2011

In January, CLAAS and agricultural machinery dealer Schroeder of Wildeshausen announced the end of their partnership effective from 30.06.2014. Two days ago, Fricke and CLAAS issued a joint press release to announce their new exclusive partnership as from 1 July 2014 on, which will cover additional sales territories in Lower Saxony and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Today, CLAAS would like to inform its partners about the reorganisation of all of the sales territories previously covered by Schroeder.

Fricke is taking on additional sales territories in Lower Saxony and Western Pomerania as the exclusive authorised dealer for harvesting machines and tractors manufactured by CLAAS.

Harsewinkel / East London, April 2013   The agricultural machinery manufacturer CLAAS is changing its sales structure in Africa. From 1st October 2013, the Kempston Group will become the new importer for Southern Africa, taking over from Barloworld.

The CLAAS production plant in Harsewinkel has celebrated the manufacture of its 450,000th combine harvester, a LEXION that is earmarked for the North American market. Shareholders, members of the Management and 350 employees gathered together in Harsewinkel to celebrate this production milestone.

CLAAS is celebrating its centenary in 2013 and the international agricultural machinery manufacturer from Harsewinkel in Westphalia, which employs some 9,000 peopleworld-wide, is taking this opportunity to look to the future.

GPS-controlled steering systems, whether manual or automatic, have now become commonplace in agricultural applications. Anyone who has ever used a system of this kind is always reluctant to give it up afterwards and every machine operator generally comes across an automatic steering system sooner or later.

2003, the French group, Renault, and the German family-run group, CLAAS, decided to form a strategic alliance in the agricultural machinery sector. The objectives put forward by both groups were complementary; one was wanting to concentrate on its core activity, cars, whilst the other was aiming to expand its range of harvesting products to include tractors as part of a strategy of market exclusivity.

Two years ago at the SIMA 2011 trade fair, CLAAS presented a completely new development and design philosophy in tractor manufacturing in the form of the AXION 900. At this year's SIMA trade fair, CLAAS will present another new model series, the AXION 800.

2012 was another very successful financial year for CLAAS. The company increased sales to €3,436 million, up from €3,304 million in the previous year. Adjusted for sales generated by the Production Technology division, which was sold in 2012, CLAAS increased its agricultural equipment sales by approximately 10%.

Harsewinkel/Paris 03.12.2012. Next year from 24 to 28 February, the SIMA agricultural trade fair will open its doors in Paris for the 75th time. Traditionally awarded by a committee of experts, the "SIMA Innovation Awards" recognise forward-looking innovations in the area of agricultural machinery and agricultural services.

Harsewinkel/Hanover, 13. – 16.11.2012. At the EuroTier trade fair in 2010, CLAAS consolidated its range of electronics expertise and, since then, has placed it under a collective name. “Efficient Agriculture SYstems”, abbreviated as “EASY”, is the CLAAS collective term which encompasses machine control and performance optimisation, steering systems, precision farming and monitoring, software solutions and services.

Harsewinkel/Hanover, 13. - 16.11.2012. With its AGROCOM MUTTERKUH and AGROCOM SUPERKUH application programs, CLAAS is one of the first co-operation partners to use the new interface to the data portal of the German Association for Milk Recording and Quality Control (Deutscher Verband für Leistungs- und Qualitätsprüfung e.V. (DLQ)) and was awarded a DLG silver medal for its EuroTier innovation.

Harsewinkel/Hanover, 13. - 16.11.2012. Exact and reliable documentation of operating data is a fundamental part of the business management process, both for farmers and contractors. At this year's EuroTier 2012, running in conjunction with the BioEnergy Decentral exhibition, CLAAS will be presenting several new products including a new management solution called APDI - a system designed to make agricultural workflows and processes even more efficient and simpler in the future.

Harsewinkel/Hanover, 13. – 16.11.2012. The XERION is noted in particular for its wide-ranging applications. In addition to its typical uses in arable farming, the XERION has also proven effective as a special-purpose machine in various sectors. This means new opportunities for farm contractors and agricultural holdings to greatly increase capacity utilisation and, with it, the effectiveness of the vehicle.

Harsewinkel/Hanover, 13. – 16.11.2012. CLAAS SCORPION telescopic loaders have been successfully established on the European agricultural machinery markets since 2005 and have already achieved high double-digit market shares in some markets. Today, SCORPION telescopic loaders can be seen not only in agricultural use, but also in applications such as loading biogas fermenters, feeding animals on dairy and livestock farms or filling seed hoppers on arable farms.

Harsewinkel/Hanover, 13. – 16.11.2012. Following the launch of the FIELDNAV fleet management system by CLAAS at Agritechnica 2011, early experience in the field has emphatically shown that this new technology has the tremendous potential to cut costs, with users reporting time savings of up to 10 percent.

Harsewinkel/Hanover, 13. - 16.11.2012. Germany is aiming to meet 60% of its final energy requirements from renewable energy sources by 2050. Biogas is currently the most successful and most important source of renewable energy - and statistics for energy production from biomass in Germany in 2011 show that biogas made up the largest share at almost 50%.

Harsewinkel/Thessaloniki. The CLAAS group has appointed G. HIGAS S.A. Georgotechniki as a new exclusive distributor for the territory of Greece and Cyprus. G. HIGAS S.A. Georgotechniki is a family owned company. Iannis Higas and his son George Higas have over 60 years of experience in the Greek agricultural market.

Harsewinkel/Beijing. CLAAS has established a new company in China, based in Beijing. This follows the recent official opening of offices in the Thai capital of Bangkok a few weeks ago. CLAAS Agricultural Machinery Trading (Beijing) Co., Ltd will promote and market CLAAS technology in this huge country which has a population of 1.34 billion people.

It was a LEXION 770, previously the most powerful CLAAS combine harvester, which set the current world record for 8-hour wheat harvesting in 2011 and went on to complete a 20-hour endurance test at the same time.

With its new LEXION 700 series, CLAAS is introducing the world's first combine harvester model series which continuously and automatically adjusts to the harvest conditions.

The TUCANO has gained additional performance, comfort and intelligence for the next harvest season, and has been upgraded to include some of the proven features of the LEXION.

During the past year, the 120 x 90 cm bale size has been introduced to the CLAAS range of baler products in the shape of the QUADRANT 3300 RF. This machine has successfully concluded a year in practical operation as a ROTO FEED variant, and CLAAS is now offering this "cropped" bale size and is proud to present the new QUADRANT 3300 ROTO CUT (RC).

With the introduction of the CARGOS in 2010, CLAAS fundamentally reinvented the concept of the combi-wagon.

CLAAS has introduced the new VOLTO 1100, which is the world's first three-point linkage mounted 10 rotor tedder. The new tedder generation also includes a trailed version, the VOLTO 1100 T. The new VOLTO 1100 has a working width of 10.70 m, are very compact and equipped with the newly developed MAX SPREAD crop flow concept.

Last year, CLAAS launched a completely new range of single rotor rakes. This range is now being extended by two more models, one for mounting on the three-point linkage and a trailed model. With a rotor diameter of 3.80 m, the new LINER rakes have an enlarged working width of 4.80 m giving CLAAS a very wide range of single rotor rakes with working widths from 3.50 m – 4.80 m.

With the DISCO 3500 RC CONTOUR, CLAAS is extending its range of products for harvesting leafy crops such as lucerne and clover. The company currently offers the largest range of mower units fitted with a roller conditioner.

CLAAS introduces three new front-mounted disc mowers - the DISCO 3500 F/FC/FRC PROFIL. These new DISCO models are available as a straight mower without a conditioner, or with either a tine or roller conditioners.

Harsewinkel/Omaha. Jim Suttle, Mayor of Omaha, visited the CLAAS headquarters in Harsewinkel on Tuesday this week. The CLAAS North American headquarters are located in Omaha where it has been assembling combines since 1999.

Harsewinkel/Bangkok. CLAAS continues to expand its Asian business: the CLAAS Regional Center South East Asia was founded in the Thai capital of Bangkok.

Students and young farmers across Europe are encouraged to enter a new competition and submit their innovative ideas for using satellite technology in agriculture to improve production, efficiency, profit and to reduce environmental impact.

Harsewinkel/Ehra-Lessien, 12.-15.6.2012. With more than 10,000 ARION 600 tractors around the world alone, the current ARION series is the most successful range of tractors from CLAAS. In order to remain in that position, CLAAS continuously works on further developing tractor technology. In summer 2012, the current ARION 500/600 series will be replaced by a new generation bearing the same ARION name which will have a total of seven models.

Harsewinkel, 02.05.2012. Since 28 April, CLAAS and Horsch have jointly held the world record in the precision drilling of maize. Inside 24 hours, a total area of 448.29 hectares was tilled and fertilised simultaneously by means of a XERION 5000 and a Maestro 24.70 SW single-grain seed drill.

Higher capacity, better quality, greater flexibility and even more ecofriendly – these are the four main attributes of the new paint installation at the CLAAS plant in Metz, the foundation for which was laid at the end of February in the presence of Helmut and Reinhold Claas.

Berlin/Beelen, 9 March 2012. MBB Industries AG (Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm), Berlin, acquires 100% oft the shares of CLAAS Fertigungstechnik GmbH, Beelen, a subsiduary of CLAAS KGaA mbH. A respective purchase agreement – subject to conditions precedent – has been signed by the parties today. It has been agreed not to disclose the purchase price. The final closing is expected to take place before the end of the second quarter of 2012.

"We come from an agricultural society, we live in an industrial society and we are evolving into a scientific society", said Prof. Dr. Dr. Franz-Josef Radermacher from the Research Institute for Applied Knowledge Processing (FAW/n), one of the keynote speakers at the 2nd International CLAAS Biogas Symposium held at TECHNOPARC in Harsewinkel on January 16th and 17th. Indeed, CLAAS's motive for staging this international symposium was to impart knowledge and share information and ideas.

Financial year 2011 was a highly successful one for CLAAS. The company achieved the highest sales in its history, at €3,304.2 million, representing a rise of 33.5 % on the previous year’s figures and outperforming expectations. Furthermore, CLAAS was able to expand its market position in most product groups. At approximately €255 million, CLAAS’ income before taxes has more than tripled on the previous year’s value.

Harsewinkel/Hannover. In November 2011, CLAAS celebrated a notable landmark shortly before "Agritechnica": The 30,000th JAGUAR forage harvester rolled off the assembly line at the Harsewinkel plant. On the occasion of this landmark, CLAAS will be displaying a special model of the JAGUAR 980, fully equipped and in special black paintwork, at "Agritechnica". To match this special version, CLAAS in Bad Saulgau have also manufactured an ORBIS 900 front attachment and other JAGUAR components, all with a suitable design for the occasion.

Beijing/Harsewinkel. CLAAS is significantly increasing its activity on the Chinese agricultural machinery market. After the German manufacturer of agricultural equipment achieved a considerable boost in worldwide sales in 2011, a new subsidiary for sales and service will come into operation in Beijing at the start of 2012. Until now, CLAAS has been active in China with its own representative, supplying the huge market through local sales organisations.

Harsewinkel/Hanover. The CLAAS NIR sensor system [NIR = near-infrared spectroscopy] enables not only the dry matter of the harvested material to be determined directly on the forage harvester, but also, and for the first time, the starch/sugar, crude protein, crude fibre, crude fat and crude ash content of grass and maize. The data acquired can then be used for the purposes of display visualisation, documentation and process control. This new technology delivers an important improvement in forage management and all billing processes in the biogas industry as well as in the dairy and cattle feeding sectors.

Gütersloh/Hanover. Maintaining an overview of the performance of all the machines in use in agricultural process chains is a challenging task for farm managers. TONI – TELEMATICS ON IMPLEMENT from Claas Agrosystems bundles and speeds up direct data transfer from the tractor and implements to the office via an ISOBUS, independent of the order. With this tool, Claas Agrosystems has expanded the range of TELEMATICS to implements, providing for the first time a clear overview of the entire working unit.

Harsewinkel/Hanover. How will the heavy work be done in the fields in the future? CLAAS has welcomed an inspiration from Merlyn Gray, a young designer from London, who together with a team of young and committed design engineers from CLAAS' own tractor development department has conceived of a new form of drive and traction and wrapped the whole idea in an equally surprising package.

Harsewinkel/Hanover. With its new "Vertical Lift System (vls)" and "Smart Handling" driver assistance systems, CLAAS has succeeded in further increasing the operational reliability of the SCORPION telescopic loader while also improving its efficiency in everyday use. Developed by CLAAS in conjunction with Weidemann, both systems were awarded the Silver Medal at the Agritechnica 2011.

Gütersloh/Hanover. With its innovative software PF-Gülle, CLAAS Agrosystems in cooperation with Zunhammer has intelligently integrated organic fertilisers into precision farming. The combined use of a crop sensor, application map and the NIR Sensor makes it possible for the first time ever to use organic fertilisers for site-specific fertilisation. PF-Gülle automatically analyses, meters and maps the quantities applied.

Gütersloh/Hanover. Reliable navigation is absolutely crucial in modern farming: the FLOTTENMANAGEMENT FIELDNAV system developed by CLAAS Agrosystems in conjunction with Lacos Computerservice effectively prevents non-local seasonal workers from losing their way. The system also combines safe navigation with valuable management functions such as planning, scheduling and billing. A particularly practical feature is the 1-click "follow me" function which navigates handling vehicles based on the position of the lead machine, and without the laborious task of generating orders.

Great Britain/Hanover. Seventy-five years after CLAAS launched the first combine harvester onto the European market, a LEXION in England has set a new world record in combine harvesting. Under the supervision of a Guinness World Records adjudicator, a commercially available LEXION 770 with TERRA TRAC track roller unit harvested a record breaking 675 tonnes of wheat in eight hours.

The CLAAS tractor family is set to be joined by an entirely new range. The four new AXION 920, 930, 940 and 950 models, with a maximum power outputs of 320, 350, 380, 410 hp to ECE R 120 will extend the current CLAAS tractor range and bridge the gap between the proven AXION 800 (164 - 260 hp) and XERION 3300 to 5000 4x4 high horsepower tractors (330 - 530 hp). All CLAAS 4x4 high horsepower tractors in the XERION series have been adapted to European traffic conditions and comply with all traffic regulations, being equipped with four wheels up to 2.15 metres in diameter and 90 cm in width.

CLAAS will reorganise its activities on the Austrian agricultural machinery market. On 1 October 2011, the company is opening a new CLAAS Regional Centre in Stockerau, north-west of Vienna. The new centre has good transport links and is easily accessible to all of our customers in the agricultural sector.

Romania has become a much more important player in the European agricultural sector and is today the fourth largest market in Europe, based on the country's usable agricultural area. An increasing number of farmers and farm contractors are opting for CLAAS machinery in the central European state. Now, CLAAS has responded to the wishes of its Romanian customers by setting up a CLAAS Regional Center Romania and an exclusive dealership structure. The family-owned company CLAAS has thus clearly signalled its belief in the importance of the Romanian market and its positive economic development.

CLAAS has many years of experience in track roller units, and the TERRA TRAC has been continuously assessed and developed based on its applications. The new TERRA TRAC system with hydropneumatic suspension premiered last year already represents the third generation. CLAAS is now extending its range of TERRA TRAC running gear for the 2012 financial year to include four different track belts in three widths: 635 mm, 735 mm, 890 mm, and 890 mm with a special track belt for use in rice harvesting.

CLAAS SCORPION telescopic loaders have now been successfully established on the European agricultural machinery markets for six years. In the period from 2005 – 2010, sales of telescopic loaders in Western and Central Europe have increased gradually to approx. 9000 machines (in 2010). In this relatively short period, the SCORPION has already been able to achieve high double-digit market shares in some important markets.

Straw is a very valuable renewable raw material – and today it is becoming increasingly important. Many CLAAS machines are designed for handling and processing straw. The economic value of straw - it can be marketed internationally in bales and in other forms - has to be balanced against its other environmental uses: straw is important for the formation of humus in the soil, for erosion protection and as a nutrient provider. It is therefore important to strike a good balance between profitability and soil stewardship.

The balers of the ROLLANT series, with their bale dimension of 1.25 m X 1.2 m, stand out for their high performance and extraordinary bale density, while still maintaining excellent reliability – even under difficult conditions and when the crop is damp. There are now three new models in this successful series, which can be optionally equipped with a hydraulically lowered cutter chamber.

The latest addition to the CLAAS baler range is the QUADRANT 3300. The main features of this new square baler are its extremely high bale density, perfect bale shape, maximum throughput and a bale format of 90 x 120 cm. With this model, CLAAS is meeting a requirement from many customers and is closing the gap between the QUADRANT 3200 and the QUADRANT 3400. The format of the QUADRANT 3300 is ideally suited to professional straw collection and is also a popular dimension for bale transport in many countries. The number of bales per hectare is very low, allowing fields to be cleared more quickly.

Camera systems are increasingly becoming an indispensable tool for monitoring operations and processes on farming machinery – whether on combine harvesters, foragers, tractors or balers. Chopping, threshing and transport are complex processes where good visibility is crucial. Camera solutions by CLAAS are the extra eyes the machine operator needs.

This year, CLAAS is extending its range of twin-rotor centre swathers with another machine for the professional, the LINER 3100. The new LINER was designed for universal use on grass, hay or straw and, with its continuously adjustable working width of 8.70 m – 10.00 m, represents a real alternative to the tried-and-tested four-rotor swathers. This large working width also allows the LINER 3100 to gather two swaths from a 7.50 m wide combine harvester cutterbar.

For the coming season, CLAAS is offering five new models in our single rotor rake range: the LINER 450 / 420 / 370 which are mounted on the three-point linkage and the LINER 450 T and 370 T trailed variants. With working widths of 3.50 m – 4.50 m, the new LINERs are particularly well suited for use by small and medium-sized farms that organise their own forage harvesting. Of course, these models also feature the reliable components from the tried-and-tested LINER range, which are designed for long-term durability.

The AVERO combine harvester family continues to grow. The new AVERO 160 model sees CLAAS extending its range of products for independent small and medium-sized farms. Like the AVER0 240 (146 kW / 198 HP to ECE R 120), the new model is powered by a Caterpillar C 6.6 engine developing 116 kW / 158 HP to ECE R 120. Like its big brother, the AVERO 160 has the same cleaning system and the same residual grain separation with four straw walkers, but has a conventional threshing system.

Connantre, France: CLAAS introduces the DISCO 9100 RC CONTOUR disc mower with a working width of 9.10 metres. The roller conditioner allows it to process crops gently, in order to protect the soft and nutrient-rich leaves in crops such as alfalfa.

With the DISCO 9100 C AUTOSWATHER, CLAAS introduces a professional mower combination with swathing belt, which will be ideal for farm contractors, large farms and owners of biogas plants. The mower was developed specifically for grass harvesting and harvesting biomass, such as green rye or triticale.

With immediate effect, CLAAS is now also offering the proven ACTIVE FLOAT suspension technology for the DISCO 3100 F PROFIL front mower, which has a 3.00 metre mowing width. This suspension technology enables your mower to react quickly and easily to different ground conditions, thereby keeping crop contamination to an absolute minimum. At the same time, it has been proven that up to 20 percent of fuel consumption is saved by shifting the weight of the mower onto the tractor. This means that the frictional resistance generated by the cutterbar during mowing is converted to rolling resistance and transferred onto the tractor tyres.

The summer of 1936 marked the birth of the combine harvester on our continent. At the Zschernitz Manor near Halle in Saxony-Anhalt, August Claas unveiled a tractor-drawn machine developed at his factory in Harsewinkel, Westphalia. As it travelled across the field the "reaper-binder" immediately produced perfect grain which could be transported off in bags. It revolutionised European farming.

The CLAAS plant in Bad Saulgau has now been producing front mowers for tractors for 30 years. In 1981, the first front mower - the WM 31 F - was launched on the market. It was this drum mower which gave CLASS its breakthrough on the mower market. Over the last three decades, the CLAAS plant in Bad Saulgau has now produced over 40,000 front mowers. CLAAS is now offering three new CORTO drum mowers with mowing widths of 3.05 m and 2.65 m.

CLAAS, the agricultural machinery company, will be reorganising and strengthening its sales and service network in Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina as of 1 October 2011. The reason for the restructuring is the end of the company's agreement with the current importer, Eibl & Wondrak.

With effect from 1 July 2011, Lothar Kriszun is to be appointed as the new President of CLAAS Tractor SAS, and as a member of the Management Board of CLAAS KGaA mbH and of the CLAAS Group Executive Board he will be responsible for the Tractor Division. As the successor to Mr Kriszun, Jan-Hendrik Mohr is to be appointed as the new President of CLAAS Global Sales GmbH on 01 July 2011, and as a Member of the Executive Board he will assume responsibility for the Sales Division.

The front mower is celebrating its birthday. The CLAAS plant in Bad Saulgau has now been producing front mowers for tractors for 30 years. In 1981, the first front mower - the WM 31 F - was launched on the market. This drum mower allowed CLAAS to make its breakthrough on the mower market. Over the last three decades, the CLAAS plant in Bad Saulgau has now produced over 40,000 front mowers.

The agricultural machinery sector is booming. The family-owned company CLAAS, which is one of the world's largest manufacturers of agricultural machinery, is expecting strong double-digit percentage sales growth.

A new emissions threshold came into force on 1 January 2011 applicable to all engines with output of 130 kW and above. The threshold will extend to encompass smaller engines in a year’s time. The challenge for agricultural machinery manufacturers worldwide is to treat exhaust emissions while at the same time improving efficiency.

The new CLAAS TERRA TRAC system for the LEXION combine harvester was awarded a silver medal at SIMA, the international agricultural technology show, held every two years in Paris The prestigious SIMA Innovation Awards are judged by an expert panel and presented to successful companies at the Show.

From 2012 the CLAAS tractor family is set to be joined by an entirely new range. CLAAS gave a sneak preview of the new AXION 900 at SIMA, the first time the machine has been showcased. With four models from 280 to 400 hp, this new high-performance range of tractors completes the current CLAAS line up and compliments the already popular and proven AXION 800 (180–260-hp) and XERION ranges (330–525-hp).

Combine harvesters make a substantial contribution to food production worldwide – virtually no other invention has had the kind of impact on world food production that this workhorse has had. The combine harvester performs an operational process which has historically demanded an enormous physical outlay in the field and on the farm: the combine travels across the field cutting the crop, threshing out the valuable grain with minmum losses, and finally collects the harvested grain in a large grain tank. It does this very quickly, and on a huge scale. This year, the European combine marks a special anniversary, its 75th year in operation.

CLAAS was officially recognised for its research into animal protection in forage harvesting at SIMA with a prestigious award. The “WILDRETTER” (“Game Guard”) project, which CLAAS is currently working on together with several partner research institutes, was awarded the innovation prize for a “sensor system designed to detect wild animals when mowing agricultural land”. The project is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

Krasnodar/Harsewinkel. The Kuban State University of Krasnodar in Southern Russia has conferred the title of Honorary Professor on CLAAS executive board member Jan-Hendrik Mohr. According to Prof. Sergey Mikahilovich Reznichenko, Dean of the Kuban State University, the agricultural university has given the award in acknowledgement of the now twelve-year collaboration between CLAAS and the university in the areas of agricultural and farming.

Harsewinkel. Biomass and biogas are energy fields for which CLAAS has been developing harvesting machines for many years. The point was made by Cathrina Claas-Mühlhäuser at the International Biogas Symposium at the Technoparc in Harsewinkel. 450 experts from 17 nations attended her talk highlighting the importance of this business segment to the farming sector.

The important agricultural machinery markets serviced by CLAAS only started to return to positive territory at the end of 2010. CLAAS used the 2010 financial year to prepare itself for profitable growth with various new products and improved structures and processes. The CLAAS 2010 financial year (balance sheet date 30 September) was characterised by a decline in sales due to the global recession and financial crisis.

Harsewinkel. At its latest meeting in Harsewinkel, the Supervisory Board of CLAAS KGaA elected a new President. Cathrina Claas-Mühlhäuser was appointed as the new President of the Supervisory Board. She thus takes over from her father, Helmut Claas, who had been President since 1995, when the legal form of the company was changed to a KGaA (commercial partnership limited by shares).

A massive combine harvester is now on show on the A 2 motorway at Hamm-Uentrop. Industrial climbers attached a giant poster measuring 116 x 14.20 meters to the facade of the now extended CLAAS Parts Logistics Center right next to the motorway. The LEXION is lit up at night, making it clearly visible to many thousands of drivers.

CLAAS has launched a new "Super LEXION", the fastest combine harvester of all time. With the new generation of the LEXION, CLAAS has introduced two model series that are a lot faster, much more comfortable, even more productive and yet more economical.

Farmers and sub-contractors want the ideal sized hay, silage and straw bale. That is exactly what the CLAAS QUADRANT balers give you, and at an extremely high bale density and with maximum throughput. As the most recent member to the baler family, CLAAS is launching the QUADRANT 2200 RC ADVANTAGE which has a standard bale dimension of 120 x 70 cm.

LEXION – the name is synonymous worldwide with high-performance combine harvesters. The new generation LEXION from CLAAS is a combine harvester that has become much faster, more comfortable, more productive and, at the same time, more economical.

It is as sure-footed on slopes as a mountain goat. Its threshing activities are conducted as though it were on a completely flat surface. It starts where other combine harvesters stop – the new LEXION MONTANA (750 – 670 – 630).

A perfect harvest begins with a perfect cut. CLAAS therefore provides the right kind of cutterbars for all the different kinds of crop. Whether it's wheat, rye, barley, oats or triticale. Or rape seed, maize, sunflowers, rice, soya, flax, beans, lentils, grass and clover seed or durra, the different types of CLAAS cutterbars at the front of the combine harvester can cut down crops well anywhere.

CLAAS has set completely new standards in the multi-purpose wagon segment when it introduced the new CARGOS series for the season 2010. Recovery rates are maximized by the innovative new power-saving feeding system known as the EFFICIENT FEEDING SYSTEM (EFS) with a floor conveyor rising 500 mm towards the interior of the wagon. And the platform remains horizontal while loading.

Last year, CLAAS set new standards for large-area swathers with its LINER 4000. However, all links in the harvesting chain must be highly efficient so that farmers can successfully recover large forage volumes within ever shorter time frames. CLAAS has now enlarged its range of swathers with four rotary units to include a new model with 12.50 m working width - the LINER 3500.

The balers of the VARIANT series are characterised by the freely selectable bale diameter, increased throughput rate and greater compaction than with fixed-chamber systems. There are now four new models in this successful series, which can be optionally equipped with a hydraulically lowerable cutter chamber.

To minimize contamination of the forage, it is important for the mower to optimally adapt to changing ground contours. The tried-and-tested relief function ACTIVE FLOAT is now also available from CLAAS for the front mowers DISCO 3100 FC PROFILE and DISCO 3100 FRC PROFILE.

CLAAS is once again enlarging the range of harvesters for grass and lucerne this year and now offers one of the largest ranges on the market. As a result, CLAAS offers DISCO disc mowers with working widths from 2.10 m - 14.00 m both for small farms with own machinery and for agricultural contractors.

Prince Charles has been presented with a miniature combine harvester from CLAAS as a gift during his visit to troops in Gütersloh. Harsewinkel's Mayor Sabine Amsbeck-Dopheide gave him the TUCANO model as a present from the "combine harvester town of Harsewinkel".

Harsewinkel/Tashkent;   CLAAS has started to assemble combine harvesters at a new plant in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. It is planned that tractors and balers will also be produced in future.

Krasnodar / Moscow;   CLAAS is going to strengthen its activities in the Russian Federation and plans to extend its production site in Krasnodar in the future. As a result, our company has now agreed a contract with the Krasnodar Region to purchase additional plots of land.

CLAAS Tractor SAS invests in difficult times and continues paving the way for the future. Set in motion at the end of 2008, CLAAS Tractor's SAS investment in a new ultramodern paintwork line was realised with its launch a few days ago.

We sadly announce the death of our shareholder Prof. Dr. h.c. Günther Claas. He passed away on May 3rd in the 79th year of his life after a short and serious illness.

A few days ago, the thousandth XERION rolled off line four at the XERION production plant in Harsewinkel, Germany. The white giant was resplendent in a special white paint finish. The employees of the production plant turned out in force to witness the unveiling of the super machine and to bask in the glow of the photographers’ flashbulbs.

Bern / Oberbipp;    A new, large Swiss agricultural engineering company is currently being formed. Service Company AG, Oberbipp and Landtechnik Zollikofen (a division of fenaco Agrartechnik, Bern) want to work together as partners in Swiss agriculture. The most important business area is the maintenance of the whole product range of the agricultural machinery manufacturer CLAAS.

After a record year in 2008, the worldwide market for agricultural machinery suffered significant declines in some areas. The VDMA (German Engineering Federation) estimates that industry turnover dropped by 25% in 2009. Highly volatile markets for agricultural products along with the worldwide financial crisis and recession created uncertainty in the minds of farmers causing them to hold back on investment. Against this background, the sales of the CLAAS Group declined 10.4% to €2.9 billion. Profit before tax was €112.3 million. Although this was 54.7% below the value from the previous year, this still represents a respectable result within the industry. Furthermore, CLAAS was able to maintain or even improve its market position in important markets.

Harsewinkel/Berlin;   Helmut Claas, shareholder and chairman of the supervisory board of the CLAAS Group, was appointed a Knight of the French Legion of Honour. The French ambassador to Germany, Bernard de Montferrand, honoured the achievements of Helmut Claas as a pioneer of Franco-German cooperation in a celebration held at the French Embassy in Berlin, emphasising the important role of both countries in the integration of Europe.

When it comes to the narrow-track tractors used in fruit and wine growing, farmers have very different requirements. For this purpose, CLAAS has developed the new NEXOS range which not only offers high performance and economy, but also comes with a wide range of equipment options. This way, every farmer can configure his tractor to suit his specific needs.

Compact, mobile and powerful, the new ELIOS tractor has been developed by CLAAS to meet individual customer requirements, making the ELIOS ideal for livestock farmers, grassland farmers and vegetable farmers alike. The ELIOS will also be suitable for customers outside the farming sector where there is demand for smaller tractors up to 100 HP.

CLAAS has pooled its range of electronics expertise and given it a new name: Efficient Agriculture Systems” – “EASY” in short – is the generic term as of now used for all computer-assisted systems and programs for agricultural planning and operation.

Flash lightning like for an Oscar award could be seen on the CLAAS stand the evening before the Agritechnica. The star was a brand new XERION generation: XERION 5000 with 524 hp and XERION 4500 with 483 hp.

CLAAS presents its two new XERION 5000 and 4500 models for the first time at the Agritechnica 2009 trade fair. In addition to the two XERION 3800 and 3300 models in the "400 hp and under" class, CLAAS has extended its range of tractors with two new models ranging to over 500 hp.

CLAAS has now added a telescopic loader to its range which meets the growing demand for a powerful, yet compact, machine. The new SCORPION 6030 CP has the right dimensions and power to ideally supplement the model range of telescopic loaders for farm and indoor work.

Innovations from CLAAS receive top awards at the Agritechnica 2009 trade fair. With two gold medals and one silver medal, CLAAS leads the German agricultural engineering industry.

There have been some new additions to the CLAAS tractor range: with the ARION 400 model series, the ARION 410, ARION 420 and ARION 430 are now making their debut in the field and on the farm. With six engine variants, the new compact tractors from CLAAS cover the power range from 100 hp / 66 kW to 130 hp / 92 kW (R24  ISO TR 14396).

The new VARIO 1200 variable cutterbar has a 12-metre cutting width - providing a previously unattainable harvesting output. The VARIO concept turns this cutterbar into a combine harvester implement with all-round capabilities. The cutterbar can be converted from cereal to rape seed threshing within a very short space of time.

With the introduction of the TUCANO family of combine harvesters, CLAAS has created a revolution in the upper middle-class category of machines. The revolution now continues in this class of combine harvesters. The HYBRID SYSTEM, a threshing technology from Claas which combines the APS tangential threshing system with the ROTO PLUS residual grain separation system, is now also available on the TUCANO.

A new round baler from the CLAAS factory in Metz has been launched on the market. The ROLLANT 454/455 produces a bale size of 1.25 m x 1.20 m and stands out due to its high performance capabilities, exceptional bale density and maximum reliability. This refined version of the ROLLANT baler will prove especially beneficial where very moist crops are harvested in difficult conditions.  

In order to ensure a uniform level of dry matter, swather technology for professional forage harvesting has to be adapted to mowers of increasing width and power. This is why the CLAAS large 4-rotor swathers have been able to progressively establish themselves on the market, especially in the area of large-scale harvesting across multiple farms.

15 years ago, CLAAS introduced its own disc mowers onto the market for the first time. Since then, the company has continued to extend its range of machinery for grass and lucerne harvesting manufacturered at its Bad Saulgau site in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The company today has one of the largest product ranges on the market. The DISCO range of disc mowers from CLAAS includes mowers with working widths ranging from 2.10 m to 14 m, making them ideal for both small farms which operate their own machinery or professional users of large equipment harvesting on multiple farms.

CLAAS has added a new product segment to its range: the combi-wagon or dual-use wagon. On the one hand, this type of wagon can be used as a fully functional self-loading rotary wagon and, on the other, as a sturdy forage wagon for the grass or maize harvest.

A new model of Claas combine harvester is rolling out into the field, the AVERO 240. This compact combine harvester fits perfectly into the power category between the Dominator 150 and TUCANO 320. It has been designed especially for businesses which operate their own machinery.

Posen/Harsewinkel, August 2009 – Dom Handlowy Korbanków (DHK), the Polish importer of CLAAS products, and CLAAS will be going their separate ways with regard to sales, service and parts beginning in autumn 2010. During the transition period, DHK will continue to act as CLAAS importer.

The agricultural and farm machinery sectors have been undergoing a major process of professionalisation in Slovakia for years. Many farmers and contractors choose to rely on harvesting machines and tractors from CLAAS. The family-owned company from Germany has now reorganised and expanded the arrangements for the import of its machines to Slovakia.

Festive celebrations in India: The 3000^th CROP TIGER 30 with TERRA TRAC was presented to its new owner. The CROP TIGER combine harvester is increasingly becoming a model for success on the Indian subcontinent.

Introducing the trendy Retro look. The new CLAAS Retro collection offers you casual fashion with suitable accessories and stunning lifestyle articles for everyone.

With its new DISCO Contour series, CLAAS presents an array of new models ranging from the 2.60m mounted mower to the 9.10m front-mounted triple mowers. Technology previously exclusive to the COUGAR 1400 self-propelled mower is now available for the first time in mounted mower units.

Combine harvesters equipped with the CLAAS HYBRID SYSTEM deliver maximum throughput and optimal harvesting quality. The 11,111^th CLAAS combine harvester with HYBRID SYSTEM, a LEXION 600, has now been delivered to its new owner, Agrar und Umwelt AG Loberaue – a farming business affiliated to the Südzucker Group near Leipzig. In addition to its LEXION 580, the farm now operates two CLAAS LEXION 600 combine harvesters with 10.5-metre-wide VARIO cutterbars that guarantee maximum productivity and economy.

With sales exceeding €3.2 billion and pre-tax earnings totaling €248 million, the Claas Group presented its best results to date in fiscal year 2007/2008. Sales grew by a total of 21.7%. For the agricultural engineering market alone, the figure was 22.8%. This documents the strong growth in sales in Claas’s core business, agricultural technology, where the company specializes in combine harvesters, foragers, tractors, and green harvest machinery.

The CLAAS Foundation presented its scholarships for 2008, and new for this year students showing great promise in agriculture also received awards for their outstanding performances.

At a large ceremony, CLAAS India Limited, subsidiary of the globally operating CLAAS Group, presented its new combine harvester factory in Chandigarh, Punjab, to Indian agricultural-technology dealers.

CLAAS is extending its JAGUAR 900 forage harvester series still further to include two new JAGUAR 940 and 930 models to complete this high-performance series. The series now covers a wide range of power outputs from 412 to 830 HP (ECE R 24).

Under the watchful eye of an invited Guinness Book of Records official, the LEXION 580 harvested 532 tons of wheat in eight hours. That’s 18 percent better than the previous world record.

The AXOS from CLAAS is a new range of tractors providing from 70 to 100 hp  machines with a choice of specfications, modelled to satisfy all variety of tasks required on farm. Presented to the international trade press in the Czech Republic, the AXOS is a tractor for any occasion. In addition CLAAS has launched an innovation campaign in forage harvesting technology.

With the take-over of the remaining 20% share, the family owned company CLAAS has now become the full owner of Renault Agriculture SAS. In this context, the French subsidiary Renault Agriculture which, as a business unit within the CLAAS group, is responsible for the development and production of tractors, will be renamed “CLAAS Tractor“.

At a recent anniversary event, Shareholder Cathrina Claas and Jan-Hendrik Mohr, Member of the CLAAS Group Executive Board and responsible for grain harvest, announced that production capacity is to be doubled in the next three years.

This year CLAAS was presented with the award for its successful implementation of the value sourcing concept.

With its International Supply Chain Initiative, the CLAAS KGaA mbH wins the German Logistics Award 2007, thus achieving one of the highest awards in the German economy.

CLAAS has introduced a new, even more powerful family of self-propelled forage harvesters, the JAGUAR 980 - 950.

The new ARION 600 is the 6-cylinder series with a maximum power output from 125 hp to 155 hp according to ECE R24.

In October 2006, the AXION 800 series with HEXASHIFT multi-step transmission was introduced.

At Agritechnica 2007, CLAAS will present the “big brother” of the established XERION 3300, the XERION 3800 with a maximum output of 379 hp

A new tractor training centre has been opened in Steinhagen. The CLAAS ACADEMY will in future provide training seminars to dealers, as well as in-house marketing and service personnel for CLAAS tractors, in a modern and purposefully designed facility.

Unique within Germany’s railway system – a freight locomotive with a picture of a combine harvester. During a small ceremony in Berlin’s main railway station, Hartmut Mehdorn, Chief Executive of DB AG, Norbert Bensel and Cathrina Claas unveiled a class 152 locomotive with an enormous picture of a combine harvester.

A new CLAAS combine harvester is rolling onto the fields: the TUCANO. Many features of the LEXION series have been combined in this premium machine of the upper medium class

A high compression density, perfect bale shape and maximum output – the characteristics of CLAAS QUADRANT presses for many years. A bale size of 120 x 70 is today’s standard in professional straw harvesting.

The “Tractor-World-Tour“ has clocked up 15,000 Euro. In January, the adventurer Matthias Lause (26) set off on a world tour with an ARES tractor in order to collect donations, together with the CARE organisation, for an aid project in Lesotho.

The first XERION 3300 SADDLE TRAC mastered more than 10,000 hours of test operation. The powerful and versatile tractor developed by CLAAS has been working daily for 16 hours continuously in the open pit mines of RWE Power AG since November 2003.

“I am a tractor driver by trade” – President Horst Köhler surprised the visitors of "Woche der Umwelt" in Berlin and started the engine of the AXION that was on display there. 

Before a combine harvester drives over a field for the first time, it has probably covered many kilometres by railway. For decades Deutsche Bahn AG has been one of the most significant logistic partners of CLAAS. Fifty per cent of the Deutsche Bahn rolling stock resides in the facility of Harsewinkel.

“Important stop” for Matthias Lause. CLAAS Omaha in the US state of Nebraska hosted a dazzling reception for the tractor driver on his round-the-world tour.

Europe now lies far behind Matthias Lause. The adventurer, who is travelling around the world with his CLAAS tractor, has now reached the American continent.

The new goods receiving system at the CLAAS factory in Harsewinkel has now been officially opened. Cathrina Claas and Manager Jan-Hendrik Mohr symbolically cut through the tape at a ceremony that set the high bay racking system in motion. Many of the factory’s employees were invited to attend the opening tour of the new modern logistics centre.

State visit in Harsewinkel. During his tour of Germany, the President of Madagascar, Marc Ravalomanana, took time out to pay a visit to CLAAS and was given a warm welcome at the Technoparc by Helmut, Erika and Cathrina Claas and Dr. Theo Freye, management spokesperson.

The Managing Director of CLAAS India, Mr. P.K.Malik, handed over the 2000^th CLAAS combine to a proud customer, Mr.P.Muralidhar Reddy, at a glittering function at Gold Fields.

Die CLAAS Stiftung kann ihre Nachwuchsförderung deutlich verstärken. Das Stiftungskapital wurde jetzt durch eine Zustiftung der CLAAS Gruppe von 1,9 Mio. € auf drei Mio. € erhöht; das bedeutet eine Steigerung von nahezu 60 Prozent.

CLAAS is to build a new combine harvester plant in the north of India, in the state of Punjab. Cathrina Claas inaugurated the land at the new CLAAS site during an official ceremony in the presence of the German ambassador in Morinda.

The innovative knotter design on the QUADRANT 3400 square baler for binding bales was the only gold medal winner in the harvesting category at SIMA.

As in previous years, CLAAS will be attending this year’s event as the “harvesting specialist”. One of the highlights on the CLAAS stand is the new AXION series of tractors, which have for the first time been developed and manufactured entirely by CLAAS.

Speaker of the Group Executive board takes up new challenge.

The CLAAS Foundation and the Student Research Centre Bad Saulgau (SFZ) have started an educational partnership.

Ein CLAAS Traktor fährt um die ganze Welt und sammelt Spenden für ein Hilfsprojekt der Wohltätigkeitsorganisation CARE. Der gelernte Landmaschinenmechaniker Matthias Lause (25) aus Bad Driburg startete von der XERION Montagebahn in Harsewinkel in die große weite Welt.

Sales growth in all business segments
Sales for the CLAAS Group increased by 8.1% to €2,351.0 million in the fiscal year 2006. All three business sectors – Agricultural Engineering, Production Engineering, and Industrial Engineering – contributed to this growth.

The new AXION tractor series from CLAAS offers between 163 and 225 hp rated power output. AXION completely redefines comfort with the new CEBIS terminal, new multifunction armrest and unique four-point cab suspension. In addition, the AXION is equipped with the convenient HEXASHIFT transmission and innovative DRIVESTICK control.

Moscow recently played host to Russia’s ‘Golden Autumn’ agricultural exhibition. More than 2,000 exhibitors from 73 Russian regions were on hand to display their products and latest developments. CLAAS, one of the largest agricultural machinery manufacturers in the world, took the opportunity to present its products to more than 50,000 visitors.

CLAAS launched the first self-propelled combine back in 1953, but ten years ago it took combines to a completely new dimension with the LEXION. Although more than 20,000 LEXION combines have been sold to date, Claas continues to develop the range.

The new series of VARIANT balers from CLAAS combine new innovation alongside tried and tested features giving the customer a completely new level of performance and comfort.

QUADRANT 3400 – baler with maximum throughput. 18 years after the launch of the legendary QUADRANT 1200 and almost 10,000 square balers later, CLAAS has now created a new dimension in large balers.

BROETJE Automation (Wiefelstede), a subsidiary of the CLAAS-Fertigungstechnik, has opened a new headquarters in Omaha, NE. As the technology leader in assembly equipment and services for the aerospace industry BROETJE is now located in the heartland of North America. BROETJE is situated on the campus of CLAAS Omaha Inc. The American customer list contains a number of aircraft manufacturers – most notably, market leader Boeing, its subsidiaries and component suppliers.

“Germany – Land of Ideas” is a joint initiative of the German government and German commerce and industry. On 3^rd April 2006, CLAAS organise a “Technoparc Day” for the general public.

It all began with hay: The first products to be made by the CLAAS brothers’ company in Harsewinkel were hay balers.

CLAAS has launched a new Paneuropean Asset Backed Securitization program. The program was funded in March 2006 under a commitment of 250 million Euro and is set up for 450 million Euro. Through this program, technically an Asset Backed Commercial Paper program (ABCP), CLAAS is securitizing receivables by its importers and dealers in 29 countries, such receivables being originated  by 6 CLAAS subsidiary companies in Italy, France and Germany.

The first of its kind at our current facility, the CLAAS North American Suppliers’ Day held on February 21, 2006 proved itself successful to the attendees from CLAAS, both in Omaha and Worldwide, and to its 56 suppliers in attendance from 38 different companies.

CLAAS Purchasing has once again awarded its "Oscars" to top suppliers. 230 participants from 16 countries in Europe, America and Africa got together in the Claas Technoparc for the 2^nd International Suppliers’ Day.

CLAAS, the leading European manufacturer of agricultural machinery, has raised its  stake in French Renault Agriculture SAS a further 29 %, resulting in an 80 %

The first XERION rolls off the new production line.Large machines such as the XERION system tractors, and later on, the COUGAR self-propelled mower, will be manufactured on this new production line. 

Even after 80 years, the Green Week has lost none of its appeal. In the anniversary year, a number of exciting events and highlights are planned.

Sales of the CLAAS Group rose 12.8% to €2,175.3 million in fiscal 2005 (year ending September 30). All three segments showed significant growth.

Bologna. CLAAS Tractors have received two prestigious awards, winning two of three prizes in the ‘Tractor of the Year’ competition.