The ambitious production plans of German tractor maker Fendt are still on track, according to brand director Peter Paffen.
“We expect to build 16,800 tractors in 2018, so the previously quoted target of 20,000 units in 2020 is definitely achievable,” says Mr Paffen.
Much of Mr Paffen’s confidence stems from the brand’s current strong performance in North America as well as the predicted imminent gains to be made in Australia and its surrounding regions.
Taking North America as an example, Fendt has traditionally only sold around 300-400 tractors/year into this market, whereas in 2018 the total is expected to reach 800 units. By 2020 that figure could be as high as an annual 2,000 tractor sales in North America, largely on the back of the success of the high-hp 1000-series line.
Allied to this growth in relatively new markets, Mr Paffen says that Fendt’s more established business in countries such as France and Italy is also buoyant — Italian sales will top 1,000 tractors for the first time in 2018. And, also in 2018, the brand is on target to take 9% of the total tractor business in Western and Central Europe, another first for Fendt.
