CLAAS: A Pioneer of Excellence in Agricultural Machinery

CLAAS KGaA mbH, headquartered in Harsewinkel, Germany, is a renowned agricultural machinery manufacturer with a rich history dating back to its founding by August Claas in 1913. This family-owned company has established itself as a global leader in harvesting technology, known for its innovation and commitment to excellence. Claas is particularly celebrated for its expertise in combine harvesters and self-propelled forage harvesters, boasting a product range that extends from tractors and balers to mowers, rakes, tedders, silage trailers, wheel loaders, telehandlers, and farming information technology.

Early Roots and Expansion

Claas’s origins trace back to 1887 when Franz Claas established a company in Clarholz, Germany, focused on producing milk centrifuges. Later on, he expanded into manufacturing various other agricultural machinery, such as straw binders and mowing machine cutters. The official foundation of the company took place in 1913 when August Claas, the son of Franz Claas, informed the authorities in Herzebrock that he was manufacturing straw binders with two locksmiths and an unskilled worker. In 1914, his brothers Franz Jr. and Bernhard Claas also joined the company, and it continued under the name “Gebr. Claas.” The fourth brother, Theo, officially became a partner in the company in 1940.

After returning from World War I, the Claas brothers relocated their company to Harsewinkel in 1919, where they purchased a disused hard stone factory and resumed production. Claas products were then exported from Harsewinkel, initially to countries like Holland, France, and Belgium.

In 1930, Claas began developing its first combine harvester, initially based on the fore-cut principle. The company introduced its first straw baler in 1931. By 1936, Claas had launched the first combine harvester designed specifically for European harvesting conditions, known as the “Mäh-Dresch-Binder” (MDB). This model was mass-produced starting in 1937 and continued until production ceased due to World War II, with approximately 1,400 units manufactured.

Simultaneously, alongside the production of the 1,000th combine harvester in 1942, Claas initiated the development of the CLAAS SUPER series, which was introduced to the market in 1946. By the time production concluded in 1978, over 65,000 units from this combine harvester family had been produced.

In 1956, Claas established a new factory in Paderborn, Germany, as its third production location alongside Harsewinkel and the Christopherus-Hütte in Gütersloh-Blankenhagen, which was built in 1948. The 1960s and 1970s marked a period of significant growth and diversification for Claas, including the acquisition of Josef Bautz AG in Saulgau, Germany, in 1969, and the Speiser company in Göppingen, Germany, in 1970, both specializing in forage harvesting machinery. Claas continued to expand its product offerings in forage harvesting, introducing mowers, tedders, windrowers, loader wagons, and trailed forage harvesters.

In 1978, Helmut Claas, the son of August Claas, assumed the role of chairman of the management board, ushering in a new era of leadership and innovation for the company.

Establishing Itself as a Global Agricultural Technology Company

Starting in the 1990s, Claas began strengthening its international presence in non-European countries. The company established new production and sales locations in India (1989), the USA (1999), Russia (2005), China (2012/2014), and South America, among other regions. In 2003, with the acquisition of a majority stake in Renault Agriculture, Claas expanded its product range to include standard tractors. On February 11, 2003, the 400,000th combine harvester rolled off the production line at the main plant in Harsewinkel.

In 2011, the LEXION 770 made headlines by setting a Guinness World Record by harvesting 675.84 tonnes of grain in eight hours.

Claas marked another significant milestone in 2017 with the construction of a new development center for electronics in Dissen, Lower Saxony, paving the way for digitalization in agriculture.

Since October 1, 2019, CEO Thomas Böck has been leading the company.

Product Portfolio

Claas is widely recognized as a harvesting specialist, offering combine harvesters in various sizes. The flagship model series is the LEXION, which has been in production since 1995 and is now in its fourth generation. The LEXION 8900 boasts a maximum output of 790 hp and is available with either tires or crawler tracks (TERRA TRAC) on the front axle, allowing for a top speed of 31 mph (50 km/h). The cutter bars for these machines can reach widths of up to 13.79 meters, with grain tanks capable of holding up to 18,000 liters. Claas also offers two smaller combine product families, the TUCANO and AVERO.

In August 2021, Claas introduced a new line of harvesters called TRION, featuring the TRION 700, TRION 600, and TRION 500 series, all powered by Cummins engines.

The CLAAS forage harvester, known as the JAGUAR, is considered the world market leader in the silage chopper market.

Claas manufactures and sells tractors with power outputs ranging from 47 hp to 530 hp. The XERION stands as the largest tractor in Claas’s product lineup, distinguished by its four equally-sized wheels.

The AXION model series is available in power ranges from 205 hp (AXION 800) to 445 hp (AXION 960). Since 2019, Claas has offered an optional track system for the AXION 900 series, known as TERRA TRAC.

The ARION model range encompasses tractors ranging from 95 hp (ARION 410) to 205 hp (ARION 660), with subseries including the ARION 400, ARION 500, ARION 600, and ARION 600C.

Product Range

Combine Harvesters: LEXION 8000-5000, LEXION 780-740, LEXION 670-620, TUCANO 580-560, TUCANO 450-320, AVERO 240/160, TRION 750 – 520

Self-Propelled Forage Harvesters: JAGUAR 990-930, JAGUAR 870-840, ORBIS cutting systems

Tractors: XERION 5000-4000, AXION 960-920, AXION 870-800, ARION 660-610, ARION 550-510, ARION 460-410, ATOS 350-220, ELIOS 240-210, NEXOS 250-210

Balers: QUADRANT 5300-4000, VARIANT 485-450, MARKANT 650

Wheel Loaders: TORION 1914-535

Telehandlers: SCORPION 1033-635

Forage Harvesting Machinery: DISCO, LINER, VOLTO, CORTO, CARGOS 9600-740

Company Locations

Claas is an international company with a global presence and several key manufacturing and operational facilities:

Harsewinkel, Germany

Claas’s headquarters is located in Harsewinkel, where the company’s administration and a major factory are situated. This plant, operational since 1919, has produced combine harvesters since 1936. Over 400,000 combine harvesters have been built at this location to date. Additionally, Claas manufactures forage harvesters and the XERION tractor in Harsewinkel. The factory has been expanded between 2000 and 2003 to produce individual components for other Claas plants, alongside complete machines. Finished machines are transported from this plant both by rail and road, with the choice depending on the destination country.

Bad Saulgau, Germany

Claas’s Bad Saulgau facilities are dedicated to developing, testing, and manufacturing forage harvesting machines and attachments. This location also produces the chopper unit of the JAGUAR forage harvester and hosts a test center for forage harvesting technology and Claas Group’s Competence Center for Tractor-Implement-Automation (TIM).

Le Mans, France

Following the acquisition of a majority stake in Renault Agriculture, Claas has expanded its product range to include tractors since 2003. All Claas tractor models, excluding the XERION, are manufactured at the Le Mans factory, situated two hours southwest of Paris. In 2021, the factory underwent a three-year refurbishment.

Metz, France

Claas’s Metz plant is staffed by 400 employees responsible for manufacturing balers for the agricultural industry. Since production commenced in 1958, over 300,000 balers have been manufactured at this facility. Each type of baler is produced on its welding and sheet metal processing line, allowing for the simultaneous production of all models.

Törökszentmiklós, Hungary

Located southwest of Budapest, Hungary, this Claas location employs 800 workers. Acquired by Claas in 1997, it serves as the competence center for cutter bars and drum mowers.

Columbus, Indiana, and Omaha, Nebraska, USA

Claas machines have been present in North American fields since the 1950s. The Claas of America (COA) sales company was founded in 1979, with manufacturing of LEXION combine harvesters starting in Columbus, Indiana, in 1999. The Claas Omaha (COL) production company, responsible for product development of US machines, has been manufacturing LEXION combine harvesters since 1999, fully owned by Claas since 2002. These combines were initially sold exclusively through Caterpillar dealers but have since been made available through other distribution channels. The color scheme for combines produced in Omaha changed to Claas’s green-white-red with the introduction of the new LEXION model series for the North American market.

Krasnodar, Russia

Claas established its factory in Krasnodar, Russia, in 2005, becoming the first major agricultural engineering manufacturer to operate its production facilities in Russia. The plant is designed to have a capacity of up to 1,000 machines annually, with an investment of 120 million euros made in 2015 to expand the facility. Krasnodar produces combine harvesters, including metalworking, painting, and assembly.

Sunchales, Argentina

In Sunchales, Santa Fé Province, Argentina, Claas has had a subsidiary since 2000. The company began producing TUCANO combine harvesters in Argentina in 2006, with engine options ranging from 270 to 360 hp. In Ameghino, Buenos Aires, Claas manufactures headers and other equipment and components.

Chandigarh, India

Claas opened a plant near Chandigarh in 2008, strategically located in the fertile areas of Northern India. This plant has a capacity of approximately 900 combine harvesters per year. The CROP TIGER combine harvester is mainly produced in Chandigarh, in both wheeled and TERRA TRAC tracked versions. The tracked version is particularly suitable for wet soils and is sold in Southern India, Sri Lanka, South Korea, and other Southeast Asian countries. The wheeled version of the CROP TIGER is primarily used in dry conditions, such as in Northern India, the Middle East, and Africa.

Claas’s extensive global footprint and commitment to innovation continue to make it a leader in the agricultural machinery industry, providing cutting-edge solutions to farmers around the world. With a history rooted in excellence and a forward-looking approach to technology and sustainability, Claas remains at the forefront of modern agriculture.