-engineered drive and track system provide smooth, balanced rotation for consistent milking performance and reliable cow flow.  Built for durability and long service life, the MAX-Trak delivers dependable throughput for modern, high-capacity dairy operations.

AXION family of products:  Introduced as a unified platform of advanced dairy technologies, the AXION family brought together automation, precision control, and performance monitoring into a cohesive system.  Designed to improve efficiency, consistency, and herd health outcomes, AXION products integrate seamlessly into modern milking operations while maintaining BECO’s commitment to durability and practical innovation.