AGCO Spring 2010 : Page 9sitting around the dinner table as my father talked about changes and their impact on the future. I was raised in an environment “Our GLEANER combine line remains unaffected. In fact, as we speak, we’re investing moremoney in the GLEANER combine line than we have in the history of AGCO.” What about parts availability? Our dealers continue to supply parts for Allis-Chalmers tractors going back 50 years. Plus, the AGCO tractors being produced today share a high commonality with the Massey Ferguson and Challenger models of comparable size. So parts availability for AGCO tractors is not and will not be a concern. What do you say to farmers who like the features they see in their AGCO tractors? What can they expect from the AGCO Corporation in 2011? To our AGCO customers, I invite them to take a close look at Massey Ferguson and Challenger.fiere is a high degree of commonality between those brands and AGCO tractors.fie platforms are similar and, of course, so is the quality. We just introduced in February 2009 a truly world-class leading tractor , as evidenced by our record- setting Nebraska Test results on fuel eTciency.We have more of those types of products, I’m very excited to say, in the product development pipeline, and you’ll continue to see those in the coming years. Very simply, if you like the new products you are seeing today, you’re going to love what you see in 2011 and beyond. e understand that the decision to consolidate brands has affected you on both a personal and a professional level. I have literally grown up in the farm equipment business, which I feel has been a tremendous asset with my responsibilities at AGCO and the current situation. It all started when my grandfather opened one of the first Ford tractor dealerships in the state of Mississippi. That business, which now has locations in two states, is still operated by three of my younger brothers and will soon be into its fourth generation. Obviously, since that time, we’ve seen a lot of changes in the farm equipment business, to say the least. As the Ford tractor brand went through its many transitions, I lived and breathed it. I can remember where we were taught that change, while often diTcult, often brings opportunity. So I have a pretty good idea about what our customers, dealers and employees are going through and how they feel about the transition from the AGCO tractor brand to Massey Ferguson and Challenger. Any last thoughts on the transition? Given the significance of ‘orange paint’ in our company, we needed to consider its impact on our employees, our AGCO dealers and—most important of all—our customers. Our company evolved from what was Allis-Chalmers, and despite being a relatively young company, we have made tremendous strides in the 20 years that we have been in business as AGCO Corporation. We’ve built an industry-leading company through some 24 acquisitions, hard work and by understanding customer needs. While that has given us some great brands, it has also presented some complications in terms of spreading our resources razor thin. In this situation, anyone could make the easy decision to do nothing. That certainly would have made my life easier! But our management team made the difficult decision to transition from the AGCO brand to the Massey Ferguson and Challenger brands to provide a better focus on the resources we have available and to ultimately provide the best, most innovative products in the industry. It was a difficult decision, but I know for certain that our customers will see the benefits in the months and years to come. n ADVANTAGE / SPRING 2010 9 Publication List |
