AGCO is investing €40 million to further expand its Beauvais facility and ramp up production volumes of Massey Ferguson to 18,000 tractors a year.
“We are delighted to keep our promise, made exactly one year ago at the Beauvais 3 logistic centre opening event, to announce the acquisition of the 15.7ha of the next door ex-Froneri site, to consolidate our presence in Beauvais,” said AGCO chairman, president and CEO Martin Richenhagen.
After refurbishment, the single, unified Beauvais campus will allow the company to roll out more new tractor ranges. With 18 new tractor ranges launched since 2015, another 10 are planned to come by 2023. Covering a total area of 54ha, the expanded facility will employ up to 2,500 people, including in its GIMA and AGCO Finance joint ventures.
The additional site, which includes 4.5ha of buildings, will not only enable Massey Ferguson to be more efficient, but also provide a tractor customisation workshop. This will be supported by an additive manufacturing facility, benefiting from prototype parts 3D printing for manufacturing for small series, complex and customised parts production. This activity will start next month for plastic parts and, for metal parts, during 2021.
In-house production of hydraulics hoses, which are currently outsourced from suppliers in Europe and Asia, is planned from April 2020. Gearbox remanufacturing is also new offering customers a cost-effective alternative to a brand new replacement.
AGCO has spent more than €250 million in Beauvais in the past eight years. The latest investment will add 200 new jobs to the already 100-plus jobs created with Beauvais 3, back in September 2018.
“At the end of this new investment programme, AGCO will have created 300 new jobs for its local Beauvais community as we intend Beauvais to become the global home of the Massey Ferguson brand,” said Mr Richenhagen.
He added that the national and local community and authorities in Beauvais have been a consistent source of support for AGCO and its status as the largest private employer in the Picardie region.
“This is no coincidence,” said Mr Richenhagen. “They have created a business-friendly environment that makes it possible for large international companies such as AGCO to invest in France. This new, single unified site presents opportunities for AGCO and Massey Ferguson to implement growth plans, previously limited by a lack of space.”
