AGCO Corporation is an American
agricultural machinery
Agricultural machinery relates to the mechanical structures and devices used in farming or other agriculture. There are many types of such equipment, from hand tools and power tools to tractors and the countless kinds of farm implements that ...
manufacturer founded in 1990 and with its headquarters in
Duluth, Georgia
Duluth is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. Located north of Interstate 85, it is approximately northeast of Atlanta.
As of the 2020 census, Duluth had a population of 31,873, and the United States Census Bureau estimated the ...
, United States. AGCO designs, produces and sells
tractor
A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery such as that used in agriculture, mining or construction. Most commo ...
s,
combines,
foragers
A traditional hunter-gatherer or forager is a human living an ancestrally derived lifestyle in which most or all food is obtained by foraging, that is, by gathering food from local sources, especially edible wild plants but also insects, fungi, ...
,
hay
Hay is grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be stored for use as animal fodder, either for large grazing animals raised as livestock, such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep, or for smaller domesticat ...
tools, self-propelled
sprayer
A sprayer is a device used to spray a liquid, where sprayers are commonly used for projection of water, weed killers, crop performance materials, pest maintenance chemicals, as well as manufacturing and production line ingredients. In agricultu ...
s, smart farming technologies,
seeding
The term seeding and related terms such as seeded are used in several different contexts:
*Sowing, planting seeds in a place or on an object
*Cloud seeding, manipulating cloud formations
*Seeding (computing), a concept in computing and peer-to-pee ...
and
tillage
Tillage is the agricultural preparation of soil by mechanical agitation of various types, such as digging, stirring, and overturning. Examples of human-powered tilling methods using hand tools include shoveling, picking, mattock work, hoein ...
equipment.
History
![Hesston 5670 round baler](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Hesston_5670_round_baler.jpg)
AGCO was established on June 20, 1990 when executives at Deutz-Allis, Robert J. Ratliff, John M. Shumejda, Edward R. Swingle, and James M. Seaver, bought out Deutz-Allis North American operations from the parent corporation
Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz AG (KHD), a German company that owned the
Deutz-Fahr
Deutz-Fahr () is a German agricultural machinery manufacturer. It was established in 1968 after the acquisition of the majority of share capital in FAHR, a leading company already producing agricultural equipment in the previous century, ...
brand of agriculture equipment. KHD had purchased portions of the
Allis-Chalmers
Allis-Chalmers was a U.S. manufacturer of machinery for various industries. Its business lines included agricultural equipment, construction equipment, power generation and power transmission equipment, and machinery for use in industrial set ...
agricultural equipment business five years earlier.
Following the organization of the company, Robert Ratliff was selected to be the company's first chairman.
The company was first called Gleaner-Allis Corporation, then rearranged to be Allis-Gleaner Corporation, or AGCO. The
Deutz-Allis
Deutz-Allis was formed when Deutz-Fahr of Germany, part of KHD, purchased the agricultural assets of the Allis-Chalmers corporation in 1985.
Deutz-Allis was eventually sold to the Allis-Gleaner Corporation, or AGCO), in 1990. Deutz-Allis tract ...
line of tractors were renamed AGCO-Allis, and
Gleaner became a brand of its own for combines. The Deutz-Allis brand continued in
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...
until 2001, when they were renamed AGCO-Allis. In 2001, AGCO Allis was renamed AGCO in
North America.
In March 1991, AGCO purchased the Hesston Corporation located in
Hesston, Kansas
Hesston is a city in Harvey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 3,505. Large manufacturing facilities for AGCO (farm equipment) and Excel Industries (lawn mowers) are located in Hesston. It ...
gaining hay and forage equipment as well as technologies such as the grain auger, invented in 1947 by
Lyle Yost
Lyle E. Yost (March 5, 1913 – April 5, 2012) was an agriculture equipment manufacturer and inventor in the United States.
Yost was the designer and inventor of the 1947 unloading auger, the catalyst for the development of Hesston Manufac ...
. Hesston had a 50 percent joint venture with
Case International, now a part of
CNH Global
CNH Industrial N.V. is an Italian-American multinational corporation with global headquarters in Basildon, United Kingdom, but controlled and mostly owned by the multinational investment company Exor, which in turn is controlled by the Agnelli ...
. AGCO purchased the
White Tractor
White Farm Equipment is a manufacturer of agricultural machinery, now discontinued except for Planter (farm implement), planters, and owned by AGCO.
History
In 1960, the White Motor Company entered the agriculture market with the purchase of th ...
line from the Allied Corporation's White-New Idea company.
In 1993, AGCO purchased the remainder of
White-New Idea,
gaining New Idea hay equipment, manure spreaders, White planters, from a large manufacturing plant in
Coldwater, Ohio
Coldwater is a village in Mercer County, Ohio, United States. The population was 4,427 at the 2010 census.
History
Coldwater was founded in 1838 and was originally called Buzzard's Glory for by David Buzzard who operated a general store. Cold ...
.
![Massey Ferguson 6490](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Massey_Ferguson_6490.jpg)
Also in 1993, AGCO purchased the
North American distribution rights to
Massey Ferguson
Massey Ferguson Limited is an American agricultural machinery manufacturer. The company was established in 1953 through the merger of farm equipment makers Massey-Harris of Canada and the Ferguson Company of the United Kingdom. It was based in ...
, a worldwide agricultural equipment company. In 1994, they purchased McConnell Tractors,
manufacturer of the large articulated Massey Ferguson tractors. AGCO developed the Agcostar line of articulated tractors. Later in 1994, the Black Machine line of planters was purchased.
1995 saw the purchase of the AgEquipment Group,
which manufactured tillage equipment and loaders under the Glenco, Tye and Farmhand brands. In 1996, acquisitions went international with the purchase of
Iochpe-Maxion in
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
.
This was the Brazilian company that had rights to the Massey Ferguson brand and manufacturing in the region, as well as the ''Maxion'' brand of industrial equipment. This was also the year that AGCO purchased Deutz Argentina, the number one leader of tractors in Argentina.
Also in 1996, AGCO purchased Western Combine Corporation and Portage Manufacturing in Canada.
Western Combine had previously purchased the assets of the Massey Combine Corporation's combine operation, which had been spun off by Massey Ferguson.
![Traktor Fendt 930 Vario](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Traktor_Fendt_930_Vario.JPG)
1997 was the year of the major purchase of
Fendt
Fendt is a German agricultural machinery manufacturer founded in 1930 by Xaver Fendt in Marktoberdorf, Allgäu region, Germany. Fendt manufactures tractors, combine harvesters, balers, telescopic handlers and row crop planters. It was purchased ...
in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, the German tractor company.
Fendt is well known for its advanced technology and superior manufacturing quality. The acquisition of Fendt was contingent on three conditions; 1) The Fendt name would be retained, 2) The factory in Marktoberdorf would continue to operate, and 3) a fair price would be paid for the company. Also in 1997, AGCO acquired Dronningborg Industries in
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
, the manufacturer of European Massey Ferguson combines, and former manufacturer of Dronningborg combines.
In 1998, AGCO made a joint venture with Deutz AG to produce engines in
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
, and purchased the Spra-Coupe and Willmar companies.
Spra-Coupe and Willmar are
sprayer
A sprayer is a device used to spray a liquid, where sprayers are commonly used for projection of water, weed killers, crop performance materials, pest maintenance chemicals, as well as manufacturing and production line ingredients. In agricultu ...
companies in North America. SpraCoupe originated in Bismarck, ND. Upon purchase by AGCO, the manufacturing of SpraCoupes was moved to
Willmar, Minnesota
Willmar is a city in, and the county seat of, Kandiyohi County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 21,015 at the 2020 census.
History
Agricultural expansion and the establishment of Willmar as a division point on the Great Northern ...
where the Willmar branded fertilizer tenders and "Wrangler" articulated loaders were being manufactured. SpraCoupe and Willmar products were manufactured in Willmar from 1998 to 2001.
For the year 2000, AGCO bought out its partner
CNH Global N.V. in the Hay and Forage Industries joint venture.
In 2001, AGCO purchased
Ag-Chem Equipment
Ag-Chem Equipment Company was a manufacturer of nutrient and pesticide application equipment that was founded in Jackson, Minnesota USA. It was sold to AGCO Corporation in 2001.
History
After receiving his bachelor's degree from the University o ...
, expanding its application equipment business.
Ag-Chem Equipment was based in
Jackson, Minnesota
Jackson is a city and county seat of Jackson County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,299 at the 2010 census.
History
Jackson was originally called Springfield, and under the latter name was laid out in 1856. A post office calle ...
and developed the TerraGator flotation-type and RoGator rowcrop-type applicators. Also that year, the SpraCoupe and Willmar brands moved their manufacturing from Willmar, MN to the Jackson, Minnesota facility and the ''Agco-Allis'' and ''White'' tractor lines were merged in North America under the ''AGCO'' brand, continuing in the orange color.
2002 was the year that AGCO purchased rights to the Challenger name and the tracked tractors from the
Caterpillar Corporation,
giving the firm a well-known brand name and high-power tracked tractors. The firm further developed the Challenger line into: wheeled tractors, using tractors manufactured by
Iseki
, based in Matsuyama and Tokyo, Japan, is the third largest Japanese agricultural machinery manufacturing company. Its products include tractors, combine harvesters, rice transplanters, riding mowers, zero-turn mowers, tillers, components, and ...
,
Agritalia
Carraro Agritalia is an Italian agricultural machinery manufacturer that designs and builds standard, vineyard and orchard specialty tractors. Is a division of the Carraro Group, which is separate from Antonio Carraro. Carraro Group was founded in ...
, the Massey Ferguson factory and the Brazilian Valtra factory; combines, rebranding some Massey Ferguson/Gleaner -built combines; and hay equipment, using Hesston-built hay equipment. AGCO also purchased the Sunflower Manufacturing Company in
Beloit, Kansas, which manufactures tillage, seeding and specialty harvesting equipment.
2004 brought about the purchase of the Valtra tractor company from the
Kone
Kone Oyj (; officially stylized as KONE and trading as KONE Corporation) is an elevator engineering company employing over 60,000 personnel across 60 countries worldwide. It was founded in 1910 and is now headquartered in Espoo near Helsinki, F ...
Group, in
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
.
Valtra
Valtra is an agricultural machinery manufacturer based in Äänekoski, Finland. Valtra's products include tractors, combine harvesters, sugar cane harvesters, self-propelled sprayers and seed drills. Valtra has been part of the American AGCO Cor ...
had licensing agreements with the
Eicher Eicher may refer to:
* Eicher (surname), a surname
* Eicher Motors (Eicher Group)
* Eicher tractor
* Eicher School, a school in the Faridabad district in the state of Haryana, India
* 3617 Eicher, a main-belt asteroid
See also
* Aicher
* Aich ...
company in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
for tractor production, and also with the HEMA group in
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
. The purchase of Valtra also included SISU Diesel engines. Since 2012 this Finland based diesel engine manufacturer with production for example in Brazil
has operated with name
AGCO Power.
![Trattore Valtra](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Trattore_Valtra.jpg)
2006 saw a re-focusing of the various brands and subsidiaries, and the reduction of individual brands. AGCO announced plans to combine some, and make some only part of a larger brand, or co-branding. Examples include the Massey Ferguson 9635 Hesston self-propelled swather, and the AGCO 9365 Hesston self-propelled swather. Challenger has seen further expansion with the further consolidation of the AgChem brand into Challenger, and the introduction of
Agritalia
Carraro Agritalia is an Italian agricultural machinery manufacturer that designs and builds standard, vineyard and orchard specialty tractors. Is a division of the Carraro Group, which is separate from Antonio Carraro. Carraro Group was founded in ...
built tractors and an articulated Challenger tractor. In August of this year, AGCO saw its first change in the position of chairman since its founding with the selection of Martin Richenhagen to succeed Robert Ratliff.
In 2007, AGCO bought 50% of
Laverda S.p.A. from
ARGO SpA
ARGO SpA is a family-owned Italian holding company owned by the Morra family that manufactures agricultural machinery. Founded by Valerio Morra in 1980, the company is based in Fabbrico, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. ARGO main products are tractors and ...
, which included the Gallagnani and
Fella-Werke
AGCO GmbH is a German manufacturer of agricultural equipment based in Feucht, Germany, located just southwest of Nuremberg in Bavaria. It was established in 1918 as a harrow manufacturing company, and its product line has expanded since.
Curre ...
hay equipment brands.
In 2008/2009 AGCO, the Challenger, Valtra, and Massey Ferguson large row crop tractors were launched in Europe and North America respectively with AGCO's e3 Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) emission reduction technology.
Late in 2009, the firm announced that it would phase out the orange AGCO Tractors by 2011.
In late 2010, the firm announced the plan to acquire the remaining 50% of Laverda, which included
Fella-Werke
AGCO GmbH is a German manufacturer of agricultural equipment based in Feucht, Germany, located just southwest of Nuremberg in Bavaria. It was established in 1918 as a harrow manufacturing company, and its product line has expanded since.
Curre ...
as well. The acquisition was finalized in March 2011.
In 2011, the firm plans to transfer its assembly of high-horsepower wheeled tractors sold in North America from
Beauvais, France to
Jackson, Minnesota
Jackson is a city and county seat of Jackson County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,299 at the 2010 census.
History
Jackson was originally called Springfield, and under the latter name was laid out in 1856. A post office calle ...
, where it will expand the plant by . This expansion was completed in 2012.
In 2011, the firm said that it will invest $40 million in its
Hesston, Kansas
Hesston is a city in Harvey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 3,505. Large manufacturing facilities for AGCO (farm equipment) and Excel Industries (lawn mowers) are located in Hesston. It ...
plant with a new painting and finishing building. Construction began June 2011 and was completed in 2013.
In October 2011, AGCO purchased GSI, based in
Assumption, Illinois
Assumption is a city in Christian County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,155 as of the 2020 census.
History
Assumption originally was called "Tacusah". The present name is after Assumption Parish, Louisiana. A post office called A ...
, a manufacturer of grain storage and handling equipment.
In 2012. AGCO acquired 60% of Santal Equipamentos, a sugar cane planting and harvesting equipment. It also purchased 80% of Shandong Dafeng Machinery Co, a combine harvester manufacturer in China. AGCO formed the
Algerian Tractors Company joint venture with the Algerian brand
Etrag with 49% ownership.
In 2013, GSI acquired Johnson System, based in
Marshall, Michigan
Marshall is a U.S. city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Calhoun County. The population was 7,088 at the 2010 census.
Marshall is best known for its cross-section of 19th- and early 20th-century architecture. It has been referred to by t ...
, a manufacturer of catwalks and towers. In 2013, AGCO started Fuse Technologies, a smart farming technology division.
In 2017, AGCO acquired Precision Planting, based in
Tremont, Illinois
Tremont is a village in Tazewell County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,236 at the 2010 census. Tremont is located 14 miles southeast of Peoria.
History
Tremont was also host to Abraham Lincoln during his travels as a lawyer befo ...
, a planting equipment and technology business.
In 2017, AGCO acquired the forage machinery line from Lely, including balers, loading wagons, mowers, tedders, rakes and the rights to the entire portfolio of the defunct Mengele Agrartechnik. This included factories in Wolfenbuettel (D) and Waldstetten (D). The factory in Maassluis (NL) will be closed in 2018.
On January 1, 2021, AGCO transitioned to its third chairman in its history with the selection of Eric Hansotia to succeed the retiring Martin Richenhagen after a near 15-year tenure as head of the company.
In September 2021, AGCO acquired Faromatics (Farm Robotics and Automation), a precision livestock farming business.
In December 2021, Precision Planting announced an agreement to acquire Creative Sites Media, a software and app development company.
Manufacturing Sites
;Current
;Former
* Coldwater, Ohio, USA : White-New Idea Farm Equipment in 1999
* Independence, Missouri, USA : Gleaner Combines in 2000
* Willmar, Minnesota, USA: Spra-Coupe and Willmar Application Equipment in 2001
* Maassluis, Netherlands : Lely Hay Equipment in 2018
Brands
*
Challenger
*
Fendt
Fendt is a German agricultural machinery manufacturer founded in 1930 by Xaver Fendt in Marktoberdorf, Allgäu region, Germany. Fendt manufactures tractors, combine harvesters, balers, telescopic handlers and row crop planters. It was purchased ...
*
Gleaner
GSI*
Massey Ferguson
Massey Ferguson Limited is an American agricultural machinery manufacturer. The company was established in 1953 through the merger of farm equipment makers Massey-Harris of Canada and the Ferguson Company of the United Kingdom. It was based in ...
Precision PlantingRoGator / TerraGatorSunflower Manufacturing*
Valtra
Valtra is an agricultural machinery manufacturer based in Äänekoski, Finland. Valtra's products include tractors, combine harvesters, sugar cane harvesters, self-propelled sprayers and seed drills. Valtra has been part of the American AGCO Cor ...
*
White Farm Equipment
White Farm Equipment is a manufacturer of agricultural machinery, now discontinued except for planters, and owned by AGCO.
History
In 1960, the White Motor Company entered the agriculture market with the purchase of the Oliver Farm Equipment ...
*
Laverda
Laverda (''Moto Laverda S.A.S. – Dottore Francesco Laverda e fratelli'') was an Italian manufacturer of high performance motorcycles. The motorcycles in their day gained a reputation for being robust and innovative.
The Laverda brand was abso ...
*
Fella
See also
*
List of S&P 400 companies
References
Further reading
* ''Factory on the Plains:
Lyle Yost
Lyle E. Yost (March 5, 1913 – April 5, 2012) was an agriculture equipment manufacturer and inventor in the United States.
Yost was the designer and inventor of the 1947 unloading auger, the catalyst for the development of Hesston Manufac ...
and the Hesston Corporation''; Billy Mac Jones; Wichita State University; 1987; ASIN B0006EQOU0.
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Agco
Agricultural machinery manufacturers of the United States
Tractor manufacturers of the United States
Manufacturing companies established in 1990
Manufacturing companies based in Georgia (U.S. state)
Companies based in Duluth, Georgia
Harvey County, Kansas
Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange
Companies formed by management buyout
Diesel engine manufacturers
Electrical generation engine manufacturers
Marine engine manufacturers