Equipment brands like to celebrate production milestones. They show a longevity that is important in cementing buyer confidence, give the companies a reason for a little added publicity, they’re great morale builders for the employees,and, let’s face it, a great reason for a party.
In June, AGCO had significant milestones to celebrate. First, there was the millionth Massey Ferguson tractor to be built at the company’s Beauvais, France, assembly plant. It coincides with another corporate celebration, the 175th year of Massey as a brand, which can trace its origins back to Canada.
“2022 is a year of milestone celebrations for Massey Ferguson,” said Darren Parker, vice-president of Massey Ferguson, North America. “We applaud the hard work and dedication of our colleagues in Beauvais to produce our one-millionth tractor. We’re also excited to celebrate Massey Ferguson’s 175 years of straightforward, dependable, equipment innovation this year. These dual milestones prove our status as agricultural problem solvers dedicated to providing the right equipment, at the right price, for individual farming operations. Our equipment, just like our customers, is born to farm.”
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Thierry Lhotte, vice-president and managing director of Massey Ferguson EAME and president of AGCO in France, presented the millionth tractor produced in Beauvais, an 8S.305 Dyna-VT, to its buyer, a farmer and contractor from the village of La Chapelle des Fougeretz in Brittany, France.
The Beauvais facility began operations in 1960. Today it produces many of the brand’s most popular tractors, including the 4700 M, 5700 M, 5S, 6S, 7S, 8S and 8700 S series. Of course, AGCO’s Jackson, Minn., assembly plant also builds some Massey models bound for the North American market. The Beauvais plant can turn out up to 100 tractors a day, which are shipped to dealers in more than 70 countries.
Gleaner milestone
AGCO also has a second brand milestone celebration kicking off this year. With the start of production on model year 2023 Gleaner combines, it marks 100 years of the iconic silver Gleaners as a brand. Their initial use of unpainted, galvanized metal made them stand out from the crowd in appearance.
“We’re excited to celebrate this important milestone with Gleaner fans, old and new, as sales open for model year 2023 equipment,” said Matt LeCroy, marketing director of hay and forage North America for AGCO.
The Gleaner brand first appeared in 1923 when Curtis, Edwin and Ernest Baldwin developed their combine. Prior to the invention of the self-propelled design, crews of up to 12 were required to cut, bind, thresh and bag grain for storage. The Baldwin brothers, who farmed in central Kansas and ran a custom harvesting crew, recognized the productivity and economic benefits of combining these processes into one machine.
Today, Gleaners remain a relatively unique design, particularly due to the Natural Flow transverse rotor system they use. The brand claims this design provides smoother material flow and eliminates pinch points in high-moisture and green-stem conditions.
Gleaner also claims the title of being the first to incorporate a rasp bar threshing cylinder directly behind the header. One of the key advantages of this feature is it allows for a larger cleaning area in a smaller machine. Being a compact and lighter machine when compared with the competition is one of the marketing claims the brand continues to use.
Gleaner was also one of the early adopters of a centre-line mounted cab and rear engine deck, rather than front-mounted engines and off-set cabs, which were common a few decades ago.
“The simple and straightforward design of the Gleaner combine, which has been refined over the last century, offers our customers an industry-leading harvesting experience,” LeCroy said. “As we celebrate our 100th anniversary, we continue to look to the future of agriculture and keep our sights focused on designing combines that meet the needs of tomorrow’s farmer.”
