In 2016, while speaking at a major press event at Agritechnica in Germany, then-AGCO CEO Martin Richenhagen veered a little off the topic of new machinery introductions — something not entirely uncharacteristic for him. He had another thing on his mind that needed to be said.
At the time, Europe was grappling with a refugee crisis as Syrians flooded across the Mediterranean, escaping the conflict in that Middle East country. Richenhagen revealed at the press conference that AGCO, under his direction, had taken it upon itself to provide support and housing for many refugee families. And the company decided to do so on its own dime.
“Today, we have about 100 asylum seekers who live here, and we offered to accept 400 more because we have the space,” he said. “In the past, we received rent payment from the community, but I said this is not ethical. We have to do without it. We are providing the accommodation for free. We have a football (soccer) field at our facility and we offered it as well because it’s better that children play football than just hang around.”
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That sense of humanity was a hallmark of Richenhagen’s objectives when he ran AGCO, and it appears it has lingered after him. Once again, Europe is dealing with a refugee crisis, this time from Ukraine. And AGCO has stepped up again to do its part.
In mid-March, the company said it had made ten apartments in its company housing facility at the factory premises at the Hohenmölsen AGCO/Fendt location in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, available for people escaping the war in Ukraine. And it was working on making further accommodation available.
“We are very concerned about the war in Ukraine and the consequences for the country and the population,” says Christoph Gröblinghoff, chairman of the AGCO/Fendt management board.
“The willingness to help among our Fendt employees is very great. We are already getting involved by making donations through the AGCO Agriculture Foundation, a private foundation of AGCO. At the Hohenmölsen site, we are providing apartments for refugees at short notice in order to be able to quickly and pragmatically offer accommodation to the people arriving from Ukraine. The apartments are certainly no substitute for a home, but for the time being they offer the women and children who have fled a place of refuge where they can find some peace and quiet.”
The plant at the Hohenmölsen production site is on former military property. During the earlier European refugee crisis Richenhagen mentioned, a building complex was prepared there for refugees. It has now been restored and made ready for use once again.
“The first two apartments have already been occupied,” adds Thomas Schneiderheinze, plant manager and managing director of AGCO Hohenmölsen GmbH. “We are now preparing eight more apartments. These will be ready (in early April). In addition, we are looking into further accommodation options on our factory premises. A private initiative of employees and friends has helped equip the apartments with donations in kind.”
Food security concerns
AGCO had already announced a $100,000 donation to the World Food Program USA through its charity the AGCO Agriculture Foundation (AAF).
“Watching the destruction of lives and lands due to the crisis in Ukraine is deeply troubling,” said Roger N. Batkin, board chair, AGCO Agriculture Foundation. “Sustainably feeding the world is core to our purpose, and we are immediately concerned about the food security of the people caught in the Ukraine crisis. Through our community development and humanitarian focus, we are mobilizing an immediate donation to the U.N. World Food Programme’s emergency operation to provide food assistance to affected families in Ukraine and its borders.”
AGCO and the AAF have opened a “ShareTheMeal” team campaign with the U.N. World Food Programme to achieve a 182,000 meal goal in three months as an extension of the total donation. As a result, AGCO employees and concerned stakeholders can donate as individuals or groups to support the ongoing emergency relief and food assistance in Ukraine. Fifty-five cents can provide one meal per day.
