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Claas Group saw a 3.7% increase in sales for 2020.
While many sectors of the agricultural machinery were hit by the ravages of Covid-19, the effects of the pandemic did not prevent the privately-owned Claas Group from enjoying a 3.7% increase in sales during 2020.
The year also saw the company for the first time top €4.0 billion turnover.
While sales in its home country of Germany and the rest of Western Europe remained stable, the company reports these grew significantly in Eastern Europe – especially Russia. At 20%, the company also achieved its strongest growth in sales outside of Europe, with North America proving to be the most important growth driver.
Meanwhile, Claas says it also implemented several important investment projects as planned during the year, including new production technologies at the Le Mans tractor plant to increase efficiency. At Harsewinkel, the first phase of a modernisation project for combine harvester assembly was completed. Meanwhile, new sales centres in France and the UK were opened, alongside a new high-bay warehouse at the global parts distribution facility at Hamm in Germany.
Capital investments in fixed assets for 2020 was €131m (2019: €125m), and R&D expenditure continued at a high level of €237m (2019: €244m).
Despite the pandemic, global employee numbers remained stable at around 11,400 people.
Claas has announced the arrival of its new Jaguar 1000 series forage harvesters, taking power delivery beyond 1100hp, aimed at achieving 20% more throughput, better chop quality, greater efficiency and more operator comfort.
With the biennial Agritechnica Event just a few months away, manufacturers are offering sneak peaks at new innovations, with Claas recently highlighting its new Cerex 700 RC round baler.
Well known for its dominance in the harvesting arena, Claas has channelled its engineering excellence and a deep knowledge of the ag industry with the Fieldays release of the 2025 facelift Claas Arion 600C Evolution and Claas Night Edition Arion 660 tractors.
Silage making is both a science and an art, but Claas says it offers onboard technology featured in its Claas Perfect Partners to help farmers make silage more efficiently and effectively.
Claas has recently celebrated the 250,000th CLAAS mower – a Disco 3200 FC – rolling off the production line in Bad Saulgau, south-west Germany.
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