Monday, 23 April 2018 08:52

190 and counting

Written by 
Kuhn is celebrating 190 years. Kuhn is celebrating 190 years.

The acclaimed machinery maker Kuhn, known especially for its cultivation and grassland gear, is celebrating 190 years since Joseph Kuhn opened a forge in Alsace, France in 1828.

Today the business employs 5000 people, sells in 100 countries and generates Euro 1 billion turnover.

It’s a world away from the company that first made weigh scales then, with the opening of the Paris-Strasbourg train line, opened a new factory in Saverne where Joseph was joined by his brothers to begin making farm machinery.

By the start of the 20th century the factory was making several dozen machines each week despite the political uncertainties that saw the region become German in 1871, then French again in 1918. 

WW2 saw a decade of growth end and financial insecurity compel the company to join with the Swiss Bucher-Guyer company for survival.

Noted during its 1928 centenary was the manufacture of 1000 threshing machines per year, and in 1970 its delivery of its 1,000,000th machine.

Over time it bought many farm machinery makers: the French plough maker Huard in 1987, and the mixer wagon and straw processing specialist Audureau in 1993. In 1996 it expanded its range with seed drills and sprayers when Nodet joined the business, and in 2002 it added the American mixer wagon and manure spreader maker Knight Manufacturing.

In 2005 the business bought the precision drill maker Metasa of Brazil, then the French sprayer maker Blanchard in 2008. Also that year the company expanded into balers, wrappers, drum mowers and maize harvesters with the purchase of the Kverneland Group’s Geldrop factory in Holland. 

In 2011, Kuhn Group took a minority shareholding in the German company Rauch, best-known for pneumatic seed drills and fertiliser spreaders, and bought the American Krause Corporation, a maker of broadacre tillage equipment. 

Its most recent purchase was the Brazilian self-propelled sprayer maker Montanna in 2014.

More like this

Kuhn unveils 14.5m mower for high HP harvesters

With most forage harvester manufacturers offering machines touching 1000hp, the logistics puzzle has always been ‘dropping” grass and pulling into a swath big enough to feed the “beast”.

Kuhn bags tech award

French company KUHN has won a EIMA Technical Innovation Award for its Baler Automation Technology.

Wide rakes offer stability

Grassland specialist Kuhn’s Gyrorake GA 8731+ and GA 9531+ models are described as “large width” semi-mounted rakes with central delivery.

GPS in control

In a move that will make harvesting operations easier, particularly in odd-shaped paddocks, Kuhn has announced that GPS section control is now available on the FC 9330 RA mower conditioner, the GA 13231, and GA 15231 four-rotor rakes.

Right dose, right place in any conditions

The new AERO 32.1 mounted, pneumatic fertiliser spreader offers working widths of 24, 27, 28, or 30 metres, to complete KUHN’s range of pneumatic fertiliser spreaders.

Featured

Trial shows benefits of spring nitrogen use

A landmark New Zealand trial has confirmed what many farmers have long suspected - that strategic spring nitrogen use not only boosts pasture growth but delivers measurable gains in lamb growth and ewe condition.

Eric Roy: Championing the pork industry

It was recently announced that former MP and Southland farmer Eric Roy has stepped down of New Zealand Pork after seven years. Leo Argent talks with Eric about his time at the organisation and what the future may hold.

National

Machinery & Products

JDLink Boost for NZ farms

Connectivity is widely recognised as one of the biggest challenges facing farmers, but it is now being overcome through the…

New generation Defender HD11

The all-new 2026 Can-Am Defender HD11 looks likely to raise the bar in the highly competitive side-by-side category.

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Buttery prize

OPINION: Westland Milk may have won the contract to supply butter to Costco NZ but Open Country Dairy is having…

Gene Bill rumours

OPINION: The Gene Technology Bill has divided the farming community with strong arguments on both the pros and cons of…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter