Travis Leal embarked on his farming journey at the tender age of 5, assisting his grandfather in chopping cotton. Just a few years later, he found himself behind the wheel of a tractor, shredding cotton stalks or rotary hoeing. This lifelong passion led him to start his custom harvesting adventures at the age of 15. What was initially meant to be a summer pursuit turned into over a decade of harvesting across states, from Oklahoma to North Dakota. Travis made various stops along the way, including serving as a wildlife manager on a vast 35,000-acre ranch and working in the oilfield.
Despite a brief detour for college, which didn't quite pay the bills, Travis always found himself drawn back to working with farm equipment. His years on the harvest trail eventually paid off when a John Deere dealership sought his expertise as a combine GUY. Taking on the additional responsibility of precision agriculture, Travis discovered a new way to support farmers. A few years later, an invitation to interview for AgPro came his way, and he accepted the position as Precision Ag Lead. Relocating with his family, including wife April and children Trey and Lanie, Travis found himself promoted to the GM position of AgPro Alice TX within a year.
After several years building relationships with customers, friends, and employees, Travis transitioned to Hlavinka Equipment Co., a family-owned business. He has been with Hlavinka for over two years, renewing old friendships and forming new ones. Despite the challenges of the long road, Travis sees it all as a blessing.
As a family, the Leals spend their time cooking BBQ and enjoying football and baseball games together. They share a love for sporting events and the outdoors, engaging in activities like fishing and shooting. With their kids involved in numerous sporting events, there's a significant amount of travel involved, including lengthy drives back home to Kansas and Oklahoma. Despite the exhaustion of these journeys, the family plans to travel even more in the future, starting with Tennessee, a place April has always cherished. Their aspirations extend beyond U.S. borders, aiming to expose their children to diverse cultures, providing them with experiences they never had.