Over 45 Years Rooted in Agriculture
It started on a family farm in Saranac, Michigan. It grew into something that helps farmers across the country sleep better at night.
It All Started at
Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch
Prism Controls is proud of its deep roots in the egg production business. Harry and Marilyn Herbruck established Herbruck Poultry Ranch in 1958 when they purchased a farm in Saranac, Michigan — a 6,000-bird house with another under construction.
Harry and Marilyn’s children, including their eldest, Stephen, started in the business at a very early age and grew up as Herbruck Poultry Ranch became Michigan’s largest egg producer. In the 1970s it became increasingly important to have good controls for the farm equipment.
Consistent with his entrepreneurial spirit, Stephen recognized the potential of technology in agriculture and started developing controls on his own. In 1980, Stephen and Harry founded Poultry Management Systems, Inc. (PMSI) — to design, build, and market electronic computer and control systems for the egg production industry.
A History of Firsts
From the first computer ever installed in a poultry house to AI-powered egg counting, we’ve been leading this industry for decades.
1975 — First Computer in a Poultry House
Stephen Herbruck installs a DEC PDP-8 at Herbruck's main farm in Saranac, Michigan — the first computer system ever installed in a poultry house, designed to collect operational data.
1979 — World's First Contactless Electronic Egg Counter
The Eggs-Act is incorporated into the barn at Herbruck’s Main Farm the world’s first contactless electronic egg counter, using the Rockwell AIM computer system to record and totalize egg counts.
1980 — Poultry Management Systems, Inc. Founded
Stephen and Harry Herbruck incorporate Poultry Management Systems, Inc. (PMSI), bringing their innovations to the entire egg-laying farm market.
1982 — World's First Farm PC System
PMSI develops and sells NOAH (Natural On-line Animal Housing) the world’s first farm PC system designed to both collect data and control farm operations. It gave farmers insights they had never had before.
1992 — Command II Hardware Platform
PMSI develops Command II to replace the original Uniface hardware. Its graphical display and user-friendly interface represented a major leap in poultry house computing and was an immediate success. (Still supported and working in barns today)
2004 — Command III: Built for Modern Farms
The Command III platform delivers more features, more scalability, and a full-sized touchscreen PC as the standard display unit — engineered to handle the ever-increasing demands of the modern poultry house.
2009 — Big Dutchman Acquires PMSI
Big Dutchman acquires Poultry Management Systems, Inc. Clovis Rayzel, President of Big Dutchman North America, shakes hands with Stephen Herbruck, founder of PMSI, at the closing of this historic acquisition
2015 — Expanding into Electrical Motor Panels
PMSI adds custom-designed UL electrical motor panels to its product line. The expansion doubled the business in under three years, driven by purposeful design, meticulous wiring, and user-friendly application.
2017 — A New Home in Lowell, Michigan
After operating alongside Herbruck’s main farm, increasing biosecurity concerns from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreaks led to the construction of a new, independent facility in Lowell, Michigan, completed in May 2017.
2018 — UL508-Certified Panel Building Shop
PMSI expands its electrical panel building capability and becomes a UL508-certified panel building shop. This certification enables PMSI to deliver UL-certified electrical panels, further positioning PMSI as the premier provider of such systems in the layer industry.
2019–2022 — Fire Detection, AI Egg Counting, and a First Patent
PMSI began to develop new technologies to serve agriculture, creating an early fire detection and containment system as well as a computer-vision-based egg counting system. PMSI filed its first patent in 2021 for the ThERM fire detection solution and deployed the first of its EggSight camera systems in 2022.
2023 — Introducing Prism Controls
After 43 years as Poultry Management Systems, Inc., PMSI rebrands as Prism Controls — positioning the company to expand into broader agricultural markets while honoring its deep roots in the poultry industry
We Understand How Much Farmers Depend on Reliable Technology
We didn’t come from a boardroom. We came from a farm. That’s why everything we build is designed to actually work in a barn — not just look good in a brochure. For over 45 years, our team has been helping farmers stay in control so they can focus on what matters: feeding the world.
What To Expect
Here’s what you can expect when working with our team.
01
Discovery
We understand your farm problems and our experts show you a way forward.
02
Execution
We work shoulder to shoulder to flawlessly execute the plan.
03
Partnership
We are there for the long haul with ongoing technology partnership.
The Prism Guarantee
We are dedicated to bring you the most value we can.
Tailored Quality
Quality built to last on your farm.
Configured and optimized for your specific operation.
Brown Glove Service
We get our hands dirty on your farm making sure everything works as designed.
We train you so you will be comfortable using your solutions.
Future Proofing
Built to answer today’s demands and scalable for tomorrow’s innovations.
We are your ongoing technology partner guiding you through your data.
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