KRAUSE

KUHN Group acquires KRAUSE Corporation

KUHN Group—a global leader in the design, manufacturing, and marketing of equipment for hay and forage, livestock feeding and bedding, tillage, planting and seeding, fertilizer spreading, landscape maintenance, and crop protection—announces the acquisition of KRAUSE Corporation, a privately held North American leader in tillage tools and grain drills based in Hutchinson, Kansas, USA.

Founded in 1916, KRAUSE Corporation specializes in primary and secondary tillage, strip‑till, vertical tillage, and grain drills for tractors from 100 to 550 horsepower. In 2010, the company’s revenues exceeded US $61 million, with a workforce of roughly 230 employees.

Headquartered in Saverne, France, KUHN Group employs more than 3,500 people and operates seven manufacturing companies in the United States, France, Brazil, and the Netherlands. Its worldwide dealer network is supported by international sales subsidiaries and independent distributors. In 2010, group revenues exceeded €617 million (approximately US $850 million).

KUHN North America, Inc., headquartered in Brodhead, Wisconsin, employs about 500 people, manufactures and distributes KUHN equipment, and operates distribution centers in New York, Tennessee, Colorado, Washington, and the Province of Quebec, Canada.

Key reasons for the transaction:

• Portfolio expansion: adding a broad range of high‑horsepower tillage tools and grain drills that ideally complement KUHN Group’s current offering.
• Stronger presence in large‑scale North American crop production—especially the U.S. Corn Belt—plus product lines relevant to Eastern and Central European grain regions.
• Establishing a focused R&D and manufacturing center for high‑horsepower crop production equipment in the U.S. Midwest, with access to evaluation and testing at some of the largest and most demanding farm operations.
• A significantly broader product range that reinforces KUHN’s strategy and leadership in crop production segments and supports the group’s global growth.

The acquisition is expected to close in the coming weeks, after which KRAUSE Corporation will be renamed KUHN KRAUSE, Inc. Details on the structure and management of the new company will be announced at that time. KUHN intends to operate KUHN KRAUSE, Inc. independently, focusing on the development, manufacturing, and marketing of wide‑width tillage tools for North American and overseas markets. KUHN Group is enthusiastic about the opportunities ahead and looks forward to working with KRAUSE employees, dealers, and suppliers to build an even stronger, more successful business.