[AT] Bringing tractor production to the USA

[James Peck]

Yes, when Agco rented the Challenger name from Cat in 2001, they added yellow wheeled tractors to the line. Most of the Challenger dealers were Cat dealers. Those yellow tractors were based on a similar Agco or Massey Ferguson model.

In 2011 when Agco started to build those bigger wheeled tractors in Jackson, they eliminated the orange Agco brand even though you could still get the same product in red or yellow. Jackson makes the rubber tracked Challengers for the world. They have started painting the rubber tracked models for sale in Europe as Fendt. I am guessing that they want to eliminate the Challenger brand so they do not have to pay cat for the use of the name. Agco recently introduced a new combine line under the Fendt brand for sale in North America and Europe.

I used to go by a new Challenger dealer south of Kalamazoo that was not a Cat dealer. I think some of the former Agco brand dealers got offered the Challenger line.

I enjoyed seeing the tracked Challengers on the belt dyno.

[Carl Gogol] James-  What I remembered was the Agco selling to certain Cat dealers part.. Just like the CASE & New Holland, only painted yellow.

[James] Cat sold the whole ag equipment product line.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1008629432213684440

[Carl Gogol] I had thought that Agco had built challenger for Cat-  could be wrong.

[James] When Agco bought the Challenger brand from Caterpillar, they expanded the plant in Jackson and moved tracked Challenger production there. Assembling the wheeled tractors at Jackson required another plant expansion.

[Jason] Most manufacturing plants are located these days where the largest market for those exists. From there they are shipped around the world. Large frame tractors are built in the US for Deere, CaseIH and New Holland.  It makes sense for Agco do to the same.