AMAZONE Report - Issue 49

Endless supply of good ideas continues

Ideas for our future
 

2024 was characterised by major challenges for agriculture - rising operating costs, increasing legal requirements and climatic extremes. However, the industry has once again demonstrated its adaptability and innovative strength.

Thanks to smart decisions by farmers and our modern technology, we have taken great steps forward to ensure security of supply and the development of sustainable solutions.

We at AMAZONE have also invested in innovation and the future: The change in the colour combination of our groundcare and hoeing equipment to the familiar green and orange strengthens our brand identity and underlines our commitment to dynamism and progress. We are also expanding our production capacities through further investments. Our factory in Leipzig is being significantly expanded to include both hall space and outdoor storage space. A modern academy is being built at the Hude-Altmoorhausen site. In future, it will be possible to hold training courses for plant protection equipment and other machines designed to cover large areas. The construction of the new training rooms represents an important step towards promoting specialist expertise and the further development of our sales partners. 

Another landmark decision is our participation in the Seedhouse in Osnabrück.

As a shareholder, we promote trendsetting start-ups and innovative ideas that will benefit the agriculture of tomorrow. These investments in new technologies and networks are key in meeting the demands of modern agriculture. 

Challenging but also promising times await us in 2025. We are confident that we will actively shape the future with a strong community and innovative machinery and services. Our thanks go to all employees, partners and customers who are making this journey with us. Together we are staying on course under the motto "Ideas for our Future"!

Dates 2025

Details of the dates

40 years of AMATRON

Revolution in fieldwork

The AMATRON (AMAZONE ElecTRONik) is a milestone in the development of modern agricultural control systems. At the beginning of the 1980s, electronics barely played a role in agriculture and the development of microelectronics did not even exist at AMAZONE.
However, this changed in 1985 after a meeting and intensive exchange of ideas between Heinrich Müller, the Managing Director of Müller Elektronik, and Dr Scheufler, our Head of Development at the time. The first AMAZONE operating terminal called AMATRON was born, 
a product that has developed continuously over the years. Each new model included advanced features such as GPS support, part-width section control and integration into complex farm management systems. The AMATRON 3 set new standards in the 2000s with its colour display technology and intuitive user interface, which offered farmers more precise control. The current tablet-style ISOBUS AmaTron 4 operator terminal, developed internally at AMAZONE, allows all ISOBUS-enabled agricultural machinery to be controlled with greater convenience and clarity. In addition, the terminal offers extended functionality that extends beyond the ISOBUS standard. The AmaTron 4 is now being adapted to work with the new AMATRON Share app, which facilitates easy online data exchange for precision farming. Another step towards precision agriculture.

50 years of plastic parts

In-house production at AMAZONE 

In 1975, we were faced with the challenge that some parts in our seed drills, which were provided by a supplier, were incurring disproportionately high costs. As a result, we made the decision to start manufacturing these parts ourselves. After our calculations showed a positive benefit, we took the plunge and started with just a single plastics machine, which was provisionally set up in a corner of the joinery department. 
The decisive push towards in-house production came at a VDMA meeting when Klaus Dreyer got talking to a manufacturer of plastics machines. This gave rise to the idea of manufacturing plastic parts independently to identify potential savings. The first test case was the soft PVC bellows for our seed drill, of which we needed hundreds of thousands every year. Internal production enabled savings of over 100,000 Deutschmarks per year. The challenge was immense: production of the bellows proved to be complex, as the injection mould had to be treated with "release spray". But with commitment and a spirit of innovation, we were able to overcome this hurdle.
Today, our plastics department operates from its own building, equipped with five machines that operate around the clock and produce over 540 different parts. Right from the development phase, our design engineers identified the advantages of corrosion-resistant plastic parts, which are not only lighter and more resilient, but in most cases also more cost-effective than the metal alternative. AMAZONE successfully focuses on innovation and quality in its in-house production in order to remain competitive.

FertiSpot saves 25% on fertiliser without a yield penalty

New efficiency for the Precea precision air seeder

Fertiliser is a valuable raw material that is responsible for a significant proportion of carbon emissions in agriculture. There are also legal restrictions on its use. With the innovative FertiSpot system, AMAZONE offers a solution that significantly reduces fertiliser use without reducing yield.
Thanks to FertiSpot, the fertiliser is placed precisely directly under the seed, preventing over-dosing and unnecessary wastage. The trick: the fertiliser flow is divided into small portions and placed exactly under the maize seed. The nutrients in this deposit are easily accessible to the plants and can be utilised efficiently. 
Practical trials showed that the fertiliser rates could be reduced by up to 25% without having to accept any loss in yield. AMAZONE therefore provides a practical solution to ongoing challenges - exactly what the market has been waiting for! 

New ZG-TX combi spreader

CLEVERLY combined!

Fertiliser and lime spread with a single machine with maximum precision and impact: The ZG-TX from AMAZONE sets new standards in the combi spreader sector. 
Both granular mineral fertilisers and earth-moist limes can be applied precisely through the one machine by means of a quick and simple conversion between the TS spreading unit and the newly developed spreading unit for lime with outstanding lateral distribution. This high-output machine offers a maximum capacity of up to 11,200 litres and a technical payload of up to 17,200 kg with large working widths of 15 m to 54 m as well as precise rate control in every field situation. FlowControl, with side-independent torque measurement of the spreading discs, guarantees precise application rates right from the start. 

The ZG-TX with HeadlandControl offers wider spreading in combination with parabolic switching of the part-width sections to ensure perfect lateral distribution and even crops on the headland. At the field boundaries, the ZG-TX with AutoTS for mineral fertiliser and the border spreading deflector for lime ensures greater precision and maximum yields. 
The ZG-TX therefore combines the advantages of the precise TS spreading unit with maximum efficiency when using lime. Reduce costs, increase profitability. The ZG-TX combi spreader from AMAZONE ensures greater economic efficiency.

IN BRIEF

International Sales Meeting

On 4 July 2024, the AMAZONE sales team visited our site in Forbach as part of the International Sales Meeting led by Mr Hemeyer.  The managing directors of our sales and service companies, the departmental heads of the Sales, Marketing and After Sales divisions plus the product line managers were also present. 

After a tour of the factory, Managing Director Frédéric Descamps presented the groundcare machinery range in green and orange for the first time. Colleagues were then allowed to test drive the Profihopper 1250, 1500 and 1500 CAB machines on a test site in Behren-lès-Forbach. All visitors were impressed by the presentation of the factory and the products. They were also able to reinforce existing relationships and the managing directors of the sales and service companies in particular returned to their countries highly motivated. 

Constructive dialogue at the first international groundcare conference

In mid-June 2024, the first international groundcare conference was held in Forbach with attendees from Germany, France and Great Britain. The successful event provided a platform for dialogue and also marked the beginning of the sales partnership between BEMA and AMAZONE for winter spreading.

Astonishing facts and figures
Did you know that …

... AMAZONE has already sold over two million RoTeC coulters?
... we organised our first field evening 20 years ago?
… we have had a digital spare parts portal for 25 years?
... we have 50 years of experience in direct seeding?
... we have been exporting machinery overseas for 120 years?

... our new fan shop is online?

Efficiency as the key to success

Our BBG Leipzig plant recently made a multi-million euro investment in new machining centres, which are specially designed for the production of central components of the Catros disc bearing, amongst other things. The new machines reduce both production time and material wasted whilst ensuring greater precision and versatility in production with a consistent high quality.

AmaBees - Beehives promote biodiversity at AMAZONE in Auneau

The French branch of AMAZONEN-WERKE in Auneau recently took on five hives of dark bees, which contribute to pollination and the promotion of biodiversity. The beehives were set up in a protected environment at the edge of the forest and are looked after by a retired employee.
 

News ticker

Legendary arch bridge reopened

Thanks to the efforts of local residents and the financial support of BBG / AMAZONEN-WERKE, the renovation of the historic steel arch bridge in Leipzig's Robert Koch Park was successfully completed in September 2024. The opening ceremony marks a significant step towards enhancing the green space and strengthens the connection between local history and the life's work of Rudolph Sack.

Tractor of the year - AGXEED

With its innovative technology and a sustainable hybrid drive, the impressive AgBot from our partner AGXEED was named "Tractor of the year" in 2025. It offers outstanding performance combined with high efficiency and environmental friendliness.

The right solution for all weathers: AMAZONE Profihopper

The city of Wolfenbüttel relies on AMAZONE technology. In autumn 2024, two new Profihopper 1500, one with and one without a cab, were sold through our loyal dealer, AGRAVIS Königslutter.

Handover of three Catros⁺ 03-2 pro to contractor Frank Lothes

In August 2024, together with Claas Nordostbayern, we ceremoniously handed over three Catros⁺ 03-2 pro with double harrows to contractor Frank Lothes from Schnabelwaid, Bayreuth. Mr Lothes has been an AMAZONE customer for many years and has purchased a total of 14 Catros compact disc harrows (72 m) and is convinced of the durability of the equipment. 

"AMAZONE Masters" indoor football tournament
from 10 – 12/01/2025

This year, the final and most important indoor football tournament in the Osnabrück area took place on the second weekend in January, organised by SV Ohrbeck. Due to the proximity to our headquarters and our regional ties, AMAZONE assumed the role of main sponsor of the "AMAZONE Masters". After the three-day tournament, VfR Voxtrup won the trophy after beating Blau-Weiß Hollage on penalties with the help of our trainee Ramón Böhne. 

Live learning

Students discover the world of AMAZONE in Hude

Seven years ago, AMAZONE in Hude launched an important initiative that has sustainably enriched the cooperation between us and the Peter Ustinov School in Hude. Under the leadership of Horst Tschörtner, our head of HR at the time, trainers, HR managers and teachers came together for the first time to develop a new form of cooperation.
The result is a training programme that offers pupils the opportunity to learn directly in our company. Supervised by our second and third-year apprentices, participants acquire practical skills such as sawing, filing and drilling in a supportive environment. The opportunity to try out more demanding activities such as welding or working on the lathe is particularly exciting.
Each programme ends with exciting final projects in which the pupils build transport trolleys or stools, for example. This initiative not only benefits the students, but also our trainees, who deepen their own knowledge through teaching.
The working group is very popular and many former participants have started their training at AMAZONE. We are proud of the trusting and successful collaboration and look forward to continuing this valuable initiative.

The "Gloria" butter churn

Looking back

Our main factory in Gaste was founded in 1883 as the Heinrich Dreyer agricultural machinery factory. Heinrich Dreyer began with the series production of grain cleaning machines, a tradition that his father and grandfather had already cultivated. He called these machines "AMAZONE" - which meant "heroine" to him. 
In order to expand the range, he also developed simpler machines such as straw cutters, beet mills and butter churns. The latter was named "Gloria". These butter churns were used in many farming households,
especially in economically difficult times when farmers made their own butter.
However, the production of butter was laborious and time-consuming.

Heinrich Dreyer therefore created machines that made this process considerably easier and had his design protected as a German utility model. 

The brochure for the "Gloria" was designed by a talented graphic artist, while Lisette, the wife of the founder, posed as a model and her image was used as a template for a copperplate engraving in 1905. The "Gloria" butter churn was a great success for several years and contributed to the positive development of AMAZONE.

Expansion of the AMAZONE Academy in Hude-Altmoorhausen

New milestone for AMAZONE under construction

Our plant in Hude-Altmoorhausen is being extended to include an impressive, ultra-modern new building. With a total area of 2,430 m², it will be the future home for practical, technical service training with a focus on plant protection and large machinery. By outsourcing some areas to Altmoorhausen, the existing training centre in Hude will be restructured so that we can meet the requirements of our sales and service partners even better.
A central highlight of the new building is a large hall in which the booms of our plant protection equipment can be completely unfolded so that we can explain the technology in even more detail. Until now, the practical exercises on the booms had to take place outside in all weathers due to lack of space. In addition to focusing on crop protection technology, service training in soil tillage will also be carried out here during the winter months. In the summer, the proximity to the training areas will be utilised to integrate even more intensive practical and field assignments into the service training courses across all product groups.
In front of the hall, there will also be an administration building with a large reception room, theory rooms, offices for the Academy department and a general meeting room. This area will also be the new starting point for plant tours and the central meeting point for all visitors to our plant in Altmoorhausen. The new training centre in Altmoorhausen will also be used as a venue for events such as press conferences, sales partner days and similar larger events.
Construction started in July 2024 and will be completed this summer.

Austro Agrar

Successful exhibition appearance 2024 in Tulln

Austro Agrar Tulln, Austria's leading agricultural machinery trade show, was a complete success for AMAZONE. After a six-year break, the event once again attracted a large number of trade visitors. Our team from southern Germany and Austria presented over 30 machines and models on our 800 m² stand.
The response from the international audience was overwhelming: Numerous visitors showed great interest in our innovative products and appreciated the competent advice from the AMAZONE team. One special highlight was the first ever presentation of the Teres 200 mounted reversible plough, which was presented exclusively to invited journalists and dealers (including guests from Hungary, Slovenia and the Czech Republic) on the first day of the show. 

We are particularly pleased to have won the "AgrarTec Award 2024". Our innovative "FertiSpot" dosing system was awarded a silver medal in the arable farming category, which our Sales Manager Helmut Sebald (Southern Germany / Austria) proudly accepted.
Additional crowd-pullers included our Profihopper and a hoe, both of which were presented for the first time in our new, unified green-orange colour concept.
The number of visitors and the great interest shown at Austro Agrar Tulln far exceeded our expectations. All in all, the exhibition was a complete success.

Ukrainian AMAZONE dealer AGROSTRUCTURA opens first service centre

On 27 September 2024, AGROSTRUCTURA, one of our official AMAZONE dealers in Ukraine, celebrated the opening of its modern service centre in the Zhytomyr region, approx. 140 km west of Kiev. 
"We have been working on this project for a long time. With the construction of this centre, we are reaching new levels in service quality," explained Mykhailo Zawada, Managing Director of AGROSTRUCTURA. The building covers 2,100 m² and offers local farmers a comprehensive range of machinery services. It includes a showroom, a large demonstration area, workshops, a training centre and a fully equipped hotel for employees and trainees. In addition, 17 new jobs have been created here.

With a total investment of over 1 million euro, the centre will give farmers quick access to high-quality service and training.
"This is an important step for the development of the agricultural sector in Ukraine," emphasised Andrii Mykhailenko, General Director of SC AMAZONE UKRAINA. The new centre will provide a central point of contact for modern machinery and advanced services.

Under the sign of the plough

AMAZONE plough camp in Austria and Hungary

As part of a series of events lasting several days in September 2024, we presented our diverse range of Cayros and Teres mounted reversible ploughs as well as the Tyrok semi-mounted reversible plough to our dealers, importers and end customers from Europe. The aim was to emphasise the performance of these products and the investments in modern manufacturing technology at our production site in Mosonmagyaróvár (Hungary) and to offer the participants practical training.
The event was tailored to the needs of the respective target groups. A total of over 200 people took part during the four days. The first three days were planned for around 130 dealers and importers from Central and Eastern Europe, including guests from Austria and Southern Germany. The last day was reserved specially for Hungarian end customers, who were able to intensively deepen their existing knowledge.

The machines were used on a field in Frauenkirchen (Austria). Participants received practical training, including on how to adjust a plough correctly. The main focus was on the Teres 300 mounted reversible plough and the Tyrok 400 Onland semi-mounted reversible plough. We would like to take this opportunity to express our special thanks to the Esterhazy farm in Tadten, a long-standing and satisfied AMAZONE customer, which provided access to its land for the practical training sessions.
In addition to the practical events in the field, a factory tour of our works in Mosonmagyaróvár provided valuable insights into our high production quality. Thanks to the support of our Hungarian employees, our guests were able to develop their own personal impression of the very high-quality production of the ploughs.

The success story of the Brøns Group

From village blacksmith to innovation leader in sales and service

The Brøns Group started in 1942 as a small smithy in the south of Denmark and was known for repairing and maintaining agricultural machinery. Under Jeppe Hamann's management and with the active support of his wife Anna, the company developed from this traditional smithy into a modern supplier of innovative agricultural machinery.
With the import rights from AMAZONE, that development really took off. Our partnership has given Brøns a huge boost, enabling them to establish themselves as a major distribution partner - always full of energy and vigour. We have always carried out extensive product development with Brøns in Denmark, where which almost every prototype is used before they are ready for series production and find their way around the world.

Over the years, Jeppe Hamann has expanded the product range through cooperative ventures with renowned manufacturers such as KRONE. One milestone during this journey was the 40th anniversary of the cooperation with AMAZONE in 2022, followed by the celebration of 50 years as a supplier of modern machines in 2024. Today, the company is a dynamic player in the Danish agricultural sector, characterised by an innovative spirit, family values and a deep commitment to farmers, contractors and dealers. For us, the Brøns Group is an exemplary importer that always has its finger on the pulse and keeps up with the times as a result of its investments in infrastructure, with a modern company headquarters, spare parts warehouse and training centre located in the original company building.
Brøns is currently run successfully by Jeppe Hamann's son Dan and his wife Zaza. We would like to thank the entire Brøns team for making AMAZONE so highly regarded in Denmark. It would not be possible with the just the right technology alone, but it is primarily down to the shared team spirit that unites us.
Klaus Dreyer: "I can still remember the early days of our collaboration very well and am delighted with the close ties we have with the Hamann family."

Generational change in Purchasing

Henning Schaper succeeds Peter Klumpe

On 1 April 2025, we will be bidding farewell to our long-standing Purchasing Manager Peter Klumpe from the main factory in Hasbergen-Gaste as he takes his well-deserved retirement. A suitable successor has already been found in Henning Schaper.
Peter Klumpe is a true AMAZONE veteran: He began his commercial training at the main factory in Hasbergen-Gaste in 1976, before steadily taking on more responsibility after working in Accounts and Purchasing. Through further training and commitment, he was appointed Purchasing Manager in 1995 - a position that he has now filled with reliability and expertise for almost three decades and in which he has successfully contributed significantly to the company's development.

Since joining AMAZONE in 2007, Henning Schaper has already gained extensive experience in the area of purchasing. He has established himself in the department as a competent and valued colleague and will continue to successfully develop the purchasing department with his in-depth expertise and strong team spirit. 
The management would like to thank Mr Klumpe for his outstanding work and loyalty over the past decades and wishes him all the best for his new phase of life and Henning Schaper every success in his new role.

Hardijs Grabovskis at AMAZONE

Successful mision in the Baltic States

On 1 July 2020, Mr Hardijs Grabovskis joined the AMAZONEN-WERKE team as Factory Representative for the Baltic States. Together with Export Manager Jens Meißner, he is responsible for Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. This region has undergone impressive development in the agricultural sector over the past three decades, whereby direct support from AMAZONE has become indispensable. The aim is to exploit the opportunities that arise as effectively as possible.
Mr Grabovskis has extensive experience: From 1998 to 2020, he worked in sales at our importer SIA Amazone Latvia and most recently, has headed the sales team for over ten years. With his sound education at the Agricultural University of Latvia, where he graduated in 2000 with an engineering degree in agricultural machinery, as well as practical experience, including a six-month internship in Germany, he is ideally equipped for his job.

Today, Mr Grabovskis lives with his family in his home region in the town of Kuldiga in western Latvia. He enjoys spending his free time travelling with his wife and two children. His first contact with AMAZONE was back in 1998 during a visit to our main factory in Hasbergen-Gaste - an event that marked the beginning of a successful collaboration.

German Paratriathlon Champion

Our employees’ hobbies

Uli Wilfried Hoppe has worked as an industrial foreman in work planning at AMAZONE in Hude since 2008 and is not only a valued colleague, but also an outstanding sportsman.
As a result of a complicated back operation in 2007, he was left with a walking disability and an impairment to his hand. But Uli Wilfried Hoppe was not discouraged: on the contrary, he decided to dedicate his talents and skills to professional sport.
His commitment to sport goes beyond any physical challenge: Through triathlon training, he is also actively working on the neurological repercussions of the operation. In 2022, Uli was officially classified by the German Disabled Sports Association and competed at the German Championships in Hamburg in the same year. With an impressive performance, he secured the title of German Paratriathlon Champion over the Olympic distance (1,500 m swim, 40 km bike, 10 km run) in 2022.
We warmly congratulate Mr Hoppe on his outstanding skills and are proud to have such an inspiring and active colleague on the team.

200 years of Rudolph Sack

Born in 1824, Rudolph Sack was one of the most outstanding personalities in the history of agricultural engineering. Growing up in humble circumstances in Löben near Leipzig, he lost his father at an early age and had to work on his parents' farm as a child. Despite these challenges, he received a solid basic education: in addition to primary school, he received private tuition and lessons in drawing and arithmetic from a surveyor.

At the age of 18, Sack left his parents' business and gained valuable experience as a manager on various estates. He very quickly recognised the weaknesses of the ploughs commonly used at the time, which were difficult to guide and did not turn the soil perfectly. After six years, he returned home and devoted himself intensively to his further education. He attended agricultural events and regularly exchanged ideas with progressive farmers.
Together with a neighbouring blacksmith, Rudolph Sack finally developed a steel plough that ploughed deeper with less tractive force and crumbled the soil better. This innovation required numerous experiments, but the result was impressive: The new cart plough required only half the power, turned the soil more efficiently and was easier to guide and adjust. The farmers in the neighbourhood were delighted, and demand soon grew.
The decisive breakthrough came in 1857, when one of his ploughs reached the estate of Count Bobindky in the Ukraine. The Count was so impressed that he placed a large order for 120 ploughs, followed by a further 80. To meet this demand, Sack travelled to England and had the ploughs manufactured by Garret & Sons.
Following this success, Rudolph Sack founded his own company in Leipzig in 1863. In the years that followed, the company developed into the world's leading plough factory and laid the foundations for ground-breaking innovations in agricultural machinery that continue to set standards today. 

From historic plough manufacturer to modern production

AMAZONE factory overview, part 3: BBG Leipzig

After reunification in 1989, many companies in the new federal states faced major challenges. Technically outdated and with dwindling markets, they had difficulties competing.

This was also the case for BBG. The company traces its origins back to the founding of the company "RUD. SACK" by Rudolph Sack in 1863. Before the Second World War, this company was the largest plough and seed drill manufacturer in the world. After the political change in 1989, BBG was placed under the administration of a trust and went through an uncertain period with several changes of ownership. The number of employees had shrunk from over 3,000 to only around 140.
1994 saw a move from the old headquarters of the company "RUD. SACK" in Karl-Heine-Straße in Leipzig-Plagwitz to its current location in Rippachtalstraße in the Großzschocher district. Finally, BBG became a subsidiary of the AMAZONE Group in 1998.  
BBG was of interest to us because it manufactured passive soil tillage equipment such as seedbed combinations, cultivators, ploughs and even self-propelled crop protection sprayers.
Since part of the product range was technologically outdated, AMAZONE developed new equipment within a short space of time, streamlined the range and modernised the company at great financial expense. 

BBG is therefore the only agricultural engineering company from the GDR era that has managed to survive successfully on the market. The introduction of our Catros compact disc harrow range, which is still being produced and continuously developed there today, has certainly contributed to this. We are very proud of the fact that BBG has grown into a respected, modern company with around 350 employees. Equipped with an automotive-industry standard paint shop, numerous state-of-the-art machine tools, newly built halls, a test track for our cultivators and extensive trials fields around the site, we are looking to the future with optimism. 

Green-orange on the 1st

New GO look

As part of our brand strategy, we have also been using the protected green-orange colour combination in our groundcare and hoeing division since December 2024. This step was introduced to standardise the colours of our entire product portfolio with the aim of creating a uniform external appearance and therefore greater recognition of the AMAZONE brand worldwide.

For over 40 years we have been successfully represented on the market by high-quality products
in the groundcare sector. Previously in green and beige, our mowers are valued by local authorities and service providers for their versatility and reliability. The new green-orange colour scheme not only gives the equipment a striking visual change, but also new dynamic lines.
Schmotzer Hacktechnik, which has been part of the AMAZONE Group since 2019, has so far offered machines on the market in the blue-orange colour combination.
In future, however, the new green-orange look will also be used here. This change emphasises the association with the AMAZONE family and underlines the synergies between our product lines.

The Schmotzer Hacktechnik brand will be absorbed into the AMAZONE brand. This will enable us to position the machines even better internationally as well as benefit from the high profile of our green-orange brand image.