French slurry tanker and manure spreader manufacturer Pichon Industries, which went into receivership in November, has been acquired by the Danish Samson Group.
The Glerup family behind Samson has never made a secret of wanting to develop the company as the leading European player, and reckons that the Pichon acquisition makes it Europe’s largest producer of slurry tankers.
“The two companies complement each other well both with regards to products, production facilities and geographical distribution,” said Samson Agro CEO Lars Henriksen.
The slurry tankers and manure spreaders from the Viborg factory in Denmark are aimed mainly at contractors and large livestock farms, whereas Pichon’s products, which are made at sites in France and Poland, are largely aimed at small and medium-sized farms and contractors.
Pichon produces vacuum slurry tankers from 5m³ to 30m³, while Samson’s ejector filling technique is available in capacities from 16m³ to 35m³. Pichon’s manure spreader range starts at 8m³ while Samson’s newly developed US Series goes up to 40m³.
The Pichon acquisition not only places the Samson Group in a strong position for the future but also provides additional manufacturing capacity. The Danish firm’s production site at Viborg is flat out whereas Pichon’s French and Polish plants have spare capacity. “Synergies and capacity balances between the three factories will be exploited in the coming period,” commented Mr Henriksen.
