CLAAS

Infobox company
company_name = CLAAS KGaA mbH
company_
company_type = GmbH & Co. KGaA
company_slogan = Your Harvesting Specialist
foundation = 1913
location_city = Harsewinkel
location_country = Germany
key_people = Dr. Theo Freye, Speaker of the Executive Board
num_employees = 8.425 (2007)
revenue = profit € million 2.658,9 EUR (2007)
industry = Agricultural machinery, Agriculture
homepage = [http://www.claas.com/ www.claas.com]

CLAAS is an agricultural machinery manufacturer founded in 1913 , now based in Harsewinkel / Germany in the region of North Rhine Westphalia. Their agricultural products are usually sold under the CLAAS name, except in North America where combines are distributed under the LEXION brand by Caterpillar dealers. The product range includes combine harvesters, forage harvesters, balers, mowers, rakes, tedders and other harvesting machines.

In 2004, CLAAS purchased the Renault Agricultural tractor division from the Renault company of France.

History

The start of the CLAAS group took place in 1913, when August Claas developed the company in Clarholz, Germany. In 1919, the business was transferred to Harsewinkel, Germany, where the company focused on the production of reapers. Two years later the company obtained their first patent – for a knotter to efficiently bind straw. In 1930, the first Harvester was developed with the European market in mind with the first Pick-up Baler following in 1934. CLAAS Starts to market the first combine harvester built in Europe in 1936, as opposed to imported machines previously available. they then go on to off trailed trailed combine harvester (reaper-binder) to the European market.

Following the war they introduce self-propelled combine harvesters in 1946. by the mid 50s they open a new factory in Paderborn/Germany, and there first outside Germany – in Metz/France in 1962. Taking over the Josef Bautz, (agricultural machinery factory) in 1969 and expand the product range to include green harvest machinery.

Modern era 1970s

* 1971 Development of a pick-up sugar cane harvester.
* 1973 Presentation of the first self- propelled forage harvester.
* 1976 Introducion of the first CLAAS round baler ROLLANT.
* 1983 Introducion of JAGUAR self-propelled forage harvesters.
* 1988 CLAAS presents QUADRANT, the first CLAAS large-square baler.
* 1994 Start of development of AGROCOM a computer based, satellite-assisted, agricultural information system.
* 1995 CLAAS introduces the LEXION combine, the most powerful combine in the world (up to 40 tonnes of grain per hour).

The New Millennium

* 2001 CLAAS Omaha/COL opened in 2001 and starts to produce the LEXION combine series. North American LEXION combines are distributed as CAT LEXION by Caterpillar dealers.
* 2003 CLAAS acquires RENAULT Agriculture and expands its product range with tractors.
* 2005 CLAAS open a new factory in Krasnodar in South Russia. Launch of Lexion 600 Combine
* 2006 CLAAS manufacture the 80,000th ROLLANT baler, and launch of the Axion tractor
* 2007 CLAAS launch Tucano combine, larger Jaguar from 630hp - 830hp, Arion Tractor 112hp- 175hp and larger Xerion 379hp

Products

Tractors

* Nectis: 54 99 hp
* Celtis: 72 - 100 hp
* Ares 500: 100 - 120 hp
* Ares 600: 110 - 140 hp
* Ares 800: 158 - 193 hp
* Claas ARION : 112hp - 175hp
* Claas Axion : 163hp - 225hp
* Altes: 226 - 275 hp
* Xerion Saddle Trac: 305 hp
* Xerion Trac: 305 hp - 380 hp

Combines

* CLAAS Dominator
* CLAAS Medion
* CLAAS Mega
* CLAAS Tucano
* CLAAS Lexion 560-510
* CLAAS Lexion 580-570
* CLAAS Lexion 600
* Lexion 595R/590R
* Lexion 585R/580R
* Lexion 575R/570R
* Lexion 560R
* Lexion 570
* LEXION 560
* LEXION 600renault lexion

Forage Harvesting Machinery

* Forage Harvester: Jaguar
* Mowers: Disco, Corto, Cougar
* Tedding: Trailed and self powered
* Swathing
* Loading
* Balers
* Telehandler Claas Scorpion

External links

* [http://www.claas.com/ Official website]