Pflanzenbautag_Huntlosen_2013_d0_kw_6722

Issue 38 - 10/2019

Magazine of AMAZONEN-WERKE H. DREYER SE & Co. KG for employees, customers and friends of the company.

Report on the current situation

"Agritechnica", the world's largest exhibition for agricultural machinery, will once again open its doors in Hanover from 10th to 16th November. There is an air of uncertainty surrounding the exhibition this year. Spring and early summer were again very dry, but fortunately the harvest in most regions was average or even better than last year. However, the ongoing discussions about the right measures for climate protection, biodiversity and animal welfare are currently leading to restraint and uncertainty amongst farmers. There is a need for clearer statements from the politicians here. Many farmers are now waiting to see how the prices for agricultural products develop during the autumn.

We are pleased to report that Amazone has recorded sales growth in many regions such as France and England. This means that our sales this year are almost at the previous year's level. Furthermore, our new developments have proved to be extremely successful in practice and have met with a very positive response from the market. We therefore remain optimistic about the future. Check out our new products for yourself by visiting our "feel good stand" at Agritechnica, which is now almost a tradition.  We invite you to come and see us and we look forward to discussing our technology with you.

The AMAZONEN-WERKE management

Amazone is flourishing, growing and thriving!

Subsidiary Debrecen

The rapid development at AMAZONEN-WERKE continues unabated. Production at our new plant in Bramsche started a year ago with the UX series. In the meantime, the UF 01 and UF 02mounted sprayers are now being assembled at the new location.

We are currently facing the challenge of commissioning the new spare parts warehouse in Leeden. The 9,000 m² hall has been equipped with a completely new warehouse logistics system for more than 40,000 spare part articles at a cost of € 7 million.

Our new location in Debrecen, Hungary, was opened in September. The new branch of Amazone Ltd. in Doncaster in Great Britain was handed over in June.

So we can say: Amazone is growing and thriving!

Hoeing machinery from Schmotzer

The hoeing machinery from Schmotzer - dynamic - competent

The range of machines for modern crop establishment at Amazone was already pretty complete. The only thing missing was mechanical weed control equipment.

We have closed this gap in the meantime through the takeover of the Schmotzer hoeing business on 1st January. Mechanical weed control for row crops not only saves on plant protection agents but also has the great advantage that soil loosening reduces water evaporation.

Schmotzer has the most experience in this sector, an exceptional reputation and manufactures equipment up to a working width of 12

metres. Hydraulic cylinders controlled by a camera ensure exact guidance in the rows, preventing any damage to crops during hoeing.

The acquisition of the Schmotzer hoeing business means that Amazone now has a crucial building block for the future in its product portfolio.

Hektor working in Russia

The Hektor semi-mounted reversible plough is doing great things in Russia right now. No, not Hector the famous military leader of Troy from Greek mythology, but the Amazone "Hektor” plough. In any event, Alexey Novichihin, farm manager of Landbetrieb Baskakowo OOO, says that it performs heroic feats. He puts it this way: "We achieved a top quality of work, had no problems and no breakdowns!”

The farm manager particularly likes the simple handling of the plough and its enormous output potential. Mr Novichihin uses the Hektor on the black soils in the southern Tula region. Here the Hektor always ploughs in the crop residues cleanly and convinces with its impressive work rates: Equipped with the shear bolt stone release, the 8-furrow, semi-mounted reversible plough managed over 1,900 ha during the 2018 season.

Hektor's work partner is the Kirowez K 744. This heavy tractor with all-wheel drive and centre pivot steering is widely used in Russia and pulls the large plough through the fields. The two of them are a good team, because the tractor needs 30 percent less pulling force than with the previous plough now it has the Amazone "Hektor" plough in tow. This significantly reduces diesel consumption. This saves the farm cash, Hektor's companion Kirowez has a longer life and Mr Novichihin is pleased.

What young contractors want to know

The contractors from NRW were accompanied on their journey by Amazone sales manager (DE/AT) Roland Kratz (back row, first from left).

How are ploughs actually built? Young contractors from North Rhine-Westphalia, who visited our plough factory in Mosonmagyaróvár, Hungary as part of an excursion by their research group, received the answer to this question. Plant manager Martin Wilken showed the participants around the plant's organisational and production processes at the beginning of March. They were able to witness how the raw material is delivered at the works entrance and how the finished ploughs leave the production line at the other end. The following was of particular interest: The plough metal undergoes the ©plus tempering process at Amazone. This is a special, highly sophisticated heat treatment which is used to improve the quality and durability.

Many of the young contractors had already had some good experience with Amazone machinery. One young man gave an enthusiastic report on the effectiveness of our new acquisition, the Schmotzer hoeing implements. It became clear during discussions with the group that mechanical weed control is playing an increasingly important role.

We know that contractors will become more and more important in Europe in the future. The tough, continuous operation in a contracting business places the highest demands on the quality of the machinery used. For this reason, we have long attached great importance to maximum outputs, very high durability and excellent customer service for our machinery.

AMAZONE S.A. – Sowing like the Gods in France

Florent Guilleman with the complete team of AMAZONE S.A.

"Leben wie Gott in Frankreich", or "Living like the Gods in France", is a popular saying in Germany which refers to the epitome of a good life with enjoyable food of high quality. But did you know that France is also the most important and biggest agricultural producer in Europe? So the popular saying is justified, but it goes without saying that the much-extolled good life does not work without high-capacity seed drills and professional agricultural machinery. Amazone has therefore had a market presence in France since 1948 and sells machines of all kinds in the surrounding countryside. It all began when the company L. Bara from Versailles – not far from the famous Palace of King Louis XIV of France - became our agent.

But soon there was a shortage of space, so L. Bara built a large new warehouse with a railway siding in Méré, west of Paris.

After the son-in-law and managing director of Bara retired in 1988, Amazone become more deeply involved in the growing French market, bought the agent out and built its own new administration building. Business was getting better and better, so the warehouse in Méré soon became too small again. As a result, Amazone opened a spacious new location in Auneau, near Chartres, in the middle of the most important agricultural area, with our then managing director, Jean Pelikan in 2009.

Now there is not only space for offices, warehouses, training and exhibition rooms on site, which covers more than 11 hectares, but also space for demonstrations and field trials. Amazone also distributed the Krone product range here to start with, but we have been using the entire premises in Auneau ourselves since Krone brought this under its own management. This was a good decision, because our range has expanded even further in the meantime. Today we are very happy that we have a wealth of options to provide optimum support for our customers and visitors. The current managing director of our French subsidiary, Florent Guilleman, makes a significant contribution to the overall success of our company. The location in Auneau is now celebrating its 10th anniversary - many congratulations!

Time is of the essence – the low-platform steep tipper from Amazone (1950

Time is of the essence – this was often the motto in post-war Germany of the 1950s. During the period of reconstruction, the people had to transport a lot of material, do a lot of building and produce a lot of food. A major topic was the rationalisation in agriculture. A lot of new ideas emerged during this time. Amazone also devoted itself to new technologies and developed an agricultural transport device for universal use: The low-platform steep tipper. The key feature here: The universal vehicle was an ideal small means of transport, but it could also be extended to form a large-area spreader by attaching a fertiliser spreader. It was also possible to use the tipper as a horse and tractor trailer. The driver could simply empty the vehicle by tilting it when transporting field crops or bulk material.

But not every good idea is accepted at the first attempt – sometimes inventions are simply ahead of their time. The production of the "steep tipper" was therefore soon stopped again.

But it became a success at the second attempt. Amazone simply developed a conventional tipper from the original vehicle which could be extended by a fertiliser spreader and a spreader unit – and the tipper became a manure spreader. This development went on to become a top seller. Incidentally, one of the first users – a tipper pioneer so to speak – was our neighbour Karl Wiendieck with his horse "Max". You can see him on an advertising poster from that time with the slogan-like title "Das geht schnell” [It won't take long]. 

A remarkable career: Roland Kratz

Roland Kratz with his Amazone AD-P pneumatic harrow-mounted seed drill in the background

Did you know that our company employs trained, passionate farmers who are also graduate engineers? Roland Kratz is one of them. His big advantage: He knows what he's talking about. He combines extensive agricultural knowledge, experience gained from several large international agricultural engineering companies and his engineering studies to create a unique and impressive all-round know-how.

The customers appreciate this. When Roland Kratz visits dealers and farmers as Sales Manager of AMAZONEN-WERKE for Germany and Austria, he can talk to them on equal terms. This is very persuasive, because he has already worked with the equipment himself and he knows how the machines work and what they can achieve.

He was already enthusiastic about agriculture as a child and it became more and more his passion. The since graduated agricultural engineer spent his holidays and leisure time on farms as a teenager and lent a hand as a harvest worker. He subsequently founded his own farm as a side-line. He began studying at the Friedrich Wilhelm University in Bonn in 1993, where he graduated as an agricultural engineer in 1999, in order to be capable at the conceptual level as well as the practical level.

His professional development to date has been marked by renowned agricultural engineering companies. After completing his studies, Mr Kratz joined a major US agricultural machinery manufacturer, where he was promoted to district manager and product manager. In 2003 he moved to a German harvesting technology company, where he continued his career as a sales manager and authorised signatory in the management. He joined us in 2016. We wish Mr Kratz continued success and enjoyment in his work at our company!

K & H Landmaschinenhandel Köppen + Helmig GmbH

The K & H team with managing directors Peter Köppen and Ulrich Helmig

K & H Landmaschinenhandel Köppen + Helmig GmbH in Jacobsdorf, one of the largest dealers in Brandenburg, was founded shortly after German reunification. It is very conveniently located directly on the A12 autobahn between Frankfurt/Oder and Berlin and offers a 1250 m2 building, including an exhibition and storage facility.

There are 30 employees in the meantime, and Amazone machinery is sold there, perfectly supplemented by the products from Claas. In particular, K & H offers good service and customer support with a strong and highly motivated team.

AMAZONEN-WERKE would like to offer its thanks for the excellent business relationship and wish this dynamic company all the best for the future.

iF Design Award 2019 for AmaTron 4

Another design success for Amazone: The Amazone ISOBUS terminal AmaTron 4 has been awarded the coveted iF Design Award 2019. In the decision statement, the intuitive operation and the unique housing of the terminal in tablet style were highlighted as an exemplary industrial design.

The members of the jury were able to test parts of the new interface themselves and the impressions gained at the ergonomic level were included in the evaluation. The terminal was developed completely in-house at Amazone. The Amazone design team was responsible for the aesthetic appearance and the excellent operability of the AmaTron 4 and played a major part in the design of both the hardware and the concept for the interface.

The App carousel makes it very easy to switch between the various applications by means of a swipe gesture.

The AmaTron 4 terminal offers simple and fast tablet-style navigation. Thanks to the large 8“ low-reflection multi-touch colour display, comfortable working becomes a matter of course, even when driving complex machines and machinery combinations. The design of the App carousel provides intuitive switching between the different applications. The clearly structured operating menu can be accessed quickly and easily with a swipe of the finger. The iF Design Award is one of the most prestigious international design awards.

Strong partners: Claas Main-Donau GmbH & Co. KG

Machine handover by Amazone at the Vohburg premises: Pantera 4502-H, 3 x UX 4200, UX 3200

The Claas company in Gollhofen is one of the largest agricultural machinery dealers in southern Germany. With 16 branches and 160 employees, this retail business is a very important partner for the agricultural industry. AMAZONEN-WERKE has been one of the main suppliers for a few years now and is an ideal partner, because the Amazone product range fits in perfectly with the Claas range without any overlaps. Claas is the specialist for harvesting technology and grassland management, while Amazone concentrates on soil tillage, sowing and crop care.

The particular strength of Claas Main-Donau is the good customer service with effective customer support, an efficient workshop and spare parts warehouse. This is particularly important as modern agricultural machinery is becoming more and more complicated. The highly capable specialists of Claas Main-Donau are actively supported by our own representatives, Mr Bisle and Mr Heß, who can offer the sales staff help and advice during important discussions as a result of their many years of experience. We would like to thank the dynamic Claas team with its managing director, Mr. Christian Hussmann, and the sales manager for non-Claas products, Mr. Gerhard Schmidt, for the excellent working relationship and wish them continued success and enjoyment in their work.

FPC Aprocomteh SRL, Chişinău, Republic of Moldova

Premium Center of FPC Aprocomteh SRL in Chişinău, Republic of Moldova

The Republic of Moldova is a small independent state between Romania and the Ukraine. Moldova is a very beautiful country whose heartland is located between the Dnister and Pruth rivers and therefore in the historical region of Bessarabia. The region is gently undulating and some parts are marked by hills with a height of up to 429 m. The warm, dry climate enables wine and fruit growing on a large scale. Agriculture is present in all parts of the country, so that it is worth meeting its needs.

The Aprocomteh dealership in the capital of Chişinău has been representing Amazone there since last year. They also represent the Deutz-Fahr company.

The directors of Aprocomteh: Anatol David (2nd from left) and Ion Cotorobai (2nd from right)

The managing directors of Aprocomteh are Mr Anatol David and Mr Ion Cotorobai, who are already underway with sales and have a dynamic team. They have noticed that the interest by farmers in Amazone machinery is constantly increasing. They have already sold a good number of our machines to their customers and would like to receive more intensive training from us in the near future, in order to become more familiar with the increasingly sophisticated technology.

We are delighted with this great success and will gladly support this ambitious team to the best of our ability.

40th anniversary in Gablingen

In June of this year, 400 guests, our dealers, contractors and farmers celebrated the 40th anniversary of our subsidiary in Gablingen near Augsburg. Andreas Hemeyer, a member of the board, and Roland Kratz, the sales manager, travelled from Gaste to make the keynote address and to look back at the development over the years. Our branch in Gablingen has now become an important location for sales, service and, above all, for training courses in southern Germany and further expansion is planned.

From our sales promotion team, Michael Endrös, presented an exciting journey through time with a historical Amazone sprayer from 50 years ago, vintage tractors from Schlüter and the latest modern machinery. Practical demonstrations of the latest machinery took place afterwards. This was a fascinating experience for the spectators.

On the Sunday of the festive weekend, the practical use of Amazone machinery was accompanied by a traditional Sunday morning get-together for a drink with Bavarian veal sausages and oompah music. Discussions were also held with numerous interested customers.

We were delighted to welcome so many nice people and would like to thank our Amazone Team Süd for their excellent organisation of the fantastic anniversary celebration.

Lukas Fohringer, industrial engineer, sales promotion for Austria

With the Cirrus 3003 Compact trailed seed drill combination in the background (from left to right): David Scheper, Amazone sales promotion Lukas Fohringer and Helmut Scheper

Lukas Fohringer was born with a love for agriculture. Growing up on his father's farm and forestry business, he focused his education and training on agricultural machinery. Even as a schoolboy, he sat with a contractor on the tractor or worked in a metal workshop.

After his training at the Francisco Josephinum Wieselburg centre, he initially completed his national service with the Austrian Armed Forces before beginning his studies at the Wiener Neustadt University of Applied Sciences, where he graduated in May 2019. He joined AMAZONEN-WERKE as in sales promotion in 2017 and now looks after our customers across the country supporting the representatives.

We are delighted that Mr Fohringer decided to join us, because Amazone needs people with commitment and expertise in an industry which is becoming more and more technically demanding. We wish him every success and enjoyment in his work.

VIP visit to Amazone

Federal Minister Julia Klöckner in conversation with the Amazone Managing Directors, Christian Dreyer (right) and Dr. Justus Dreyer (left).

The Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Julia Klöckner, visited AMAZONEN-WERKE in Hasbergen to find out about new opportunities for digitisation in agriculture and more environmentally-friendly production. Amazone Managing Directors Christian and Dr. Justus Dreyer told her that agriculture was constantly facing new challenges. Pesticides must be used in a more targeted manner and fertiliser used more efficiently. Climate change should also be taken into account in the processes and lower CO2 emissions should be aimed for. "The solution is not just digitisation, but it is an important building block," said the Dreyers. And it is progressing all the time.

"We are currently at an advanced stage in the development of "smart farming", i.e. the automation of equipment," the managing directors reported. This view was shared by the Minister, who was particularly fascinated by the intelligent AmaSpot sensor nozzle system.

In addition to the two Amazone Managing Directors, Christian and Dr. Justus Dreyer, Prof. Dr. Arno Ruckelshausen from the University of Osnabrück and Dr. Mathias Middelberg, Member of the German Bundestag, took part in the discussions with Minister Klöckner.

At the end of the visit, Ms Klöckner summed up on a positive note: "It is exciting to see the new aspects and efficiency improvements which are already being worked on in the agricultural machinery industry."

AMAZONE Ltd. – new friends in Britain

The Amazone family has made a lot of new friends in Britain. The fact that the "Amazones" last for years and also sell well as used machines has been widely recognised as a quality feature in Britain for many years now. Visible proof of this was our big family event at the opening of our new subsidiary near Doncaster/Great Britain on 22nd May, which was attended by around 500 guests.

Our sales subsidiary in Great Britain with the name "AMAZONE Ltd." has been in existence since 1982. AMAZONE Ltd. relocated a short time ago on account of the high demand and expansion. Now there is a new site: After the premises in Harworth, near Doncaster became too small, we bought Orchard Farm, a holding not too far away with about 12 hectares of land, two years ago and built a spacious new facility. Our complete product range (AMATECHNICA) was officially on show at the opening celebrations. The Amazone machines impressed all the visitors with their excellent technology and performance.

Our general manager, Mr Simon Brown, an "institution" who has worked for our Ltd. from the very beginning, had organised a varied programme of events including trial plots, practical field demonstrations into the negative effects of tyre pressures and better fertiliser application. Inside was a full session of seminars from the wider agricultural industry. A fly past of 50 years of AMAZONE sprayers finished off the day. Friends of the company, farmers and our dealers were among the invited guests. The two managing directors, Dr. Justus Dreyer and Christian Dreyer, who was accompanied by his wife, Bettina, as well as the general sales manager, Mr Hemeyer, travelled from our main factory in Gaste. The guests were spoiled with delicious food and drink in wonderful weather.

Everybody at the big family event went home with the feeling that Amazone will continue to be a strong, reliable and growing partner in Great Britain in the future.

AMATECHNICA - Enthusiasm in Russia

Russia is one of the most important markets for Amazone - and the demand for Amazone machines is constantly growing. The best evidence for this was the "AMATECHNICA 2019” all-Russian field day which took place from the 18th to 19th of June. We had organised the event in the Samara region on the eastern bank of the Volga for the second time. Farmers, representatives of agricultural enterprises and agricultural machinery dealers from 45 regions of Russia all met there. We recorded about 400 visitors on the first day and as many as 750 on the second.

Dmitri Gujo, Export Manager Russia for AMAZONEN-WERKE, described Amazone's mission statement thus: "Our guiding principle is to be a reliable partner to agricultural businesses and to offer a high-quality service".

On the first day, AMATECHNICA took place at the premises of the large Russian factory of AMAZONE Eurotechnika AG, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. Vadim Smirnov, General Director of Eurotechnika, said: "We have much to be proud of. Today our factory is one of the five largest manufacturers of agricultural machinery in Russia". Deliveries of machinery from Samara have quadrupled in the past five years and exports have doubled. During the factory tour, the guests were able to see state-of-the-art agricultural and production technology - from the high-performance paint line and robot welding systems to the only mineral fertiliser laboratory in Russia.

Lectures by leading experts on the intelligent application of Amazone machines rounded off the programme. The visitors were informed about the latest technologies in agricultural production and gained insights into the possibilities of "intelligent” crop production and the opportunities of digital agriculture. This met with great interest among the visitors and led to many interesting conversations and discussions. 

The show continued on the premises of the State Agricultural University of Samara on the second day. Here visitors were able to observe the best technological solutions for crop production and the complete Amazone product range directly in the field during the "Amazone Machinery Parade". Valeria Kosareva, an engineering student, took the wheel of the self-propelled sprayer Pantera and demonstrated all its advantages, such as track and ground clearance change, automated steering and the unique turning circle. After the parade, the visitors inspected each machine system and received professional advice. A gala dinner and a colourful programme of entertainment concluded the field day.

In short: The second AMATECHNICA in Russia once again generated a great deal of enthusiasm and interest among the visitors - it was a complete success. The next AMATECHNICA will take place in 2021.

Amazone sprayers in special application

Amazone crop protection sprayer used to de-ice a runway in the Lofoten Islands

The state-owned company Avinor operates several small airports in northern Norway, including one in the Lofoten Islands. The runways often have to be cleared of ice in winter. Special equipment which costs up to € 300,000 is usually used.

Avinor has now been instructed to rationalise the care of the airfields and to cut costs. One way of doing this is to deploy equipment which is used in agriculture. Last year they successfully used Amazone sprayers to de-ice the runways. Apart from the much lower price, the extremely easy handling and the excellent results made an impression on the team of operators. Our Norwegians were delighted with the performance of a UX 6200 with a 24 m boom and the mounted UF 1201 with a 15 m boom.

The operating company points to a successful deployment and plans to equip further airports with our equipment.

Historical agricultural machinery still in practical use

When the enthusiastic part-time farmer Sebastian Bühler from Hann. Münden, cultivates his field, historical Amazone machines are out and about. He uses a D7 Standard seed drill for sowing barley, rape, wheat, oats, and various catch crops. It was built around 1970 and still works reliably today. The part-time farmer spreads his fertiliser with a ZA-F 604 spreader from the 80s, which still looks in top condition today.

But the highlight of his unique collection is an Amazone potato harvester from 1965, which Sebastian Bühler still uses to harvest his potatoes. You can see from this example how long machines last if they are maintained ... and come from Amazone! They are robust and

Sebastian Bühler's S4 potato harvester still works reliably today.

reliable and you can enjoy them for years to come. The following remains as valid as ever: Outstanding quality and durability - still our hallmark today.

The pit stop is the crucial factor

Klaus Pentzlin, President of the German Federal Association of Agricultural Contractors (BLU) and owner of JPentzlin Landtechnisches Lohnunternehmen

A manufacturer can promise a lot - but how do our machines prove themselves in daily use? Klaus Pentzlin, President of the Federal Association of Agricultural Contractors, has worked with a EDX 6000-T precision air seeder for years.  His conclusion is simple: "As in Formula 1, the pit stop is the crucial factor." The EDX 6000 has to "refuel" much less often because of the huge tanks. The driver no longer has to open and refill the eight seed hoppers individually but can easily refill seed and fertiliser from the large big bag without a lengthy work interruption. 

The fertiliser unit can cover almost 20 hectares and the central seed hopper holds enough seed for 17 to 20 hectares. Pentzlin is convinced: "The driver of the machine never wants to drive anything again other than a seed drill with a central seed hopper and a fertiliser hopper with sufficient capacity". It is important that the quantities of fertiliser and seed are more or less equal, especially on long fields.

EDX 6000-T precision air seeder with filling auger

Another plus point from the President's point of view: The depth control of the coulter units still works excellently even if the EDX 6000 is travelling very quickly. Only the seed placement accuracy in the row can occasionally become somewhat less precise at very high working speeds. In the end, however, a worse yield can never be attributed to the EDX.

Pentzlin is particularly impressed by the longevity of the technology. He bought the EDX 6000, built in 2010, as a nearly-new used machine in 2011. Since then it has sown an average of 710 ha/a of maize. "The EDX is the only machine which has drilled 790 hectares of maize in 13 working days this year without any significant problems – and that was in its 11th year of operation! The sowing performance depends on the driver, his hard work and organisational skills, of course, but also very much on the seed drill and its reliability. New fertiliser openers, seeding coulters and furrow formers are the only spare parts the EDX 6000 has needed over the years.

The early bird catches the worm

This also applies to fertiliser spreaders. In many parts of Russia, the winter lasts much longer than in our part of the world, which means that the first application of fertiliser can be end up being relatively late. After the last snow has melted, it takes a long time until the ground is stable again. A heavy tractor would leave deep tracks. However, you can drive on a grain field with winter cereals and apply the first fertiliser after the usual night frosts with a lightweight off-road vehicle equipped with the appropriate tyres. However, you need to mount the right fertiliser spreader on the light vehicle. The AVION company took advantage of this opportunity and mounted our Amazone ZA-M spreader on a "Patriot", a well-known Russian off-road vehicle from the UAZ company based in Ulyanovsk, a large Russian city on the Volga. The large farms can use this practical combination to apply the first fertiliser several weeks earlier in spring than is usual, thereby significantly increasing the yield. It goes without saying that the Patriot is also suitable for other purposes, not only in agriculture.

Private museum in Hammesdamm near Lastrup

Gerd Böhmann in Hammesdamm is a special kind of Amazone fan. Originally a farmer and contractor, he is fully equipped with the Amazone product range and uses it for his customers. At some point, he also started to collect historical Amazone machines if he did not already have them in his possession. Together with his friends and neighbours, he set up the museum in his barn more than 10 years ago and now welcomes groups from far and wide.

Gerd Böhmann (front row, 2nd from left) together with friends and neighbours

He also carries out contract work in the surrounding area with his current range of machinery, including an ED precision seeder and an extremely sophisticated sowing combination. He even uses an Amazone Cayron plough, as he says, "to the great satisfaction of the customers".

We are delighted by the great enthusiasm of Gerd Böhmann and wish him many more successful assignments with his Amazones.

Christian Dreyer celebrates 25 years of service with the company

Amazone Geschäftsführer Christian Dreyer

After completing his Abitur (high-school diploma) in Osnabrück, Christian Dreyer studied industrial engineering in Hamburg. During his studies, he gained his first insights into the sale of agricultural machinery during various internships in England and France. After completing his studies, he first worked for a company in Celle which produced accessories for oil production. Christian Dreyer worked for a North German manufacturer of machine tools in the area of production and organisation from 1992 to 1994.

In March 1994 he took on his first role for AMAZONEN-WERKE in the main plant in Gaste, which concerned work preparation with a focus on production organisation.

In 1995 Christian Dreyer switched to sales to support the Amazone subsidiary in France. The sales volume was significantly increased and the logistics costs were reduced by optimising sales planning and introducing direct deliveries from the factories to the dealers in France.

In 1996 Christian Dreyer assumed responsibility for the export business of AMAZONEN-WERKE. The Export East department was established, since new markets were opening up in eastern Europe during this time. Whereas the export share was approx. 35 % at the beginning of the 90s, it had risen to well over 50 % by the turn of the millennium. About 80 % of the production is sold in more than 70 countries today.

On 7th May 1999, Christian Dreyer was appointed Managing Director of AMAZONEN-WERKE, taking over the duties his father had performed over the past 41 years. To begin with, Christian Dreyer took the helm of the family business together with his uncle, Prof. h.c. Univ. Samara R A S Dr. Dr. h.c. Heinz Dreyer (1932 - 2023), and then with his cousin, Dr. Justus Dreyer from 2004. In addition to his full-time duties, Christian Dreyer is involved in the Osnabrück-Emsland-Grafschaft Bentheim employers federation and the VDMA (German Engineering Federation). In 2016 he was elected Chairman of the VDMA Agricultural Machinery Division.