Väderstad, one of the world’s leading companies in tillage, seeding and planting, has acquired the North Dakota, United-States (US) based company behind the Wil-Rich, Wishek and Concord brands. The business, which will be renamed Väderstad Inc, not only gives the Swedish firm a strong product range of tillage and seeding equipment such as field cultivators, disc harrows, shank drills, disc drills and air carts, but gives it access to a network of 220 US dealers.
The deal will see Väderstad take 100 per cent of the shares in the Agco-Amity Joint Venture (AAJV) company established in 2011 when Agco and Amity Technology joined forces to establish the business. The purchase also builds on the European firm’s 2013 purchase of Canadian-based company Seed Hawk, after having been part-owner since 2006. That company, based in the province of Saskatchewan, was renamed Väderstad Industries Inc and produces the popular Seed Hawk precision air drill for the North American market.
Väderstad president and CEO, Mats Båverud, said the acquisition was in line with the company’s long-term ambition to grow in the North American market.
“AAJV has a strong position on the US market combined with a product portfolio that gives us a more complete product offering in North America,” he added.
AAJV has 110 employees, a manufacturing facility of 30,000 square metres, a parts distribution warehouse, and a research and development facility at Wahpeton, North Dakota.
The CEO of AAJV, Keith Whitaker, said it was a great day for the company, its employees and the Wahpeton community.
“The combination of our highly skilled team and Väderstad’s solid and extensive experience will enable the company to provide a broad set of agronomic solutions for our farmer customers, while achieving our growth objectives with our dealer partners,” he added.
Jason Strobbe, who is Väderstad’s vice president for sales and marketing in North America has been appointed the new managing director for Vaderstad Inc.
