April 12, 2018
By Kubota Canada
Apr. 12, 2018 - Owing to its growing success in Canada, Kubota Canada Ltd. (KCL) will be moving its operations to a new facility located in Pickering, Ontario, by the end of 2019. As part of KCL's ongoing commitment to deliver high-quality products and top-tier customer service, the new facility will be designed to house its Head Office and Warehouse operations. KCL has continuously operated in Canada from Markham, Ontario, since 1975, and this project marks a new opportunity for the brand.
"In Canada, the construction, agriculture, commercial and residential sectors are all highly competitive markets, which gives us the motivation to strengthen our leadership among Canadian customers and dealers. It had become obvious that we needed a new state-of-the-art facility to ensure we could live up to our commitments to meet the increasing needs of our growing customer base," said Bob Hickey, President of KCL. "We are very thankful for the trust our dealers and customers place in our products and services."
The new Pickering facility in numbers
"Pickering was selected as our future Head Office location because it provides a great sense of community and lends itself perfectly to our growing technological advancements," continued KCL's president. "Our new location will enable us to have easy access to highways, affordable housing for our employees, as well as to equipment testing and training areas".
"We would also like to express our sincere thanks to Mayor Ryan as well as to other City of Pickering officials for welcoming KCL and making this project possible. Lastly, we wish to thank the City of Markham for helping to bring KCL to where it is today," concluded Mr. Hickey.
Last year Vermeer launched the 504R Signature baler and it captured the attention of farmers and ranchers across the country. With years of experience and discovering the next greatest thing, we sat down with lead engineers of the Vermeer 504R Signature, Calvin Meinders and Alex Knee, to find out more.
Makin' Hay Minute: It’s an argument worth having — should hay producers work to grow a higher tonnage of forage or take the lower yield with a higher quality?
Are you a large hay producer or a custom operator? Do you understand the value of a densely packed bale? Is productivity important to you? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, it might be a good time to go Pro.
To some extent, hay production has always been a balancing act, as producers have had to weigh the trade-off between increased tonnage and decreased quality as alfalfa plants mature beyond a certain stage — generally late bud stage for dairy or 10 percent bloom for beef. However, alfalfa growers may have a new tool to bring both factors into equilibrium. Known as reduced-lignin alfalfa, the unique crop has the potential to benefit growers in two different ways.
Kubota Canada Ltd. Expands Long-Time Alliance with Land Pride through Kubota Corp.’s Agreement to Purchase Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc.
Shared Values and Strategic Alignment Drove the Acquisition
MARKHAM, ON, (May 13, 2016) – Kubota Corporation, Osaka, Japan today announced that it has entered into an agreement through its subsidiary, Kubota U.S.A., to purchase Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc., based in Salina, Kansas. Once complete, the purchase will expand the long-time alliance with Land Pride and will include all five Great Plains divisions with multiple facilities in Kansas and a manufacturing plant in Sleaford, England.
Since 2007, Kubota has worked closely with Land Pride to provide quality, performance-matched implements to Kubota dealers and customers across the U.S. and Canada. “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,” said Kubota Canada Ltd. President, Bob Hickey.
For the foreseeable future, all five Great Plains divisions will continue to operate as they have been with their infrastructure intact and with respect to the distinctiveness of the brands, trademarks and operational strengths. Doing so will allow employees, dealers and customers to do business with the same great companies they have come to know and trust.
Roy Applequist, Great Plains’ founder and chairman will remain on the leadership team to help guide the operations and facilitate a seamless transition. “My plan is to play a significant role in helping Great Plains become a vital part of the Kubota family,” said Applequist. “Great Plains’ leadership position 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.”
Kubota Enters into an Agreement to Purchase Great Plains Mfg.../ADD ONE
Partnering with Mr. Applequist in overseeing and managing the transition is Linda Salem, president of Great Plains Manufacturing. “I’ve worked alongside Roy for 26 years, and I intend to carry forward the entrepreneurial and successful legacy that he has created at Great Plains,” expressed Salem. “I’ve also worked collaboratively with Kubota for over 10 years, which has allowed us to create a foundation for a strong working relationship that we will continue to build as we move forward.”
The partnership further builds on Kubota’s presence in Kansas where the company recently announced the establishment of its North American Distribution Center in Edgerton, Kansas, which serves as the primary distribution hub for Kubota parts and whole goods distribution across the U.S. The company’s expanding presence in the state well-equips it to complete a seamless transition to ensure existing Great Plains and Land Pride customers continue to receive the same reliable and professional support they are accustomed to.
About Kubota Canada Ltd.
Kubota Canada Ltd. is the Canadian marketer and distributor of Kubota-branded equipment, including a complete line of tractors up to 150 PTO HP, performance-matched implements, compact and utility-class construction equipment, consumer lawn and garden equipment, commercial turf products and utility vehicles. For product literature or dealer locations, please visit: www.kubota.ca.
About Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc.
Great Plains Manufacturing was founded in 1976 by Roy Applequist and employs over 1,400 people in eight Kansas communities and Sleaford, England. It encompasses five divisions: Great Plains Ag, which manufactures seedbed preparation, nutrient application, and seed placement equipment; Land Pride, which manufactures grounds maintenance tools such as mowers, rototillers, rotary cutters, and dirt-working equipment; Great Plains International, which sells the company’s products worldwide; Great Plains Trucking, which operates a nationwide fleet of flatbed trucks; and Great Plains Acceptance Corporation, which finances the company’s products. Great Plains Mfg., Inc., is headquartered in Salina, Kansas.