Deal includes plants in the U.S. and Europe
By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com
Kubota has agreed to purchase Great Plains Manufacturing, based in Salina, Kansas.
Once the deal is complete, it will include all Great Plains divisions, which include Great Plains Ag, Land Pride, Great Plains International, Great Plains Acceptance Corporation and Great Plains Trucking; facilities in Kansas and in a plant in Sleaford, England are also part of the acquisition.
Kubota already has an established relationship with Land Pride and the acquisition can help further in its development.
“Through our Canadian marketing alliance, we’ve learned that Land Pride products are a great fit for our tractors, our dealers and our brand here in Canada. This acquisition will strengthen our ability to deliver high quality products to our customers and continue our strategic growth into new markets,” Kubota president Bob Hickey said in a release.
Roy Applequist, Great Plains’ founder and chairman will continue to be a part of leadership and help with the transition.
“My plan is to play a significant role in helping Great Plains become a vital part of the Kubota family,” he said in a release. “Great Plains’ leadership in the agricultural implement business has been earned by striving to do our best in satisfying our customers’ needs, and we are confident that teaming up with Kubota will allow us to continue to uphold this tradition.
For the foreseeable future, all Great Plains divisions will continue to operate normally.